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Committee lays over memorial resolution for Sade Robinson after family requests pause
Summary
The Milwaukee County Committee on Parks and Culture voted to lay over a resolution to create a memorial for Sade Robinson in Warnermont Park and to transfer $7,000 from contingency funds to the Parks Department after the sponsor and the victim’s mother asked for more time.
The Milwaukee County Committee on Parks and Culture voted to lay over a resolution to create a memorial for Sade Robinson in Warnermont Park and to transfer $7,000 from agency 194-1945 contingency funds to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture.
Supervisor Martinez, the primary sponsor, told the committee he and Robinson’s mother had agreed it would be best to withdraw the resolution and said he would “lay it over to the call of the chair.” Martinez said the request arose from conversations with the family and from the mother’s wish that the matter not proceed immediately. "I just want to say shame on people for, treating a grieving mother this way and making it a a race thing… it shows the most disgusting and detestable parts of our society," Martinez said during the meeting.
Committee members uniformly expressed support for honoring the family’s wishes and condemned the angry and racist emails exchanged by members of the public after the memorial became public. Supervisor Martin said it was “most unfortunate” that the proposal became the target of overt prejudice and supported convening "at another time, in another location where we can discuss what would be most fitting and most appropriate." Supervisor O'Connor, an original cosigner, said Parks staff and the family had initially supported the concept and described the public reaction as “disproportionate to what this really would have been.”
Guy Smith, executive director of Milwaukee County Parks, said the department intends to respect the family’s privacy and described the department’s existing memorial programs, including bench and tree memorials that are administered with the Park People of Milwaukee County and the Parks Foundation. He confirmed the department had met with the family, provided cost estimates and described options that could be funded privately or through existing memorial programs.
On the motion by Supervisor Martinez to lay the item over to the call of the chair, the committee recorded seven ayes and zero nos; the motion prevailed and the item will not proceed to immediate adoption. The item remains referred to the committee on finance for informational purposes.
