It is with the heaviest of hearts that we mourn the passing of the fierce and extraordinary Iris Baez.  Iris transitioned to the ancestors on September 10, 2026.  We hope you’ll join us in giving what you can, to honor Iris' legacy, to help cover expenses for her arrangements and to offer her family some comfort in this time of mourning.

Many of us knew Iris as a warrior, as someone whose spirit and compassion were larger than life – we knew her as the real OG, as the godmother (& godfather!) .  And we knew her as the mother of Anthony Baez, who was killed by NYPD cop Francis Livoti in front of their Bronx home in 1994, after a football Anthony and his brothers were playing with bounced off Livoti’s patrol car.  Livoti, known as a violent and abusive cop, brutally killed Anthony with a banned chokehold, twenty years before Eric Garner was killed the same way by the NYPD.  Iris was relentless in fighting for Anthony and she became a key NYC leader in the fight against NYPD violence. The diversity of the community that supported Iris as she fought for Anthony reflected how remarkable she was – street organizations, clergy, construction workers, activists and more came together to follow Iris’ leadership and fight alongside her. With partnership from the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights (now known as the Justice Committee) and others, Iris was able to get Francis Livoti fired.  Livoti was the only NYPD cop who killed a New Yorker in the past decades that was federally indicted and convicted for civil rights violations.  While some might call this "justice" Iris was always clear she never got "justice" especially because Anthony should have been alive - but that didn't stop her from fighting for Anthony and others killed or brutalized by the NYPD.  

After Anthony was killed in 1994, Iris co-founded Parents Against Police Brutality with Margarita Rosario (mother of Anthony Rosario & aunt of Hilton Vega, who were killed weeks after Anthony Baez) to organize others to fight NYPD violence. Iris became the matriarch, the OG to so many mothers and families whose loved ones were killed by police (as well as to generations of activists) – not just in NYC  but across the country and the world . When Amadou Diallo was killed by the NYPD in a hail of 41 bullets, when Gidone Busch was killed, Iris reached out to Amadou & Gidone's moms. The three mothers are featured in a powerful, PBS award-winning documentary about their fight for their sons.  For over three decades, Iris supported countless families in the aftermath of the killing of their loved ones by police and stood by them as they mourned, helped them organize, and helped them sustain the courage to fight.

Iris was a national and global leader in the fight against police violence and NYPD brutality. She was part of countless protests, civil disobedience, rallies and more -- if there was a righteous action and she could be there, she was. Iris was also a fierce dominoes player who crushed many of us who lined up to try to challenge her - all while she smiled that Iris smile. If we were lucky, we got to hear hilarious stories of movement moments in her matter-of-fact Iris way (including comical stories of her own antics).  Iris founded the Anthony Baez Foundation, which supported the Stolen Lives Project, documenting a national list of killings by law enforcement as a joint program of the Anthony Baez Foundation, National Lawyers Guild and the October 22 Coalition. As a long-time leader in the Justice Committee, Iris played a key leadership role in Communities United for Police Reform (CPR). While joining protests in Albany & NYC, testifying in front of state and city legislators, cracking jokes and laughing with those around her, Iris was at the forefront of many key New York City and NY state victories in the past decade plus, including: forcing former Governor Cuomo to sign an executive order for a special prosecutor for police killings (and later winning legislation on that), passing the Community Safety Act & Right to Know Act, repealing the notorious NYS police secrecy law (50-a), and more. In spite of significant health challenges, including cancer, Iris insisted on continuing to participate in meetings and was active in ways that she could be, through this year.

There’s so much more to share about Iris Baez , too much for this page - she was a legend that lived a life of love and care, someone who brought joy & inspiration to so many. We hope you’re able to give to honor Iris’ tremendous legacy , to help with costs for arrangements and to provide some comfort to Iris’ family in this time. Please also share this with others who may be able to give – thank you so much!