Family, officials at Charlotte rally plead for ‘Justice for Shanquella’ Robinson
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Shanquella Robinson Death Investigation
The 25-year-old Charlotte woman died while on vacation in Cabo, Mexico.
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A beautiful soul, a kind young woman, an entrepreneurial spirit — Shanquella Robinson was that and more.
The halls of Charlotte’s Little Rock AME Zion Church were filled Saturday with organizers, community members and Robinson’s family calling for her justice. Amid tears, laughter, and a call for action, nearly 200 people came out to ensure her story is never forgotten.
“She was a young girl from my city, making it in a world that makes it so hard for little Black girls to continue to dream,” Akayla Galloway, founder of the Social Justice Center, said.
Robinson, 25, was from Charlotte and attended Winston-Salem State University.
For some time after her death while on vacation in Cabo, Mexico, her family believed she may have died from alcohol poisoning. But, a series of events — including the release of her body back to the United States, a death certificate from Mexican officials, and a video showing her being beaten — led her family to suspect she was murdered and led police to issue an arrest warrant for someone on the trip with her.
“Protecting Black women is not something to take lightly,” Galloway said. “It’s a charge for our entire community to stand up for Black women.”
But the tepid response to investigating her death initially was concerning, said Mary Hope, a Rock Hill, South Carolina resident. Hope said she attended the rally to support Robinson’s family and keep the spotlight on the story.
Were it not for Robinson’s mother, authorities may never have thought to dig deeper into the death of a young Black girl, she said. It showed a continued lack of care for Black people from authorities, she added.
“Because had it been somebody else they would have been on top of it,” Hope said.
Justice for Shanquella
Speakers invoked the “Justice for Shanquella” rallying cry again and again throughout the 2.5-hour event.
“Do y’all want justice for Shanquella?” asked Quovella Wilson, a minister who was among the first speakers. “I said do you want justice for Shanquella?”
As the crowd echoed its support in repeating the cry, Wilson responded: “I want us to raise this roof. And I want them to hear us all the way in Mexico.”
Charlotte mayor pro tem Braxton Winston, who was joined by Mecklenburg County commissioner Pat Cotham as elected officials speaking at the event, said he struggled to find the right words to share.
“I’m here to bring words of comfort to the Robinson family and the community of Charlotte. I’m going to be honest, this is tough, this is hard ... ” Winston said. “How many words of comfort can you bring in a situation like this?”
Melissa Howard-Jones, a Million Youth March member, said the community was coming out to wrap their arms around the family.
“They’re still grieving and we want them to know we’re still here loving on them,” she said.
Howard-Jones, a mother of three girls, said the case touched her as a parent.
“Shanquella’s mother, her dad, they didn’t expect to have to bury their kid,” she said. “This could have been my child.”
She added the little information released has only increased worries for the family and community members.
“We’re still fighting and we’re going to continue to fight until justice is served,” she said.
Shanquella Robinson’s death
An arrest warrant has been issued for a suspect in the death of Shanquella Robinson. But, there’s been no confirmation of an arrest.
Robinson traveled with six acquaintances to Cabo, Mexico, on Oct. 28 and died Oct. 29.
Police records, a Spanish to English-translated death certificate, and the stories her family heard from Robinson’s travel companions conflict on how she died.
A video of a fight where a woman is beating and repeatedly striking Robinson has gone viral, as has Robinson’s story. Hundreds of Charlotteans attended her funeral.
The FBI and Mexican authorities continue to investigate her case, as does her family.
Family wants arrests
Robinson’s sister Quilla Long said in a statement published to GoFundMe, the family will continue to ask what happened and they are raising funds for legal fees.
Ahead of Saturday’s rally, her sister said that for justice to be served, all six travelers who were with Robinson should be arrested and extradited to Mexico. Thousands on social media who are diligently following the case are demanding the same, and they refer to the six travelers as the #Cabo6.
“Everybody being arrested and doing time there,” Long said. “That’ll be justice for us.”
Activist Mario Black, founder of local anti-gun violence organization Million Youth March, planned the rally. He said the event will help to begin the healing process for not only the family, but the country.
“It is justice for Shanquella Robinson until justice is served,” Black said during a news conference Wednesday ahead of the event.
“This is a story that touched the world unfortunately,” he said. “With the national attention it has gotten, hosting an event was important to us to ensure that her name stay alive.”
This story was originally published December 10, 2022 at 3:00 PM.
