VA HJR86

Mattie L. Palmore, a domestic abuse advocate and Gum Springs community leader, died on October 30, 2025, and is honored by this joint resolution

Made history in the mid-1990s as one of the first Black women appointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia as a magistrate in Fairfax County

Cofounded the Mount Vernon Women's Group and helped establish Artemis House, a women's shelter in Mount Vernon, drawing on her own experience with domestic violence

Served in multiple leadership roles including director of Gum Springs Senior Center, director of a homeless families program at Good Shepherd Housing, and member of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board

Received numerous honors including Lady Fairfax for Mount Vernon District (2017), Gerry Hyland Humanitarian Award (2020), and NAACP recognition for service (2024)