03/07/2026
Today is my big brother’s birthday.
He would have only turned 46 today.
And somehow I finally made it to Atlanta to be with him… but he’s not here.
This one hurts.
I know exactly what today would have looked like.
We would have been kicking it. Him on that grill. Loud music in the background. Me fussing at him about something before the night ended. And of course we would have taken pictures to send to our mom, because we knew seeing us together always made her smile.
My brother had a presence about him. If he was around, you knew it. He loved his music, loved the grill, and knew how to turn a regular day into a whole vibe.
Today I mourn. But every day I fight.
I mourn because we KNOW who killed my brother. We know who was involved. I watched the footage over and over again. I can close my eyes and still see every person who was standing out there.
And the part that breaks my heart even more is that some of those people were not strangers. Some were people I called brother. People I called cousins. One of them is even the biological father of one of my children.
It’s heartbreaking how normalized taking someone’s life, witnessing death, and staying silent has become in our community.
As a trauma expert, I understand the psychology behind it.
But as Maurice Danya Bates, aka Yayo Da Don’s baby sister, I don’t want to understand it.
Justice still matters.
I am offering $20,000 to the person or people willing to speak up.
If you were outside that day, if you saw something, or if you know something, call me or contact Crime Stoppers.
Someone knows the truth.
My brother had been gone from Milwaukee for years before this happened, and one thing about envy and jealousy is this: if you don’t heal it, it never leaves your bones.
May of this year will mark three years since our hearts were shattered.
Happy Birthday, Big Brother.
Your baby sister loves you forever.
🫶🏽 Please or
