Doc Martin
Doc Martin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Christopher Damien Martin September 16, 1988 Los Angeles, CA |
| Nationality | African American |
| Alma mater |
|
| Occupation | |
| Years active | music, 1995 to present |
Christopher Damien Martin (born September 16, 1988), known professionally as Chris Martin, is an American civil rights attorney, community organizer, singer, songwriter, actor, and filmmaker. Based in Los Angeles, Martin is known for his legal work with Black Lives Matter–Los Angeles, advocacy within the child welfare system, and as the frontman of the R&B/soul band Brownsuede.[1] Under the stage name Doc Martin, he has also gained recognition as a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition for his solo music projects.[2][3]
Early life and education
Martin was born in South Central Los Angeles, California, in the historic Central Avenue Jazz District. He attended Susan Miller Dorsey High School and graduated in 2006. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and History from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2010. While at UC Santa Barbara, Chris was named Junior of the Year for his leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion. He was a lead organizer of Don’t Cut Us Out!, a campus-wide campaign urging the university to recruit and retain more students of color, at a time when Black students made up only 2.7% of the student body. He also served as President of the Black Pioneers Renaissance Organization (formerly 100 Black Men), sat on the Black Student Union executive board, and led campus protests around the killing of Oscar Grant, workers’ rights, and racial equity.
He went on to earn a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2015, where he was Co-President of the Black Law Students’ Association and completed the Social Justice Lawyering Concentration. While in law school, Martin interned with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, where he worked on employment law cases representing the City in lawsuits filed by police officers against it. In his final year, he interned with the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, gaining experience in criminal defense. He also served with the Labor and Employment Committee at the California State Capitol, where he honed his skills in bill drafting and legislative analysis. He was inducted into the UC Hastings Pro Bono Society for contributing over 150 hours of free legal services to underserved clients.
Legal career and activism
As a lawyer, Martin specializes in civil rights law, with a focus on police misconduct, and excessive force. In 2018, he became Director of the Legal Team for Black Lives Matter–Los Angeles, organizing a coalition of over 700 attorneys who provided legal support to more than 900 demonstrators arrested during the 2020 George Floyd protests. Following negotiations with the National Lawyers Guild and local authorities, the majority of these cases were dismissed.[4][5]
Martin has also pursued personal legal action against systemic injustice. After being racially profiled by the LAPD, he filed a civil rights lawsuit which resulted in a $50,000 settlement. His case has been referenced in major media investigations by Los Angeles Times, Essence, San Francisco Chronicle, and KTLA, bringing attention to racial profiling and the ineffectiveness of complaint systems in California.[6]
In 2021, Martin authored an op-ed for WitnessLA criticizing the Los Angeles child welfare system’s treatment of Black and low-income families.[7] He is a co-founder of the Reimagine Child Safety Coalition, a grassroots organization advocating for community-centered and trauma-informed alternatives to traditional foster care and family separation practices.
In 2023, Chris served on the Executive Board of the John M. Langston Bar Association, as Co-Chair of the Community Action and Outreach Committee, where he helped organize free legal clinics and mentored children at schools across South Central, Los Angeles, including his high school, Dorsey High, and Crenshaw High School. In 2024, for his commitment to the community, the Langston Bar Association awarded him the President’s Award, in recognition of his “Outstanding and Dedicated Service.”[8]
Music career
As Doc Martin, Martin is the lead vocalist and songwriter for the R&B/soul group Brownsuede.[9] The band’s debut EP features singles such as “The One,”[10] “Fade Away,”[11] and “How to Do Dat,”[12] which collectively surpassed 250,000 streams on Spotify. Their music has been played on radio stations including Real 92.3 in Los Angeles and KMEL 106.1 in the Bay Area, and charted on college radio across the U.S., reaching #2 on the NACC R&B/Soul chart at Appalachian State University.[13]
In 2023, Martin released his solo single “With You,” described by African Hype as “an exceptional blend of classic soul textures and contemporary emotion.” The track advanced to the finals of the International Songwriting Competition (ISC), placing in the top 10 of over 14,000 entries and earning an Honorable Mention—an accolade granted to fewer than 2% of submissions.
Brownsuede has been featured in outlets such as VoyageLA, YouKnowIGotSoul, and Bong Mines Entertainment. The band’s music has received recognition from prominent artists, including Ne-Yo, Eric Benét, Anthony Hamilton, and DC Young Fly.[14]
Personal life and philosophy
Martin identifies as Christain and has been deeply influenced by the cultural and musical legacy of South Central Los Angeles. His work—both legal and artistic—is rooted in a commitment to racial justice, family advocacy, and community healing. He describes his personal philosophy as liberal and is actively involved in movements focused on equity, reform, and representation.
Awards and recognition
- UC Santa Barbara Junior of the Year Award (2009)
- Inducted into UC Hastings Pro Bono Society (2015)
- President's Award, Langston Bar Association
- Finalist and Honorable Mention, International Songwriting Competition (2025)
Gallery
References
- ↑ "BrownSuede on Spotify". Spotify. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "Doc Martin – Obsession". Stereostickman. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "Check out Chris Martin (Doc Martin)". VoyageLA. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "She Reached Out for Help and Got Her Kids Taken Away". WitnessLA. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "BrownSuede – EP on Deezer". Deezer. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "California Police Racial Profiling Complaints Rejected". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "How Child Welfare System Disproportionately Harms Black Families". TIME. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "BrownSuede – EP on Pandora". Pandora. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "BrownSuede". HearNow. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "New Music: BrownSuede "The One"". YouKnowIGotSoul. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "BrownSuede Pays Major Tribute to Nipsey Hussle in "Fade Away"". Now Entertainment. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "BrownSuede – How To Do Dat". Bong Mines Entertainment. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "BrownSuede – EP on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "BrownSuede – EP". Spotify. Retrieved 16 July 2025.