“Dr. Green wasn't here to cause trouble. She was here to make a difference.”

“A passionate advocate, I can't say that enough,” said Tasean Murdock, operations director for the Center For Law & Justice. “Dr. Green wasn't here to cause trouble, she was here to create change.”

84-year-old Dr. Alice Green died on Tuesday from cardiac arrest.

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Known for her commitment to equal rights, she was executive director of the Center for Law & Justice, a civil rights organization she founded in 1985.

Her colleagues and friends called her a gentle giant who would give the shirt off her back for anyone, but was never afraid to challenge the status quo at every opportunity.

“Dr. Green's commitment to fighting for the rights of the marginalized community, fighting injustice and demanding reform was not just a job for her. It was her life's work and I can assure you that Dr. Green has always worked,” Murdock said.

“When I came home after 26 years, Dr. Green gave me my first job. Dr. Green was a queen of the prison movement,” said Richard Jackson, representative of the Center for Law & Justice. “When I say that, I say it with love, because Dr. Green judged people not by the crime they had committed, but by their potential in life.”

Their traces touched everyone in the center and also outside.

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“Albany lost a powerful woman,” said Rensselaer resident Imani Morgan. “It was inspiring and made me want to understand Albany politics and what is missing and what needs to be added.”

The Center For Law & Justice, which provides civil and criminal law education to the public, was closed Wednesday as friends and colleagues mourned Green.

“She was more than a friend, she was more than a boss, she was my family,” said Daryl Johnson, a representative of the Center for Law & Justice for 18 years. “That's how I will always remember her, as my family.”

In October, Dr. Green announced the creation of the Alice Moore Black Arts and Cultural Center.

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“I know my grandmother would be pleased to have her name used for a program that brings pride and hope,” said Dr. Green.

A center that offers opportunities and space for artistic and cultural activities for all ages.

It is part of the work that those responsible believe needs to be continued in the capital region.

“As we grapple with this profound loss, we also recognize our responsibility to continue Dr. Green’s work,” Murdock said.

“The Alice Moore Black Arts and Culture Center will continue to exist, just as the Center for Law & Justice did,” said Mark Bobb-Semple, chair of the Alice Moore Arts and Cultural Center's program committee. “I promise, because that's what she would have wanted.”

The center says that in addition to continuing her legacy, several projects are in the works, such as programs for reparations and the elimination of juvenile incarceration.

The center's board will meet in the future to discuss who will become executive director, but for now, the focus is on the center reopening tomorrow and the team is planning a candlelight vigil in memory of Dr. Green soon.