Ritchie Torres: “I rise today to honor a true champion of the Bronx, Nilka Martell. A proud Puerto Rican daughter of our borough, Nilka…”

“I rise today to honor a true champion of the Bronx, Nilka Martell. A proud Puerto Rican daughter of our borough, Nilka turned her lifelong love for her community into action. Since 2011, as founder and director of Loving The Bronx, she has built a powerful grassroots movement that puts residents at the heart of the fight for justice-- social, environmental, and economic. She chairs the Bronx River Alliance, leads Friends of Pelham Bay Park, and serves on the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality, always amplifying local voices in decisions that determine our air, our parks, and our health. Nilka delivers real wins: Securing over $10 million to rebuild Virginia Park and Hugh J. Grant Circle, and boldly leading the charge to cap the Cross Bronx Expressway--reducing deadly pollution, healing neighborhoods divided by Robert Moses, and creating new green spaces for our children. Nilka Martell shows us what is possible when community leadership meets unwavering determination. She is building a healthier, more connected, more just Bronx for all of us. I thank Nilka.”