Rev. Dr. Benilda Armstead-Jones Leaves Big Legacy

By Journalist Dr. Ms. Jones

NEWBURGH – From her beginnings in Panama to her pioneering career in construction and decades of community advocacy, Rev. Dr. Benilda Armstead-Jones devoted her life to breaking barriers and opening doors for others. The businesswoman, minister, educator, and community activist died July 4th at age 81. Her passing left a void in Newburgh, where she championed civil rights, education, historic preservation, and the dignity of those whose voices were often overlooked.

Born December 25th, 1944, in Panama, Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones immigrated to the United States as a child and eventually settled in New York. According to her family biography, her mother was a clothing designer who worked to provide opportunities for her daughter. Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones pursued higher education and established herself in architecture and construction management, industries in which women, particularly Black women, faced significant obstacles.

In 1974, she founded Classic Interior Inc., specializing in interior design and space planning, and in 1976 established a construction business that later operated as Camellia/Daniell Group Construction & Development Inc. A September 1978 Suburban Street newspaper profile documented her pioneering work in heavy construction and her advocacy for women seeking opportunities in the industry. Her professional experience included involvement in projects at South Street Seaport, the Jacob Javits Center, and other developments throughout New York, while family records also identify her work on the Walmart Shopping Center on Union Avenue in Newburgh and as an architectural consultant for Varick Peterson Homes.

“Sure they drive the cranes and bulldozers,” Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones explained in a 1978 interview with Suburban Street, “but I sign the checks. It’s my job. It’s my money. And it’s my responsibility.” She also declared, “I am a woman who is trying to champion the rights of all women.”

Her accomplishments extended into ministry, where she was ordained June 23, 1991, at Universal Baptist Church in Saratoga Springs. She founded Church of the Master Missionary Baptist Church in 1992, initially operating at the Storm King School campus in Cornwall-on-Hudson. She later became involved in numerous Newburgh organizations, including the NAACP, Project Life, the Human Rights Commission, and the Colored Burial Ground Committee.

Her daughter, Dr. Daniela Jones-Baynes, emphasized that her mother’s accomplishments extended far beyond construction and ministry. According to Dr. Jones-Baynes, Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones was a Rhodes Scholar who studied at Oxford University, an achievement that reflected her lifelong commitment to education. At home, she was a strict but loving mother who expected excellence, insisted on respect, and encouraged her children to pursue every opportunity available to them.

“My mother didn’t play about education. She didn’t play about respect and she was very strict about what I was supposed to do in terms of my schoolwork,” Dr. Jones-Baynes said. “She loved Newburgh. She loved the community. She loved these people, and she tried to honor them the best way that she could.”

Longtime friend Ramona Burton, who knew Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones for approximately 30 years, worked alongside her on Project Life, the Human Rights Commission, NAACP committees, and the Colored Burial Ground initiative. Burton recalled that Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones chaired the Human Rights Commission before Burton succeeded her. Their friendship extended far beyond meetings, often continuing through lengthy conversations while sitting in Burton’s car after community events.

“If she needed to be on the ground floor, literally pounding the pavement, talking to people, she would do that,” Burton said. “If it meant being in the same space with the governor or the city manager, she was there as well.”

Burton also remembered Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones mentoring teenage girls through a SUNY Orange program and arranging an educational visit with archaeologists investigating the historic burial ground. She described a woman whose credentials never prevented her from connecting with ordinary residents. Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones also supported Burton’s 2014 school board campaign, helping with outreach and community engagement.

Recording Artist Lillie Howard, of the celebrated duo Billie & Lillie, remembered meeting Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones more than 20 years ago while performing at Billy Joe’s on Newburgh’s waterfront. Howard said Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones regularly attended her performances and became a supportive friend. She particularly admired her determination to challenge situations she believed were unjust.

“She was just a wonderful lady, very involved in the community, very caring about the community, and she was a very strong individual,” Howard said. “She never would back down if she felt that what she was feeling was correct.”

Howard described Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones as someone who stood up for what she believed was right, especially when advocating for Newburgh residents. She was not afraid to speak out, challenge decisions, or stand firm when she believed the community was being overlooked. Her activism reflected a determination to protect the community’s interests and ensure its concerns were heard.

One of Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones’s most enduring commitments was preserving the historic Colored Burial Ground near Broadway and Robinson Avenue. Human remains discovered during courthouse construction in 2008 prompted community demands for respectful treatment, historical recognition, and eventual reinterment. Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones served as committee chairperson and participated in discussions about the proposed memorial at Downing Park, including its design and educational information.

Nick Edward, Neighborhood Stabilization Coordinator for the City of Newburgh, said Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones had been involved in the Colored Burial Ground memorial project from its earliest stages and remained committed to seeing it completed. As chairperson of the committee, she participated in meetings to review the proposed memorial’s design and the historical information intended for seven granite panels. Her involvement extended beyond attending meetings; she helped examine the accuracy, language, and educational value of the information that would preserve the burial ground’s history for future generations.

“She was around for this project from the very beginning, and she always wanted to see the project move forward,” Edward said. “I have Zoom meetings with her where we went over the text. She was one of the people in that subcommittee that had to approve and that reviewed everything. She gave her points. She gave her critiques.”

Mayor Torrance Harvey said the city plans to transform a section of Downing Park into a permanent memorial honoring those buried at the historic Colored Burial Ground. The proposed site will feature historical tablets, seating, parking, and water fountains, creating a space for remembrance, education, and reflection. With the design completed and funding allocated, the project is moving toward the construction phase.

“We’ve got $1.9 million set aside to do the memorial… at the top of Downing Park,” Mayor Harvey said. “We’ve already got the design. We’ve just got to do the RFP for the construction and get shovels in the ground as soon as possible before I leave office.”

Although Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones will not witness the project’s completion, her contributions remain part of the effort to ensure the burial ground’s history is permanently recognized. Mayor Harvey remembered her as a powerful advocate for Newburgh’s Black community and a woman who held a special place in his life. He emphasized that her influence extended beyond public service into personal relationships.
“We lost one of the generals of the Black Power movement in Newburgh,” Mayor Harvey said. “She was not only an educator but a pastor and a community activist. She was like a godmother to me, and she’ll be truly missed.”

Pamela Krisek, who worked alongside Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones on the Colored Burial Ground Committee, remembered a woman whose determination was matched by her compassion for people who had been forgotten or overlooked. She recalled that Rev. Dr. Armstead-Jones was willing to climb into the burial ground excavation area with archaeologists to pray over the remains before they were removed. For Krisek, her colleague’s willingness to participate personally in such difficult work reflected the depth of her convictions.

“Dr. Benilda Jones was a classy, strong, elegant, intelligent, and determined woman, an advocate who demanded respect with her presence and words, who fought tirelessly for the voiceless, the vulnerable, and for what was right,” Krisek said. “She was a minister with a big heart, who served and loved people, those displaced, forgotten, and overlooked by most, who stood by their sides in the worst of situations to hold them up and be their strength, even when she was in pain, suffering, and had hardships of her own.”

Her godson, Dennis Grant, also reflected on the extraordinary journey of a woman who immigrated to the United States and built a life devoted to service. He remembered her not simply for her professional accomplishments but for the opportunities she created and the people whose lives she touched. His tribute emphasized that her legacy would continue through the community she helped strengthen.
“Her journey may have begun as an immigrant, but her life became an example of what it means to belong, to give, to endure, and to leave this world better than you found it,” Grant said. “She will not simply be remembered for where she came from, but for the countless lives made better because she was here.”

Details regarding a forthcoming memorial service honoring Rev. Dr. Benilda Armstead-Jones will be announced as they become available.

Journalist Ms. Jones