Jacphar, thanks for the update Awoowe. The community has lost a great pioneer and a true legend. I was texted late last night by a friend in Minneapolis about the death of Hussein. I have known Hussein since 2004. I wasn't close to him, but he was a dear friend of one of my uncles in Minneapolis. May Allah grant him Jannah.

African Development Center website posted an official announcement.

US Senator Keith Ellison pays tribute "Dear friend and brother Hussein Samatar passed away. Leader, public servant, builder. May God Bless you, Hussein."

State's first Somali elected official – a member of the Minneapolis school board – loses leukemia fight Hussein Samatar, who made history in Minnesota when he was elected to the Minneapolis school board and attracted attention internationally for his work with small businesses, died Sunday after a battle with leukemia. He was 45 and was credited with helping dozens of African immigrants carve out new lives as entrepreneurs. “I believe he is one of the people in the city whom I have admired the most,” Mayor R.T. Rybak said Sunday night. “I am just completely crushed.” Samatar considered running for mayor this year before learning he had to undergo a bone-marrow transplant. Three years earlier, he had become the first Somali immigrant to be elected to public office in Minnesota and went on to cultivate a reputation as an advocate for students who are immigrants or the children of immigrants. During his board tenure, the district began collecting academic data in four languages, including Somali. “His genuine commitment to all the children and families of Minneapolis, especially those in new American communities, was visible in all that he did,” said board Chairman Alberto Monserrate. “He truly led by example and embodied the values he held dear.” In March, Samatar announced that he was fighting chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and that if it were not for the transplant, he would not consider missing a school board meeting. He had surgery in May and wrote in a Facebook update that the transplant went well, but that the pain was “unimaginable.” His most recent posting, on Aug. 4, noted that he was back home from the hospital after being sick for two weeks. “He was fighting hard,” said Rybak, who visited him a couple of nights ago. “But it was clear it was a very difficult battle.” Rybak first brought Samatar to the public’s attention by appointing him to the city’s now-defunct Library Board. The mayor was fascinated by his personal story and impressed with his business acumen. Through his position at the 10-year-old African Development Center, Samatar worked with the city to find a way to structure loans that would not violate tenets of the Islamic faith, in turn helping to launch at least 50 businesses, Rybak said. “He was extremely well-known in small business circles, not only here, but in Sweden,” which has a large Somali population, Rybak said. People from around the world would come to Minneapolis to learn about the loan strategies, he said. Samatar lived in the Phillips neighborhood with his wife, Ubah Jama, and four children. Recently, at the hospital, Jama, a teacher, told the mayor about how the couple had met in a refugee camp, and how Samatar had said to her: “I have almost no money, but I’d like you to marry me.” “She said she did and it was a very good decision,” Rybak said. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Burnsville Masjid, 1351 Riverwood Dr., Burnsville. The public is welcome.

Mayor of Minneapolis pays tribute "I am completely heartsick to learn that Hussein Samatar has died. He was a true friend, a tremendous partner and remarkable inspiration. This is a crushing loss for Minneapolis, and I have to say, personally. The only balm I can think of is that he lifted so many other people who can carry on his work. My very best to his wonderful wife Uba and her family."

Hussein Samatar, civil-war refugee and 1st Somali elected to Minn. public office, dies at 45 MINNEAPOLIS — Hussein Samatar, a Minneapolis school board member who became the first Somali elected to public office in Minnesota, has died at the age of 45 of complications from leukemia. Samatar was elected to the Minneapolis Board of Education in 2010. He also founded the African Development Center, a nonprofit group that helps members of the African community start and sustain businesses. He first entered public office when Mayor R. T. Rybak appointed him to the Minneapolis Library Board of Trustees in 2006. Rybak remembers him as "an extraordinary leader." Samatar graduated from Somalia's National University in 1991, but four days later a civil war erupted that claimed the lives of his sister and friends. Funeral services will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at Burnsville Masjid. http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/47221ab267704f80b347d06ed133b6ec/MN--Obit-Hussein-Samatar

Samatar, 1st Somali Elected to Minn. Office, Dies Hussein Samatar Photo: Minneapolis Public Schools Hussein Samatar, a Minneapolis school board member who became the first Somali elected to public office in Minnesota, has died at the age of 45 of complications from leukemia. Samatar was elected to the Minneapolis Board of Education in 2010. He also founded the African Development Center, a nonprofit group that helps members of the African community start and sustain businesses. He first entered public office when Mayor R. T. Rybak appointed him to the Minneapolis Library Board of Trustees in 2006. Rybak remembers him as "an extraordinary leader." Samatar graduated from Somalia's National University in 1991, but four days later a civil war erupted that claimed the lives of his sister and friends. Funeral services will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at Burnsville Masjid. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) http://kstp.com/article/stories/s3139894.shtml

"It makes you who you are, if you go through that humbling experience," ... "One day, you are on top of the world, and the other day, you are fleeing" - Hussein Samatar

Minneapolis (RBC News) One of the well-known and very important Somali American Leader passed away this Sunday evening surrounded by family and friends in Minneapolis. Hussein Samatar in 2010 became the first Somali immigrant to be elected to public office in Minnesota. Also Hussein Samatar was the Founder and Executive Director of the African Development Center (ADC), an entrepreneurial nonprofit organization that works within the African communities in Minnesota. raxanreeb.com

May Allah grant him Jannah. Hussein Samatar is no longer with us.

Thousands of Somalis have benefitted from his projects. http://www.adcminnesota.org/

Hussein Samatar, a Somali-American political pioneer, dies by Laura Yuen, Minnesota Public Radio August 25, 2013 ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minneapolis school board member Hussein Samatar, a civil-war refugee who went on to plant some of the first seeds of Somali-American politics, died Sunday of complications from leukemia. He was 45. Samatar was the first Somali-American in Minnesota, and most likely the country, to be elected to public office when he won a seat on the school board in 2010. As a business leader, he founded the African Development Center in 2004, a nonprofit that helps African immigrants build wealth and start businesses. The DFLer also aspired to run for mayor this fall, but a diagnosis last December of chronic lymphocytic leukemia -- a kind of cancer of the blood and bone marrow -- scuttled his campaign plans. "The only race I need to win is my life," he told MPR News in March after announcing his illness. Samatar's own path to success took a circuitous route. He completed his studies from Somalia's National University in 1991. But just four days after graduating, he had to shelve his dreams of being an economist because of a civil war that erupted in his homeland. The bloodshed eventually claimed the lives of his sister, friends and classmates. "It makes you who you are, if you go through that humbling experience," Samatar said in an interview in 2010. "One day, you are on top of the world, and the other day, you are fleeing from shelling, killing and mayhem." As part of the first wave of Somali refugees in Minnesota, he learned English with the help of a Minneapolis librarian. Eventually, he earned his Master's in business administration from the University of St. Thomas. His colleagues at the African Development Center were among the throngs who offered condolences Sunday to Samatar's family. The nonprofit's communications and fund development director, Matt Holm, said Samatar brought a "high level of energy, drive and optimism to everything he did." But one of his greatest legacies, Holm said, was Samatar's dedication to helping educate and train African immigrants throughout Minnesota on how to be economically prosperous. "That was his vision and what seemed to drive him throughout." Samatar seemed to be doing well after a bone marrow transplant in May, Holm said. Friends of the family say Samatar was re-admitted to the hospital in early August due to a lung infection and was put into a medically induced coma. Officials with Minneapolis Public Schools praised Samatar for providing a strong voice for students, particularly those from immigrant families. Samatar helped chair a referendum committee that secured a $60 million schools levy in 2008. "Hussein was a passionate leader, a committed public servant, a dedicated collaborator and a valued friend," said superintendent Bernadeia Johnson. Mayor R.T. Rybak, who appointed Samatar to the Minneapolis Library Board of Trustees in 2006, called Samatar an "extraordinary leader." "I am heartsick about losing him, but I will look for solace in knowing how many people he helped," he said in a statement. Samatar is survived by his wife, Ubah, and four children. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at the Burnsville Masjid, 1351 Riverwood Drive in Burnsville. All are welcome to attend.

Hussein Samatar, Somali-Minnesotan leader, dies at 45 Associated Press POSTED: 08/26/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT | UPDATED: 55 MIN. AGO MINNEAPOLIS -- Hussein Samatar, a Minneapolis school board member and the first Somali elected to public office in Minnesota, has died complications from leukemia. He was 45. Samatar played a prominent role in the city's business and education communities. He was elected to the Minneapolis Board of Education in 2010, and he also founded the African Development Center, a nonprofit group that helps members of the African community start and sustain businesses. Samatar, who died Sunday, first entered public office when Mayor R. T. Rybak appointed him to the Minneapolis Library Board of Trustees in 2006. Rybak remembered him as "an extraordinary leader" and real friend. "I am heartsick about losing him, but I will look for solace in knowing how many people he helped," Rybak said in a statement. During his tenure with the city school board, Samatar provided a strong voice for immigrant students and children of immigrant parents, said Stan Alleyne, a communications officer with Minneapolis Public Schools and a family spokesman. Samatar also co-chaired a referendum committee that won approval for the $60 million schools levy in 2008. Samatar considered running for mayor this fall but dropped his plans when he was diagnosed in December with cancer of the blood and bone marrow. He died Sunday of complications from the disease, Alleyne said. As a college student at Somalia's National University he planned to become an economist. But a civil war erupted four days after he graduated, and the bloodshed eventually claimed the lives of his sister, friends and classmates. "It makes you who you are, if you go through that humbling experience," Samatar said in a 2010 interview with Minnesota Public Radio. "One day, you are on top of the world, and the other day, you are fleeing from shelling, killing and mayhem." His colleagues at the African Development Center called him a courageous and dedicated public servant who will be missed by many. "In all that he did, Hussein brought a level of energy, drive, and optimism that was the envy of many," the center said in a statement. Samatar is survived by his wife Ubah and four children. Funeral services were set for Monday at 1 p.m. at Burnsville Masjid.

Hussein Samatar, 1st Somali elected to Minnesota office, founder of African Development Center dies This is a sad news. This pioneer who paved the way for many and gave so much to his community, died in Minneapolis. May Allah grant him Jannah. Aamiin.

Quite troubling to say the last. This is not good.

Wonderful pictures Safferz. I knew you would come through and bless us with some goodies. Thanks for the great pictures. Apophis, Awoowe, we should all encourage nomads to post travel pictures on SOL. It is part of our tradition here. Calm down Awoowe.

That was funny! I guess the producer of this news segment is none other than Stew Pitt Mann.

This is quite disturbing.

This is a significant news. Thanks for sharing.

I am thinking of becoming a vegetarian.

Why not move every government agency to Hargeisa? I fully support it.

Quite innovative.

Just tweeted a short message to the 4000+ SOL followers on twitter. https://twitter.com/somaliaonline