CUSSW Mourns the Loss of Recent Doctoral Grad Sam Cotton

Distinguished CUSSW recent doctoral graduate and MS alum, Sam Cotton, has passed away. A memorial service was held in his honor on January 11th at St. Paul's Chapel. He succumbed to brain cancer, which he had been battling for a number of years.

Sam was not only an esteemed CUSSW alum but also a colleague; from 1998 on, Sam taught US Social Welfare Policy at CUSSW. Sam was dedicated to raising awareness of the existence of slavery and human rights abuses. As the executive director of the Coalition Against Slavery in Mauritani and Sudan, Sam was able to do exactly that.

His passion and dedication were also expressed through his work as a documentary filmmaker and investigative journalist. His writing appeared in the City Sun, Daily Challenge, New York Post, and Vibe magazine. He published "Silent Terror: A Journey into Contemporary African Slavery".

A Petra Foundation Human Rights Fellowship recipient and CUSSW's first Musher International Fellow, Sam was a guest on a myriad of news programs: Dateline NBC, Tony Brown's Journal and Black Entertainment Television.

He was loved by one and all and will be sorely missed. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him and to know him.

More information about Sam and his work can be found at
www.petrafoundation.org/fellows/ff_samuelcotton.html