Mary Downey Powers (September 10, 1922 – June 25, 2016) was a Chicago-area civil rights activist. Her work included advocating for police accountability and gay and lesbian rights. Powers is a 1992 inductee into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame.[1]
Powers was a founder of a police watchdog group called Citizens Alert.[1][2] The group was vital in having cameras installed in police interrogation rooms and for reparations for the victims of Commander Jon Burge.[3]
She became Vice President of the Alliance to End Repression in 1969.[2]
Powers worked for Western Electric from 1946 until 1950. Her work with the LGBT community began there having met employees fearing they could lose their jobs if their sexuality was made known.[2]