Police investigate death of beloved African American museum founder found dead in car trunk

In the midst of dealing with yet another severe weather event, many in Louisiana are also mourning the untimely death of a woman considered to be a “cultural legend.”

According to CBS News, on Friday afternoon, a body was found in the trunk of her car and police confirmed it was that of 75-year-old Sadie Roberts-Joseph, a well known community activist in the Baton Rouge area. She was found just three miles from her home.

Roberts-Joseph was known for her love of Black culture and her unceasing charity work. In 2001, she founded the Odell S. Williams Now & Then African American History Museum, which then became the Baton Rouge African American History Museum. The museum showcases various exhibits and artifacts that tell the stories of Black locals.

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According to the museum’s Facebook post Roberts-Joseph was born in rural Mississippi and settled in Baton Rouge. She had 11 siblings and grew up in the segregated south and became a renowned advocate/activist who became the founder of the only museum dedicated to African and Black history in Baton Rouge. She would tell visitors “Culture is the glue that holds a people together. Take a step back in time and leap into your future.” 

Roberts-Joseph had also been at the center of the movement to make Juneteenth a national holiday and organized the annual celebration in the city. Her spirit was so abundant and her activism so widely felt that the Baton Rouge Police Department released a statement saying that they will do whatever it takes to determine what happened to Roberts-Joseph.

“Ms. Sadie was a tireless advocate of peace in the community. We had opportunities to work with her on so many levels,” the Baton Rouge Police Department said in a statement. “Ms. Sadie is a treasure to our community. She will be missed by BRPD and her loss will be felt in the community she served. Our detectives are working diligently to bring the person or persons responsible for this heinous act to justice.”

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Though authorities have been tight-lipped about how Roberts-Joseph’s body was discovered, officials are calling her death a homocide. Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle made public posts about Roberts-Joseph’s untimely death.

“In the midst of managing a major weather event in our parish, I was hit with some devastating news — the murder of a dear friend and a mother of the community — Sadie Roberts-Joseph,” Broome wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday.

“I’ve deliberately waited to comment because of the level of love and respect I had for Sadie; and because it was such shocking news. She loved this city and its people. Her commitment to the cultural and educational fabric of our community is beyond description.”  

Marcelle went on to say that the late activist “never bothered anyone” and just wanted to expand the museum she founded.

The Baton Rouge chapter of the NAACP honored Roberts-Joseph by calling her a “cultural legend,” “trendsetter,” and “icon” in the city.

Authorities have yet to name a suspect and an autopsy is still pending.

 

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In the midst of managing a major weather event in our parish, I was hit with some devastating news – the murder of a dear friend and a mother of the community- Sadie Roberts Joseph. I’ve deliberately waited to comment because of the level of love and respect I had for Sadie; and because it was such shocking news. She loved this city and its people. Her commitment to the cultural and educational fabric of our community is beyond description. The development of The Odell S. Williams African American Museum is a testament of her visionary and pioneering leadership. In the days to come, I look forward to offering a more comprehensive tribute. Please keep her family in your prayers. If you have any information that may assist in solving this horrific crime, please call Crime Stoppers at 344-STOP(7867) www.crimestoppersbr.com As an extra incentive, cash rewards are paid up to $5,000 for information which leads to the arrest and indictment of a person (s) that committed a felony crime. There are No Names, No ID, and No Court when you contact Crime Stoppers. But you must contact Crime Stoppers to become eligible for the cash reward and to remain anonymous. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing.” Edmund Burke

A post shared by Sharon Weston Broome (@mayorbroome) on Jul 14, 2019 at 9:23am PDT