75-year-old Sadie Roberts-Joseph was found dead in the trunk of a car Friday afternoon. Roberts-Joseph was the founder of the Baton Rouge African American Museum.
“The Baton Rouge Police Department joins the community in mourning the loss of Ms. Sadie Roberts-Joseph,” the police department said in a statement. “Ms. Sadie was a tireless advocate of peace in the community. We had opportunities to work with her on so many levels. From assisting with her bicycle give away at the African American Museum to working with the organization she started called CADAV. (Community Against Drugs and Violence) 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.”
According to The Advocate, Roberts-Joseph organized Baton Rouge’s annual Juneteenth festival and she stated that she led a “rebirth of Juneteenth in 1991.”
Beatrice Johnson, one of Robert-Joseph’s siblings, detailed before her death she received a visit from the Robert-Joseph due to her oven going out. They lived two doors away from each other and Robert-Joseph visited to bake some cornbread.
“The bread is still there,” Johnson said. “She never came back to get it.”
Area police are looking for assistance and can be contacted at (225) 389-4869.
