[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 19, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DEAN MEMINGER MAYO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 19, 2008

  Mr. SERRANO. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor an important figure in 
the city of New York, a man whose voice reaches thousands of people, 
and who has consistently proven himself to be principled and fair in 
his judgment, Mr. Dean Meminger Mayo. In his professional capacity as a 
news reporter and anchor for the NY1 network, Mr. Meminger is charged 
with chronicling major events and other matters of importance to 
residents of New York. He approaches this work with a poise and 
professionalism beyond his years, and many have come to view his 
reporting as an unvarnished source of information upon which they can 
better comprehend the issues of the day. In his personal history as a 
native New Yorker, someone who has chosen to make our beloved city his 
home, we trust that the lens through which he views New York can be at 
once constructively critical and yet understanding.
  Born in Harlem Hospital but raised in the Bronx, Mr. Meminger 
attended St. Augustine's Elementary School and later Cardinal Spellman 
High School. A bright and athletically gifted student, Dean was awarded 
a track and field scholarship to Pace University in Westchester, New 
York. While at Pace, Dean discovered both his love and talent for media 
and communications. He joined the college radio station as a disk 
jockey only to rise quickly to the position of news director. During 
his senior year of college, Dean interned with the Sports Department of 
WABC-Eyewitness News, giving him exposure to professional news coverage 
and cementing his desire to make his mark in this field.
  Mr. Meminger got his break in 1995, when he was hired by BronxNet TV 
as a reporter and substitute news anchor. Then in 1997, Mr. Meminger 
joined the team at NY1 News, one of the city's most watched cable news 
channels. Over the past decade while at NY1, he has covered some of the 
city's biggest stories, bringing to his coverage everything from sharp 
analysis to compassion, but always with the goal of bringing unbiased 
and clear reporting to his viewers. Recently, Mr. Meminger played an 
important role in reporting the events of a tragic house fire in the 
Bronx that claimed the lives of 9 children in two families of African 
immigrants. The painful events surrounding this story, coupled with a 
simultaneous national debate about U.S. immigration policy and 
enforcement, caused this family's personal loss to become a national 
story. For days, the whole of New York grieved with this family. And as 
the grieving process unfolded, Mr. Meminger was on hand to report the 
developments as they arose, helping us to understand exactly what had 
occurred and what was yet to come for these families and for their 
community. Sensitive coverage of wrenching events like the Highbridge 
fire have become Mr. Meminger's hallmark, but his history as a sought 
after resource during difficult events dates back to September 11th, 
2001 and to the shootings of Amadou Diallo and Sean Bell.
  Madam Speaker, Dean Meminger helps us to better understand and 
reflect upon the fluid state of affairs that we as New Yorkers all must 
learn to navigate. He is a proud man who possesses a keen intellect and 
an ever-growing capacity for insight. As an African-American, he 
inspires us, as people of color, when we see his face on television 
tackling issues that often cross color lines. The need still exists in 
America for greater acceptance in our society; for more, not less, 
tolerance and understanding. By being a positive and thoughtful voice 
in our city, Dean gains entry into our homes and earns our trust on a 
daily basis, and this, I am sure, is only a good thing. His profession 
requires that he not be an advocate for any one issue above another, 
but by virtue of his person, Dean advocates every day for 
multiculturalism and pluralism in this city. So on this February day 
during Black History Month, I ask that my colleagues join me in paying 
tribute to a man who is not only reporting, but also influencing 
history, Mr. Dean Meminger Mayo.