When Shawn’s belongings were sent back to me after his sudden death at Pittsburgh Job Corps, I found a book called Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home.

That book is about free Black boys in Philadelphia who were kidnapped in 1825, trafficked through the “Reverse Underground Railroad,” and nearly erased from history. Their story mirrors Shawn’s in a chilling way: young Black lives taken, silenced, and hidden by systems that should have protected them.

Shawn died at a federal youth program in less than two days. Officials told me his head injuries came from “lividity” or from the “exam,” but the photos and reports show swelling, facial abrasions, and a nasal fracture that cannot be explained away. These contradictions echo a long pattern — when Black youth are harmed, the first instinct is to cover up, to dismiss, to erase.

I’ve reached out to civil rights groups like the ACLU and Black Lives Matter, but so far, no one has taken up Shawn’s case. Even a state representative’s office declined to investigate. This is why I am fighting so hard to frame this not only as wrongful death but also as a civil rights issue: the denial of justice, the obstruction of evidence, and the silencing of a grieving Black mother.

We cannot ignore the historical and present-day connections to systemic racism and even white supremacist networks that shape how institutions respond. Whether it’s neglect, cover-up, or outright indifference, the message is the same: our children’s lives are treated as disposable.

I may need to refocus my GoFundMe directly toward legal fees, since the reality is clear: to force accountability, I need the resources to fight. I have one lawyer who is interested in my case but they are charging fees. Im waiting for clarity to see how they are going to proceed or if i should continue look for a civil rights lawyer that works under contingency. If you see that update, please know your support will go directly into ensuring Shawn’s story does not get buried.

Shawn’s case isn’t just about one young man. It’s about how many more sons and daughters will be written off, while those responsible face no consequences. We cannot allow another “Stolen” story in 2025.