Samantha Mattox died May 15 of complications due to HIV/AIDS at Kindred Hospital. Samantha was a young African-American bi activist around multiple issues including queer liberation, women’s liberation, freedom for Mumia Abu-Jamal, and justice for striking workers. She joined the coalition for the National Young Women’s Day of Action, which took place in Oct. 21, 1998 and addressed many issues relevant to young women. She also worked with the Coalition or Positive Sexuality to educate high school students.
Samantha received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Roosevelt University. She participated in Ten Percent, a GLBT student group, the Black Student Union and student government. She also organized a Black feminism discussion group.
Samantha worked with Affinity where she gave talks on Black feminism as well as on AIDS and the African-American community with author Cathy Cohen in 2001. She also was a contributor to BLACKlines and volunteered with the West Side Pathfinders Prevention Education Fund.
After her diagnosis, Samantha received a ’30 Under 30′ award certificate from the Windy City Times. She said, ‘Although I have AIDS, it is not the sum total of who I am. AIDS is not something to be proud of or ashamed of. It just is. It’s a medical condition. I was an activist long before I knew I had the disease.’ Samantha’s funeral service was held May 22 at Gatling’s funeral home.
She is survived by her mother, Robinette Mattox; brother, Victor; grandmother, Annie, uncles, Lee, Johnny, James and Robert; aunts, Patricia and Samantha; Nephew, Victor III and niece, Victoria; partner, Fred Mecklenburg; friend, Darrell Gordon.