Fall Fundraising Walk September 2025!!!
Edward Darnell Martin began shining his light in the world on July 11, 1981. He was born in Houston, Texas, the youngest of three children born to Queen Ester and Norris Martin. He had two older sisters, Angela and Adrian.
Edward attended Houston Preparatory Academy, James D. Ryan Middle School, and Booker T. Washington High School all in Houston Texas. He graduated from B. T. Washington in May of 1999. While in high school Edward was a member of the Gents, a community service organization that provides guidance and direction to young men, and the Black Engineering Students Association. Edward also participated in community service projects during his middle school and high school years with the NAACP and Sisterhood of Faith in Action.
The joy of Edward’s life was his family and friends. By the time he entered college in 1999, Edward had two nieces and two nephews. He would often come back to Houston and go straight to his sister’s house to see them before going home. He definitely knew how to show love. He surprised his oldest niece one Valentine’s Day at school with a dozen roses to let her know how much he loved her. He would always tell his nieces and nephews: “if anything goes wrong and you need some help, call me first”. In 2002, much to his joy, another niece was born who he also showered with love.
Edward’s academic pursuits led him to Atlanta Georgia in August of 1999 where he attended Clark Atlanta University as a Marketing and Finance major. He stayed in Atlanta until his untimely death during a car accident driving back to Houston in May 2003.
During his high school and college years, Edward cultivated friendships that are still ongoing with his immediate family. He would often say “I have my own family” speaking of his tried and true friends. Edward showed his friends that they could count on him for food to eat, a place to sleep, entertainment by playing sports and games, going out to the movies and a good challenging conversation as well as visiting them or their family members in the hospital, lending or giving them money when they needed it, assisting them with transportation, using his AAA card for tows, and waiting with them when their cars broke down.
During his last conversations with his mother, Edward expressed a desire to start an organization that would address the social needs of young minority males. He was distressed by what he was seeing occur in the community; drug use and sales, dropping out of school and trips to jail for many of his peers. Ed’s World Inc was founded in December 2003 as a direct result of Edward’s concern for young people.