It is with sadness that we inform our readers of the untimely death on December 17 of 36-year-old Samiya Abdullah after a protracted struggle with cancer. She was the daughter of Mumia Abu-Jamal, America’s foremost political prisoner, who has been incarcerated since he was framed up for the shooting death of a Philadelphia cop in 1981, when Samiya was just two years old. Samiya was a fighter for her father’s freedom. In a moving tribute, Mumia observed:

“For most of the activist world she was Goldii, a rapper and activist whose sweet voice could strike like bricks when she cracked into rap or sang a song. To us she was Sami, short for Samiya, a brilliant, sparkling young woman who never ceased to surprise us. She was many things: daughter, mother, student, activist, artist, orator, rapper, graduate and more. To us she was the baby, the youngest, and as such she had a special shine.”

—“Samiya Abdullah Makes Transition” by Mumia Abu-Jamal, 19 December 2014 (transcribed from Prison Radio)

He also spoke of Samiya’s incredible fortitude in graduating with a master’s degree while undergoing wrenching cancer treatment.

The PDC has sent a donation to Mumia’s wife Wadiya to help with expenses at this terrible time. Readers who want to assist the family in caring for Goldii’s two young daughters can send donations made payable to Wadiya Jamal to: P.O. Box 19404, Kingsessing Postal Station, Philadelphia, PA 19143-9998.

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(reprinted from Workers Vanguard No. 1061, 06 February 2015)

Workers Vanguard is the newspaper of the Spartacist League with which the Partisan Defense Committee is affiliated.