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Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PG County Has Long Been a Bastion of Black Wealth. Now It Faces an Uncertain Economic Future.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — As a special education teacher, Ivan Johnson can't stop worrying about what might lie in store for his students. President Donald Trump has long vowed to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Though he says that his administration won't slash funds for students with disabilities, teachers and advocates worry that moving special education to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — which Trump wants to do — might interrupt the resources schools provide to these students to ensure their success in the classroom. 'One of my biggest concerns is: Will my students actually get their needs met?' Johnson, 38, told Capital B, referring to tools such as the individual education program for special education students. 'The Department of Education is on fire,' added Johnson, who moved from Atlanta to Maryland's majority-Black Prince George's County in 2009 and has been a teacher in the Washington, D.C., region for more than 15 years. 'The kids are going to be left behind.' This is just one of many concerns that Prince George's residents say that they'll be thinking about on Election Day on June 3, when they vote for the next county executive after U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland vacated the seat following her Senate victory last November. Early voting began last week. The race comes at a chaotic time for the county. Until around 2022, Prince George's was the wealthiest majority-Black county in the U.S., its affluence propelled by federal employment. But that prosperity is now in doubt, as the community where the median household income is around $100,000 reels from federal cuts. Residents told Capital B that they want a county executive who will fuel stability and also pay attention to other matters, including business development and public safety. These concerns aren't unique to Prince George's and its 947,000 residents, as other wealthy Black counties in the region, including Maryland's Charles County, face similar challenges. But the Prince George's race between Democratic nominee Aisha Braveboy and Republican nominee Jonathan White provides a snapshot of how Black political leaders across the U.S. are trying to address the needs of their communities at a moment rife with uncertainty. The highest-ranking official in Prince George's, the county executive manages the everyday operations of the county government, including delivering important services to residents and businesses and enforcing laws. Whoever wins this role could work alongside other leaders in the state to confront the fierce political headwinds from the Trump administration, as it takes a hammer to everything from education to health care. This volatile environment is gnawing at Talia Cadet in the run-up to the election. She moved to Prince George's in 2017, pulled by the possibility of living in an area where people who look like her are thriving and forging community. A lifestyle content creator who focuses on Black-owned businesses, she worries about the county's economic future. (She was one of the TikTok stars who joined a lawsuit against the U.S. government over the effort to ban the platform.) 'Given the news about [Prince George's losing] Northwest Stadium and Six Flags, my concern is: What will our next county executive do to bring opportunities here for residents? Not having those things will be significant,' Cadet, 35, told Capital B. 'Lots of Black Americans chose to make Prince George's their home because they saw how they could prosper here.' Officials estimate that these losses could cost Prince George's approximately $12 million in annual tax revenue, a small but not inconsequential portion of the county's $5 billion budget. Also being eliminated are the positions of 70 full-time employees and 700 seasonal employees at Six Flags, where young people often work during the summer. Prince George's 2024 unemployment rate was 3.3%, below the national rate of 4.2%. 'Even in a wealthy county like Prince George's, we experience disparities when it comes to opportunities and businesses,' Cadet said, adding that whenever a major retailer shows up in the county, they tend to settle near College Park, where the University of Maryland's main campus is located. 'No shade to UMD, because it's one of the things that makes Prince George's great, but other areas in the county want access to these things.' Residents believe that boosting economic and business opportunities for youth and adults would not only help Prince George's to maintain its status as a preferred destination for Black Americans during a critical period, but it could also address public safety worries. 'Many kids don't have anything to do, and for some of them, that can get them into trouble — crime, carjacking. The whole time I'm just wondering whether there are enough resources in the community for kids,' Johnson said. 'If we had more things — more attractions, more activities, more restaurants, because when I was in high school, I had a job at a restaurant — then I think that we'd have less crime.' While Cadet generally feels safe in Prince George's, she understands the concerns about public safety, specifically as they relate to investment in youth. The amount of crime, she explained, correlates with the level of investment in schools, recreational activities, housing, employment, social services, and more — all the things that people need to live comfortably. According to police, there's been an overall drop in crime in Prince George's over the past several years: Carjackings, for instance, are down by 33%, and robberies have dropped by 13%. But assaults have increased by 8%. 'If we pour money and resources into our communities — commit to helping parents and guardians and educators and administrators and counselors and all those folks who have a big impact on young people — I think that we'll naturally see a decrease in restlessness and certain kinds of behavior,' Cadet said. Both Braveboy and White have been zeroing in on these concerns on the campaign trail. Braveboy, who was born in Washington, D.C., said that the federal cuts are 'real' and 'serious' and that they'll have a deep impact on the county. There are some 65,000 federal workers in Prince George's, accounting for 17.4% of the county's total workforce and making the federal government Maryland's largest employer, according to a study by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Braveboy said that she's determined to create and sustain wealth in the county. 'One of the ways I can do that is to ensure that our local businesses are actually able to do business with the Prince George's County government,' she told Capital B. 'What I hear too often from residents who do business with the federal government is that when they try to offer similar services to the county government, they can't get a call back — they're shut out. We have to focus on growing our own businesses.' Braveboy has received the enthusiastic backing of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a fellow Democrat, who gained attention in recent months for signing legislation designed to connect fired federal employees with jobs across the state government. Given her work as the state's attorney since 2019, Braveboy also has highlighted how she wants to increase public safety. 'We've charged and prosecuted a number of gang leaders, people involved in organized crime, and people who commit violent crime and domestic abuse. We have very strong conviction rates in all those categories,' she said. 'But the reality is that the circumstances under which people live sometimes, unfortunately, inform their behavior.' In light of this reality, Braveboy noted that she's incorporated restorative programs in her office that encourage people to make better choices. If she wins the June 3 race, she said she hopes to expand on these kinds of programs. White is in alignment with his opponent on these issues. Born in Kentucky, he moved to Prince George's in 1993, and as a U.S. Air Force Veteran, he takes the gutting of the federal workforce personally. 'To be honest, I'm scared,' he told Capital B. 'If we suddenly lose those federal jobs, people's house payments are still due. We have to figure out how to bring additional businesses here to offset that, especially if we're losing the stadium and Six Flags.' One reason White, who volunteers as a football coach, is running is because a couple of kids he used to train were robbed when they got off the bus one day; their shoes and coats were stolen. He also pointed out where there used to be an Ace Hardware that was held up so many times that the owner, a Black man, closed it. This type of stuff shouldn't be happening, White said, echoing some of Braveboy's comments about how residents ought to feel safe in their own neighborhoods. Prince George's has dozens of community centers, he added, but he doesn't see enough emphasis from political leaders on using these centers to offer services and outreach to kids to keep them out of trouble. Compared with others who run under the Republican Party banner, White shows little loyalty to the GOP. According to local news sources, he was listed as a Republican candidate for the same race in 2022, but that same year, he ran as a Democratic candidate for Prince George's County Council, At-Large. He isn't deterred by the fact that, by his own admission, he hasn't got a 'chance in hell' of winning in the deep-blue county. 'It's about community — about putting people first,' White said. 'I'm not here for the Republican Party. I'm not here for the Democratic Party. I'm here for Prince George's County. I just want it better. We deserve better.' The post PG County Has Long Been a Bastion of Black Wealth. Now It Faces an Uncertain Economic Future. appeared first on Capital B News.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Sinners finally comes home to Clarksdale: a three-day festival premieres the film in its hometown
In April, the director Ryan Coogler released Sinners, a thriller about two brothers in the 1930s who return home to Clarksdale, Mississippi, to open a juke joint. Less than a month after the film was released, Sinners made over $200m in the US and Canada, something no original film has done in almost a decade. But residents in Clarksdale, a town with about 14,000 people, the majority of whom are Black, had no way to see themselves on screen in their community. There are no active movie theaters in or near the town. Tyler Yarbrough, a Clarksdale native and community leader, published an open letter on behalf of 'an intergenerational group of organizations, creatives, entrepreneurs, farmers, and community leaders' inviting Coogler and the Sinners cast to town. 'We are extending an open invitation to you, the cast, and the creative team behind Sinners to visit Clarksdale, to walk the streets your vision reimagined, to meet the people whose real stories echo through every frame, and to experience firsthand the living, breathing legacy that inspired your work and the people who are sustaining and reimagining its future,' Yarbrough wrote. 'We would also be honored to collaborate with you to host a public screening and celebration here in Clarksdale. A homecoming not just for the film, but for the history, culture, and future that continue to define our city and to connect Mississippi creatives with you and your work.' The letter quickly went viral after Capital B, a Black-led non-profit news organization, reported about it and it was picked up both by other news outlets and on social media. 'We're also hoping for them to see the people who are actually doing some badass shit right now when it comes to the juke joints, keeping them alive, when it comes to some of the farmers who are rethinking farming, from cotton to produce,' Yarbrough told the Guardian in early May. 'The blues is the foundation of all American music and American culture. There's so much power in that that originates here. As we think about our national story, our community story, I do think Clarksdale and the [Mississippi] delta, specifically, is going to be a part of this retelling of America to this connecting all Black people in this country back to this ancestral land too.' Coogler and Warner Bros heard and answered the call, and on 29 May, people in Clarksdale were finally able to see themselves in their own community. As a part of Clarksdale Cultural Capital, a three-day festival sponsored by Warner Bros and others, residents of Clarksdale have multiple free opportunities to see the movie in their home town. Coogler; his wife, a producer and co-founder of Proximity Media, Zinzi Coogler; Ludwig Göransson, the film's composer; Sev Ohanian, another producer and co-founder of Proximity Media; and executive music producer Serena Göransson attended and introduced the 29 May morning screening, which was held in the Clarksdale civic auditorium. Both Cooglers have family from Mississippi – Zinzi's grandparents are from the state as are one of Ryan's grandfathers and an uncle, who inspired him to make the film. 'This is a love letter to our elders, to our recent and relatively distant ancestors, and we are so proud to be here in Clarksdale to share this movie and this moment with you guys,' Zinzi Coogler said ahead of the first screening. 'We heard the call that there isn't a theater for the local community, and said, 'Wait, wait, wait, we will show up.'' Ryan Coogler, an Oakland, California, native, shared that he hadn't visited the Magnolia state before working on the movie. 'Coming here, it blew my mind,' he said of his first visit to the state. 'I got to meet musicians, I got to meet community members, business owners. It really changed me just to come here and do the research.' Coogler invited the audience to be responsive to the film, and they acquiesced – cheering, laughing and gasping at various times throughout the movie. When the film opened, and 'Clarksdale, Mississippi October 15, 1932' splashed across the screen, the audience was rapturous. Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram, a native of Clarksdale who is featured in the film and attended the screening, likewise received thunderous applause and cheers when he appeared on screen. After the morning showing, the Cooglers, Göransson, Ohanian and Miles Caton, who had his debut role in the film, and Lawrence 'Boo' Mitchell, Cederic Burnside, Tierinii Jackson and Bobby Rush, all musicians who worked on the film, participated in a question-and-answer session hosted by Clarksdale native Aallyah Wright, of Capital B. The community has bought into Sinners: A sign outside New Roxy, formerly a Black movie theater and now a music venue, reads: 'Welcome to Clarksdale, Sinners Festival.' Ground Zero, Morgan Freeman's juke joint, offered Sinners-themed drinks: the Smokestack, the Dance with the Devil and the Juke Joint Julep. 'We owe Clarksdale so much, as Mississippians, the world owes Clarksdale and Mississippi as a whole so much for being a staple in the global culture landscape. For me, Sinners was one of my very first experiences of seeing Mississippi in a full and beautiful light on the big screen,' Jasmine Williams, founder of 'Sipp Talk Media and one of the festival's organizers, said in a statement. 'I think this film coming home and being made accessible to the people that inspired it is so important, so people here understand our impact on the world.' On 29 May, Clarksdale residents had two opportunities to see the film: the 11 am showing and a 5pm showing, both of which were introduced by Coogler himself. Those screenings were part of Clarksdale Cultural Capital, a three-day festival full of panels, music performances and other events featuring people from Clarksdale, across the delta and Mississippi. The festival is sponsored by Warner Brothers, Visit Clarksdale, Capital B, Rootswell, Higher Purpose Hub, Mississippi Humanities, Griot Arts, and other local and regional organizations. Panels include Coffee With Kinfolk: Our Future of Clarksdale, Building a Blues Economy Rooted in Dignity and Cultural Diversity in the Mississippi Delta: Conversations With Choctaw and Chinese Americans, among others, while musical performances include music inspired by Sinners, held at Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero; a show by Keith Johnson, Muddy Waters' nephew; a Son House recording and jam session; and others.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fired, Rehired, Fired Again. Massive Federal Cuts Leave Black Workers Reeling
is a multipart series that explores the impact of the Trump administration's restructuring of the federal government on Black communities. Regina Fuller-White had been applying for various roles at the United States Agency for International Development for more than a year, filling out applications whenever a new position opened up only to hear 'no' weeks later. She had even hired a career coach to help with the process. Finally, in 2024, she landed her dream job: a contracting position as a monitoring, evaluation, and learning adviser with USAID's gender equality and women's empowerment hub. She moved from Wisconsin to Maryland a few months before the October start date. But by the end of February 2025, Fuller-White was among the thousands of USAID workers who had been fired as the Trump administration and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, which isn't a Cabinet-level department, took a chain saw to the 63-year-old agency of more than 10,000 people. 'I relocated my life for this role, and the agency doesn't even exist anymore. The financial part of this has been tough,' Fuller-White, 37, told Capital B, adding that there's been an implosion of the international development sector because of the administration's actions. 'It's been gut-wrenching. This is the career I've spent my entire life preparing for,' she said. 'If I don't do international work, what am I supposed to do?' In a matter of months, at least 121,000 federal workers have been cut or targeted for firing, according to a recent analysis by CNN. These layoffs haven't only led to the loss of critical data on maternal mortality, public safety, and more — they've also struck a devastating psychological blow to employees, who must navigate professional chaos while also being vilified by President Donald Trump and his allies as 'crooked' and 'dishonest.' Such upheaval has long been shown to fuel mental distress. People who spoke with Capital B relayed feeling a deep sense of anxiety and dislocation in the wake of the cuts. Research has shown that people have ranked being fired as causing greater trauma than losing a close friend or experiencing the breakup of their family. Established on Trump's first day in office, DOGE has consistently framed its work within agencies as a way to slash what it views as wasteful spending and unnecessary bureaucracy, though many of its claims about savings appear to be inaccurate or misleading. When Capital B called the White House switchboard in an attempt to reach DOGE, the office said that it has 'no contact information for DOGE.' An email to a congressional DOGE caucus received an automated response detailing the mission of the caucus and encouraging people to submit their ideas. One of the agencies that's been hit the hardest by the administration's overhaul of the federal government is the U.S. Department of Education. In March, more than 1,300 of its employees — about half the staff — were laid off. Black workers were disproportionately affected, per documents sent to union officials by the agency. 'I'm hearing a lot of distress from my Black members,' Sheria Smith, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, a union that represents workers at the education department, told Capital B. 'They're asking: 'Well, if the federal government can do this — make arbitrary decisions about leave and termination — what hope do we have in the private sector?'' She was referring to the fact that, compared with the private sector, the federal service has traditionally offered more robust protections against discrimination. These protections are a key part of what made federal employment attractive to Black Americans, who saw this work as a way to secure steady pay and enter the middle class. This was true for Smith. She grew up in a lower-income home in Gary, Indiana, and she was a fifth-grade teacher in Texas before she went to law school at the University of Texas at Austin. When a civil rights attorney position opened up at the education department, she jumped at the opportunity to marry her background as a teacher with her experience as a lawyer while also enjoying a reliable form of employment. She was among the 1,300 agency workers laid off in March. A federal judge in May ordered that the employees be reinstated; the administration has vowed to challenge the ruling. A particularly troubling aspect of the federal job cuts, Smith explained, is that paychecks haven't been consistent. She said that the union has received calls from several members who had been told that they'd be paid until June, but their paychecks have been late — and they have bills to pay. 'It's been gut-wrenching. This is the career I've spent my entire life preparing for,' she said. 'If I don't do international work, what am I supposed to do?' Regina Fuller-White, a former employee with the United States Agency for International Development For probationary workers — those who were newly hired and whose employment rights haven't kicked in — things have been even more chaotic. These workers have been on a roller coaster, as some have been fired, rehired, and fired again while lawsuits against the administration continue. This back-and-forth has resulted in months of uncertainty and doubt, with probationary employees struggling to figure out how to hold their lives together. 'We have had at least two [probationary] employees report that they have spouses battling cancer, and their spouses can't get their transfusions because their medical facility told them that their health insurance isn't current,' Smith said. 'When they tried to contact the agency — the people in charge — to get the situation righted, well, those people had been laid off, too.' This stress has been felt across the federal workforce. For instance, the Veterans Crisis Line, a 24/7 hotline that offers support to military veterans and their loved ones, has noticed a surge in calls from employees at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. An internal memo said that the department plans on slashing 80,000 jobs. Workers have been flooding the hotline, overwhelmed by the turmoil at the agency, which employs more than 400,000 people and is the second-largest agency after the U.S. Department of Defense. '[Call-takers] are talking to them about their homicidal thoughts, their suicidal thoughts,' Erika Alexander, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 518, a union that represents workers at the Veterans Crisis Line, recently told CNN. She's also concerned about the impact that layoffs are having on hotline staff. 'There's going to be a lapse in the resources and the services that they get,' Alexander added. 'If there are not enough employees to be there for the crisis hotline, then that's going to definitely cause a lapse in the mission, which is veteran safety — it will be a very significant lapse.' Figuring out how to cope with the federal workforce reduction has been difficult, Cornelia Poku, who experienced the do-I-still-have-a-job roller coaster at the community service-oriented agency AmeriCorps, told Capital B. Children horsed around in the background as she babysat. It's work that's far different from her responsibilities as a marketing and communications specialist for AmeriCorps Seniors, which organizes volunteer opportunities for people 55 years old and older. As a probationary employee, she was let go in February. Weeks later, she was reinstated. But by mid-April, she and her colleagues had learned that the agency of around 500 full-time employees would be downsizing and that they could accept the deferred resignation program, allowing them to resign and still receive paid leave for a period of time. She took the offer, believing that she had two more weeks of work — but they 'pulled the plug' just days later, she recalled. 'I've been sad and anxious and angry for months. I feel helpless. I feel like so much is out of my control,' said Poku, 34, adding that she tries to think through the situation logically, but nothing makes sense. 'Why would you create mass unemployment? Why would you dismantle a program that helps people give back to their communities? Poku has been dealing with the shaky state of her professional life by recommitting to some of her personal passions — including her work as a content creator. Under the TikTok handle @blackgirlsexploredc, Poku, who was born and raised in the Washington, D.C., region, covers the area's restaurants, historical sites, and more for her 37,000 followers. She often focuses on Black-owned establishments. These days, she said, she's relying on this work 'even more for escapism.' Fuller-White has been immersing herself in her community, too. There are a lot of USAID Signal groups, she said, and she and her former colleagues hang out during what was their normal meeting time on Wednesday mornings. The experience has allowed her to forge new relationships with ex-USAID employees she never knew. 'That's been really helpful,' she explained, 'since we're all going through this together. It kind of feels like being a part of a sorority that I never wanted to be a part of. I just feel less alone, less like it's just me.' With a laugh, Fuller-White noted that she's always loved strength training. Since the USAID layoffs, she has been doing strength training around four times a week, which has been 'really good' for her mental health. To stave off a potential mental health crisis, The Therapist Recruitment Project, a grassroots network of dozens of licensed therapists, offers free and low-cost sessions to federal employees. 'In natural disasters, they have mental health services to help deal with the trauma. This is a man-made disaster, and we should have people on the line to help,' Rosalyn Beroza, who launched the network, told Axios earlier this year. As fortifying as some activities are, the turbulence that current and former federal workers are confronting is still demoralizing, particularly when it's paired with language from Trump and his associates that casts them as lazy, according to Fuller-White. 'The rhetoric hurts. I remember my workload and my team's workload. I'd never done so much work in my life,' Fuller-White said. 'We had the internships. We had the degrees. We had all the things that Black people, especially, are told to have to get these roles. It's painful to hear anyone discount all the skills and talent we brought to the work we did — to the work we really cared about.' The post Fired, Rehired, Fired Again. Massive Federal Cuts Leave Black Workers Reeling appeared first on Capital B News.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Clarksdale Pushed for a Screening of ‘Sinners'. They're Getting One Next Week.
When Jaleesa Collins discovered that Sinners was set in her hometown, she saw it as a great opportunity to organize a public screening. The military veteran, philanthropist and entrepreneur — along with Dave 'Dooney' Houston, owner of Dooney's Barbershop and Carnival Treats — originally pitched the idea as a fundraiser for the first-ever Clarksdale Day, the committee of which they serve on. The three-day event, set for Labor Day weekend, plans to unify the town and celebrate local culture through activities such as a parade, car show, award ceremony and barbecue competition. The idea sparked conversation across Facebook. Following that, Tyler Yarbrough, a community organizer and Clarksdale native, jumped into action and launched an open letter to Sinners' director Ryan Coogler expressing his desire to host a screening and facilitate conversations. After much discussion, Warner Bros. Pictures, the distribution company for Sinners, announced it will host multiple public screenings of the film May 29 through May 31 in the majority Black city of 14,000. On May 29, Coogler will visit the town and enjoy a screening in downtown Clarksdale. Following the screening, there will be Q&A with Coogler and Luwdig Göransson, the film's composer. This event is part of Clarksdale Culture Capital, a three-day festival that includes 'dynamic panels featuring local Clarksdalians, historians, artists, cultural workers, and musicians, anchoring the film in the soil it came from and uplifting the voices who live and breathe this region's truths every day,' according to a news release. 'There's a groundswell of activity happening in Clarksdale, that's burbling up from the ancestral soil that is known as the Delta. This moment is bigger than myself, bigger than Sinners, it's about pride and ownership, and love,' Yarbrough said in a statement. 'We're bringing that to life, leveraging the premier of Sinners in Clarksdale, but we're also very interested in keeping the microphone on Clarksdale now and in the future.' Mayor Chuck Espy of Clarksdale said in a statement that this moment for Clarksdale 'signals that the Delta's creative power, history, and people are not just worth watching, but investing in.' Read More: 'Sinners' Honored Juke Joints. Today, They're Fighting to Stay Open. In Clarksdale — the birthplace of the blues — there's no active movie theater. Despite that, several residents told Capital B it's important for filmmakers who are inspired by the town's history to be intentional about creating opportunities and giving back to the community in meaningful ways. 'I'm just happy to see how far this has gone — from just the start of an ideal to transforming action into opportunity, and now we're at the end state of making this a reality,' said Collins, who is also on the planning committee to help the event come to fruition. 'I'm all about culture. I'm all about art … and we're bridging the gap and bringing all of that together.' Since Capital B first-reported the story, there have been national conversations across several social media platforms and media hits from CNN and USA Today to The Breakfast Club, leading executives of Warner Bros. to reach out directly to Yarbrough. Collins and Houston hope this screening will present an opportunity for attendees to support local businesses and create opportunities for the local community. Additionally, they want the events to empower Clarksdale residents to work together and create a better future for the present and future generations. 'Clarksdale is on its way back, but it ain't coming back in a form that the older generations like my mom and dad saw it. It's coming back through arts, culture, and film,' Houston said. 'We got a voice out there in the world, and we need to promote it. We're the people trying to save our city.' The post Clarksdale Pushed for a Screening of 'Sinners'. They're Getting One Next Week. appeared first on Capital B News.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sade Robinson's Murder Highlights Crisis of Missing Black Women in Wisconsin
For Sheena Scarbrough, being a mother to two daughters was her greatest pride. She envisioned watching them grow into adulthood — side by side, thriving, and supported. But those dreams were shattered in April 2024, when her 19-year-old daughter, Sade Robinson, went on a first date with an older man and never came home. 'This is the worst type of pain and hurt. I just miss her being present. I miss her — her life, her spirit, her calls. Just her. Her laughter, her character, her loving nature. She was just so loved,' Scarbrough told Capital B. 'I just miss her being there with us every day.' The grieving mother decided against publicly celebrating Robinson's second heavenly birthday on Mother's Day weekend this year. She would have been 21. Last year, Scarbrough organized a balloon release in her honor at a park near their home. But this year, her oldest daughter's birthday came just weeks before her accused killer's trial. Maxwell Anderson, 34, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, and arson of property other than a building. He has been held in jail on $5 million cash bail. If convicted, he faces life in prison. Jury selection begins May 27. Capital B has reached out to Anderson's attorneys Anthony Cotton and Jason Findling for comment. Beyond Anderson's not-guilty plea to the criminal charges, they declined to comment via email. Robinson's death underscores the dangers for Black women living in Wisconsin, where, a 2024 Columbia University report found, they're 20 times more likely to be murdered than their white peers. The state's Justice Department says there are 175 missing people from the state, but advocates say those numbers aren't complete, especially as violence against Black women is on the rise. In the weeks leading up to the trial, Scarbrough referred to Anderson as a 'demonic entity, an entity or the demon' throughout her interview with Capital B. 'That demonic entity,' she said with conviction. 'A normal person would not move in that…level of behavior.' Robinson's case also highlights disparities in police investigations in Wisconsin and across the country when it comes to missing Black people. When Robinson did not show up for work at Pizza Shuttle on April 2, 2024, she was reported missing by co-workers, but Scarbrough wasn't notified for two days of her disappearance. This is an example of the disconnect law enforcement has with Black families when investigating missing loved ones, said state Rep. Shelia Stubbs, who — along with other lawmakers, including Republican state Rep. Jesse James — has been advocating for an investigative task force to address these disparities. Once contacted, Scarbrough was able to assist detectives in their investigation by providing Robinson's last known phone location — the mother and daughter had been tracking each other's phones for safety. 'I never imagined this would be my, where I would be placed in life,' Scarbrough said, adding, 'This is something I never expected to walk through — being a crime victim. 'My daughter [was] taken from me in the most brutal way.' 'I just miss her being present. I miss her — her life, her spirit, her calls. Just her.' Sheena Scarbrough, mother of Sade Robinson According to multiple news outlets, Anderson has prior convictions for domestic violence, disorderly conduct, and drunk driving. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also reported that court records highlight concerns about his mental health and substance abuse. 'I will be at court every day. This is, you know, a long wait,' Scarbrough said. 'Definitely, I will be at court every day to get justice for my daughter, most definitely.' Scarbrough said there are 'a lot of different layers' in connection to her daughter's death that she cannot get into publicly but that will come out at the criminal trial or through civil litigation she has pending in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. 'We have definitely stopped this demonic entity in their tracks,' she said. She filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Anderson in June 2024, and this April she filed another suit against two bars, accusing them of contributing to her daughter's death by allegedly over-serving alcohol to Robinson, who was underage, while she was on a date with Anderson. There's video surveillance of Robinson's last moments alive in those bars, according to television station WISN. Anderson's attorneys argued in court earlier this year that there's a potential alibi through Anderson's phone records. He may have allegedly been in his home using the internet at the time when someone was driving Robinson's car. Scarbrough couldn't quite put into words what justice would look like at the end of the criminal trial. She still has a 17-year-old daughter, Adriana, who she says is grieving the loss of her big sister. 'Not having my baby present, like nothing's going to replace that. There will never be justice. I want my daughter back,' she said. 'But definitely making sure those types of demonic entities are not on the streets to harm or hurt anyone else.' Nonetheless, she said: 'The truth will be told. My daughter's voice will be heard.' The post Sade Robinson's Murder Highlights Crisis of Missing Black Women in Wisconsin appeared first on Capital B News.
