Efforts to remember Sade Robinson, the Milwaukee teenager who met a tragic end last year, have taken a community-driven turn. Following the racist backlash that caused officials to withdraw a publicly funded memorial plan, individual citizens and local businesses are stepping up to contribute to a separate memorial initiative. Omar Shaikh, a prominent figure in Milwaukee's restaurant scene, has pledged his support, committing to raise an additional $4,000 for the cause. "I know a lot of people that knew her ... She was beloved. They loved her," said Shaikh, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "It just was such a horrific thing. I heard some of the comments, and I just felt like we as leaders, we have to step up and just make this happen."
Racial tensions flared when the county's initial plan to use taxpayer money for the memorial was met with a slew of racist correspondence. Juan Miguel Martinez, County Supervisor, shared that after discussing with Sade's mother, Sheena Scarbrough, it was decided to withdraw the proposal so everyone was comfortable despite the hatred that was received. "It was something to honor her legacy and honor her memory," Martinez divulged in a statement to NBC News, pointing out the baseless claim critics levied that Black individuals unfairly receive memorials denied to white victims.
Sade Robinson's disappearance and murder, dating back to April 2024, shook Milwaukee as part of her body was found scattered around the city and its outskirts, with her alleged killer, Maxwell Anderson, charged with the crime. The gravity of the loss was underscored by her mother's heartbreaking words — "We don’t have all of my baby’s remains, we don’t still have all of my baby’s remains," Scarbrough told theGrio. Without a burial site for Robinson, the memorial offered a way to acknowledge her life and provide her loved ones a place of remembrance.
The initial support from the city of Milwaukee for Scarbrough's request for a sponsored memorial reflects the deep impact of Sade's story on the community. Yet, the decision to halt taxpayer funding amidst public unrest and prejudice remarks reveals the breadth and depth of racial strife present in responses observed by County Supervisor Felesia Martin. "It is most unfortunate that we’re at this moment in our country’s history where, once again, we feel very comfortable being overt with our prejudices, with our racism, and with just plain evil, hateful thoughts," said Martin, as detailed by theGrio. Despite these challenges, Milwaukee's community is showing that love and solidarity can rise above hate, as they work to ensure Sade Robinson's life is not forgotten.
