[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 4, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E16]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                POSTHUMOUS TRIBUTE TO MS. SAMAKI VARIETY

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                         HON. KENDRICK B. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 4, 2005

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to one of 
Miami's unsung heroines, the late Ms. Samaki Variety, who we recently 
lost at the very young age of 47. Her passing on Sunday, December 19, 
2004 leaves a deep void in our community.
  Throughout her life, Samaki raised a brave voice to the struggles of 
the poor and the homeless, especially those afflicted with the deadly 
virus of HIV-AIDS across our community and beyond. She also portrayed 
the unjust and inhumane treatment of newly arrived immigrants, 
particularly the Haitians, against the backdrop of policies and 
regulations that continue to negatively impact their lives to this very 
day. Samaki worked as a Community Outreach Coordinator to my mother, 
former Congresswoman Carrie P. Meek, where she was noted and loved for 
her dedication, effectiveness, positive attitude and happy spirit. I 
reserve to her the highest respect and admiration for her insatiable 
quest for simple justice and fairness for the less fortunate among us, 
particularly the children and the youth.
  Ms. Samaki Variety symbolized the resilient and unyielding voice for 
those who were disenfranchised and who bore the brunt of inequality of 
opportunity. She was a loving mother, an indefatigable community-
builder and a catalyst par excellence who was completely unselfish in 
her endeavors. The authenticity of her stewardship on our behalf was 
defined by her utmost consecration to her calling as God's faithful 
servant, bringing laughter, hope and optimism to hundreds of ordinary 
folks and countless teenagers whose lives she deeply touched, never 
holding anyone at arm's length.
  This remarkable lady was our community's friend and confidante. She 
will be an indelible reminder of the noble commitment and awesome power 
of community service on behalf of the less fortunate. Her faith was 
deep and genuine, and her love for us was real and unforgettable. No 
one who knew Samaki--and having been struck by her sunny disposition 
and unfailing optimism--went away unchanged. She was truly a caring and 
passionate person who brightened the lives of all who knew her.
  We will truly miss her, and we will never forget her.
  I ask that the following article from the Miami Herald be included in 
the Record:

                 [From the Miami Herald, Dec. 23, 2004]

      Former Outreach Chief Raised AIDS Awareness; Samaki Variety

                          (By Monica Hatcher)

       Samaki Variety, admired for her work within South Florida's 
     HIV/AIDS community, died Sunday in Atlanta of pneumonia. She 
     was 47.
       Variety, the former community outreach director for Miami 
     Mayor Manny Diaz, spearheaded several city-sponsored AIDS 
     events, including the Tree Lighting Ceremony commemorating 
     World AIDS Day and the Youth March for Life, which brought 
     thousands of school-age children marching through downtown 
     last year to raise AIDS awareness.
       ``Her passion for HIV education may have had a great deal 
     to do with the amount of HIV we see in the black community 
     here,'' said Alex Paulmer, who worked with Variety on AIDS-
     related projects. Variety was born in San Francisco and 
     studied psychology and social science at Fort Valley State 
     University. After college, she met Lee Variety. The couple 
     married and moved to Miami in the mid-1970s. The couple 
     worked as entertainers and owned Boo-key Productions, which 
     booked and promoted acts.
       ``She had a gift for singing, dancing and acting, but God 
     also gave her a gift for helping people,'' recalled her 
     mother, Annie Lacy. In the late 1980s, Variety used her 
     talents and her own money to host a Saturday radio youth talk 
     show on 1490 WMBM called ``What's on Your Mind.'' The call-in 
     program, aimed at teenagers, tackled such issues as pregnancy 
     and child abuse. Samaki and Lee Variety had two children 
     together, Leronce and Dom'Unique. The couple later divorced.
       ``She had a high spirit and was a positive thinker,'' said 
     Dom'Unique, 14. ``She was dedicated to her job and loved to 
     help people and she pushed people to be the best they can 
     be.''
       Variety worked in the public sector as an aide to 
     Congresswoman Carrie Meek for five years. ``She was a rare 
     combination of talent, intelligence and ability,'' said U.S. 
     Rep. Kendrick Meek, who knew Samaki when she worked with his 
     mother. Variety worked for a time in the Miami-Dade County 
     School System and with former County Commissioner Charles 
     Dusseau.
       In 2002, she joined Diaz's office of Faith-Based 
     Initiatives and Community Outreach. ``Samaki will be deeply 
     missed by all of the people she encountered and the many, 
     many lives she touched,'' Diaz said in a statement. Variety 
     left the mayor's office in October to care for her mother in 
     Georgia.
       In addition to her mother and children, Variety is surved 
     by a grandmother, Nazaree Foster; brothers, Roland and Wayman 
     Hindsman; and sisters Jaqueline Shire, Jakki Kidd and Betty 
     Wallace, as well as three grandchildren.

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