Adner Marcelin, well-known for his longtime leadership in the Tallahassee branch of the NAACP and behind-the-scenes work in high-profile civil rights cases, died Thursday, May 8.
Marcelin, 37, served for many years as an officer of the NAACP and began his second stint as president in January. He worked closely for years with Tallahassee civil rights attorneys Benjamin Crump and Daryl Parks and ran for a Tallahassee City Commission seat hoping to upset the status quo at City Hall.
In a statement to the Democrat, Crump called Marcelin a “champion, a beacon of justice and a brother” who left an indelible mark on Tallahassee.
“For nearly 20 years, Adner Marcelin stood at the forefront of the social justice movement in Leon County,” Crump said. “Adner was often the first voice of compassion for clients seeking justice — and the spark that mobilized action. My brother took his work seriously because he cared about people deeply.”
His sudden death shocked his friends and loved ones and prompted an outpouring of grief from the state capital and beyond.
“Two days ago, I spoke with my frat brother about life and slowing down to enjoy it,” state Sen. Shevrin “Shev” Jones, D-Miami Gardens, said in a May 8 social media post. “Today, I got the devastating news that he took his own life. Check on your strong friends. Check on all your people. Life gets heavy — don’t carry it alone.”
Adner Marcelin held a campaign kickoff Wednesday in front of City Hall. He also announced the endorsements of former Mayors Dot Inman-Johnson (right of Marcelin) and Debbie Lightsey (left of Marcelin) and former County Commissioners Bob Rackleff (left of Johnson) and Cliff Thaell.
Marcelin, a Stuart native who moved to Tallahassee in 2004 to attend Florida State University, got involved with the NAACP while he was in college, the organization said in a prepared statement.
“He was a tireless advocate for justice and equality, not only through his work with the NAACP but also in partnership with attorney Ben Crump and other community efforts,” the local branch said. “He was a stalwart figure in the Tallahassee community — a passionate advocate, servant leader and respected voice for change. His absence will be deeply felt.”
The NAACP said funeral arrangements will be announced later.
Marlon Williams-Clark, the NAACP’s first vice president, will become the new president in the wake of Marcelin’s death. Williams-Clark called him the “glue” of the operation who made sure everyone else could be successful in their position.
“Beyond Adner’s advocacy for equality and justice, he was a friend, a mentor, a helper,” Williams-Clark said. “He was a servant leader. Truly, his presence will be missed. His knowledge will be missed. His sense of humor will be missed.”
Mutaqee Akbar, immediate past president of the local NAACP branch, succeeded Marcelin after his first time as president. He said Marcelin was the first person he turned to when he had any question about any of the NAACP’s functions.
“He found happiness in community work,” Akbar said. “He found happiness in helping people, building organizations, building community. He was the guy that didn’t mind being in the background.”
In 2022, he challenged City Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox for Seat 5 as part of an unofficial slate of progressive-minded candidates. He came in second in a three-person contest.
City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow, who is the de facto leader of progressive Democrats in Tallahassee, joined a stream of locals who took to social media to honor Marcelin’s life.
“Adner was a friend to all, a force to be reckoned with and was never afraid to tell you exactly what was on his mind.” he wrote on Facebook. “My heart breaks for everyone grieving today and for our city losing another champion way too soon.”
During the campaign, Marcelin lamented the infighting that had become the hallmark of the current commission.
“Somewhere in the fray, we’ve forgotten the biggest piece of the puzzle, and that is the constituents,” he said during his campaign kickoff.
He earned a degree in criminology at FSU, where he was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Though he never practiced law, he graduated from Cooley Law School in Michigan in 2012.
Marcelin worked as communications manager for the Parks and Crump law firm and later as the law firm administrator for Crump’s solo firm. For the past few years, he worked as an executive with the Self-Help Credit Union, which serves disadvantaged people. Across the credit union’s website was an announcement that said they were closed for the day.
Jones, a Florida A&M University graduate and fellow Alpha Phi Alpha member, got to know Marcelin when they were both in college and involved in student government.
“He was a strategist — he knew how to execute something,” Jones said. “He would take someone’s vision … and he would put it together. He was good at that.”
He was involved in numerous high-profile civil rights cases, including the deaths of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd and Michael Brown. He organized press conferences, interacted with news media and worked closely with victims’ families.
“Adner Marcelin loved Tallahassee,” Parks said. “He loved its people. He loved its purpose. He loved being involved. He loved what Tallahassee could be — and he dedicated his life to that.”
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ‘Beacon of justice’: Adner Marcelin, Tallahassee NAACP president, dies