Photo: Getty Images
A proposal to pay for the memorial in Milwaukee for Sade Robinson, a 19-year-old Black woman who was killed last year, has been withdrawn, per The Root.
Robinson was slain in April 2024 after going on a first date with Maxwell Anderson, according to authorities. Her dismembered remains were found scattered around the Milwaukee area. Robinson's car was also found in flames. Anderson is facing several charges including murder and mutilating a corpse in connection to Robinson's death.
A proposal to allocate $7,000 to Robinson's memorial was up for a vote by the Milwaukee County Committee on Parks and Culture. However, a decision was delayed after the committee began receiving "racist emails" from people who expressed outrage over their tax dollars going toward the memorial.
Robinson's family ultimately decided that they would pay for the memorial themselves amid the delay.
“I thought it was cool at first because obviously it was a memorial for Sade,” Robinson's cousin, Keke, said of the proposal. “But then things instantly changed for the family. We started getting negative feedback from the community and people and we just didn’t want that.”
County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez confirmed racist messages were sent by community members over the memorial.
“A flurry of racist emails saying why should Black folk get this when white folk don’t get this and turned it into this issue where it didn’t really belong,” Martinez said.
“I also received several of those emails that I thought were pretty despicable,” Supervisor Jack Eckblad said. “There were plenty of folks who just had honest, empathetic things to say, but there were others who really crossed several lines.”
“I just want to say shame on people for treating a grieving mother this way and making it a race thing and treating her as subhuman when it’s absolutely unnecessary and absolutely unethical and it shows the most disgusting and detestable parts of our society,” Martinez added.
The family said they will pay for a bench in Warnimont Park to serve as Robinson's memorial. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help support their efforts.
“We’re still very much committed to working with the family and with the Milwaukee Parks Foundation and other partners to make this happen,” Milwaukee County Parks Director Guy Smith said in a statement.
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