Help Us Seek Justice for a 5-Year-Old Facing Racial Hate
Donation protected
• https://gofund.me/e39cc33e : The official family-managed, parent-authorized GoFundMe for those who wish to donate directly to the child and family.
• https://gofund.me/8fd71a78: The official GoFundMe for Mr. Sharmake Omar, the videographer who brought this incident to light, for those who wish to support him as well.
• To support the Rochester Branch of the NAACP in fighting systemic racism, transforming culture, and ensuring incidents like this never happen again. https://rochesterbranchnaacp.betterworld.org/campaigns/support-our-fighting-fund-freedom
The Rochester Branch of the NAACP is outraged and deeply disturbed by a racist hate incident. Let us be clear: this was not simply offensive behavior—it was an intentional racist, threatening, hateful and verbal attack against a child, and it must be treated as such. Public parks should be safe, inclusive spaces for children and families—not sites of hate and trauma. The Rochester Branch of the NAACP takes this matter with the utmost seriousness and is committed to pursuing justice and accountability.
Amid an abundance of misinformation, the Executive Committee of the Rochester Branch of the NAACP met directly with the parents and immediate family of the impacted child to offer solidarity and support. We also connected with the videographer who brought this incident to light to extend the same support. Below is the official statement authorized by the family, along with verified ways the public can continue to support.
Statement from the Family
https://www.naacprochestermn.org/s/05-8-25-NAACP-Rochester-Press-Release-Official-Statement-from-Family-and-Verified-Ways-to-Support.pdf
“This statement is officially direct from the parent of the young boy who was berated at Soldier’s Field at Rochester, Minnesota. The statement goes as follows:
• We as the parents of the young boy, demand that those responsible for this tragic event, the unimaginable pain that has affected our beloved child, be held fully accountable. Our child deserves justice and we will not rest until it is served. We appeal to all members of our community both locally and globally to condemn violence and work together to stop it.
• As the parents of the young boy, as we navigate the emotional , legal and medical challenges ahead , we are asking the public for Financial Support. These unexpected costs are significant and generosity will help us focus on what matters most: Caring for our child and pursuing accountability. There are individuals who are attempting to benefit financially from the assault that happened to us. We request the authorities to protect us and stop people from using our pain for profit.
• As the parent of the young boy at the park, our family's safety is no longer guaranteed , we are becoming increasingly vulnerable as more people gain access to our private information including where we live. We are calling on the public , the media and the local authorities to respect our safety and privacy. We are doing everything we can to secure our environment and shield our child from further trauma but we cannot do it alone.
• Thank you for standing with our family. your kindness and solidarity give us strength and hope.
BAYAAN KASOO BAXAAY WALIDKII DHALAY CUNUGII YARKA EE LAGU CUNSUURIYEEY ROCHESTER MINESSOTA
Hadal kasoo baxaay waliidkii dhaley wilka yarka ee dibka logu geestey magalada Rochester, Minnesota. Waxayna yihiin sidaan:
• Anago ah waalidki dhalay , cunuga yarka oo la diibateyey , waxaan codsaneyna in nala caawiyo oo cunugena cadaalad lo helo , wayo dibka cunugena kudacay hadan laga hortagiin ilmo badan oo asga la miid aah ayay kudici karta Mustaqbalka. Hayadaha xuquqda ilmaha udooda wxaan ka codsaneyna iyo dhamaan bulshada iney nacawiyaan.
• Anaga ka waliid ahaan, sidu dibkan nogu dacay , waxaan daremeyna cabsi aad uu badan. Waaxaan codsaneyna in Amnigeena la sugooh sababto aah cabsi aan ka qaadney diibkan dacay ayaan udaremeyna walwal iyo cabsi aad uu fara badan.
• Anagoo ah walidika wilka dhalaay , waxaan codsaneyna Dhamaan dadka kunool Dunida iyo dafaheda iney nagacawiiyan dinaca daqalaha.
• Waxaan codsaneyna in nalaga joojiyo lacagaha beenta aah oo nalaagu qadaanayo.Waxaa jira Dhaad iska dhigayah in iyagu dibka kudaacay oo rabaah ineey lacago ku qataan dibkaan anaga nagu dacay. Waxaan codsaneyna iney dhaad weynuhu iska ilaaliyaan dadka noocasa.
• waad maxaad santihiin dhamaan.”
Important Ways to Support
With care and positive intention, the Rochester Branch of the NAACP launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the young victim and his family. Thanks to your overwhelming generosity, we not only met our goal—we surpassed it. Together, we raised $341,484 in just two days. Love wins!
One hundred percent of these funds—minus standard GoFundMe fees—will be placed in a trust account, with the parents serving as executors. The trust will be managed solely by the family, as it should be. This approach reflects the spirit in which these donations were made: out of love, protection, and a commitment to the long-term well-being of the child and their family. No member of the Rochester Branch of the NAACP has received, or will receive, any portion of these donations.
Please note that the family has since launched their own GoFundMe campaigns. Our branch is not, and will not be, affiliated with any current or future fundraising related to this case. For those wishing to provide continued financial support, the Rochester Branch of the NAACP has verified the following:
• https://gofund.me/e39cc33e : The family-managed, parent-authorized GoFundMe for those who wish to donate directly to the child and family.
• https://gofund.me/8fd71a78: The official GoFundMe for Mr. Sharmake Omar, the videographer who brought this incident to light, for those who wish to support him as well.
This is more than one incident
As noted above, the Rochester Branch of the NAACP will not engage in any additional GoFundMe activities related to this matter. Our focus remains on social justice, accountability, and community healing.
The Rochester Branch of the NAACP deeply values the trust and confidence the public has placed in us. As members of the community ourselves, and as members of the NAACP, we have vowed to put the principles of equality and justice under the law above our own personal or individual interests. We thank you for your continued trust.
We are witnessing a disturbing rise in racially motivated acts: racist slurs hurled at a child, slurs painted on a public bridge near a high school, a noose and effigy used to intimidate a Black family, swastikas and racial epithets defacing a local representative’s home, and repeated acts of Islamophobia and antisemitism. This is more than one incident.
Your support helps sustain our broader efforts—fighting systemic racism, transforming culture, and ensuring incidents like this never happen again. To learn more about our social justice work and to support the Rochester Branch of the NAACP, please visit https://rochesterbranchnaacp.betterworld.org/campaigns/support-our-fighting-fund-freedom
Previous Updates -----------------------------------------------------
5/3/25 - Love Wins! Rochester Branch of the NAACP Stands with 5-year old child
Rochester, MN – We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who gave so generously in response to the painful and heartbreaking incident involving a young Black child who was subjected to racial hate at a public park. Your compassion, your solidarity, and your belief in love over hate have been overwhelming—and deeply moving.
From the beginning, this campaign was rooted in a powerful truth: no child should ever be dehumanized, and love must always be louder than hate. People from across the country and around the world responded, sending a clear message that this child, this family, and this moment matter.
The Rochester Branch of the NAACP acted swiftly in response to the verbal assault and emotional harm captured in the now widely shared video. With care and positive intention, we launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the young victim and his family.
Thanks to your outpouring of support, we not only met our goal—we surpassed it. Together, we raised $341,484. Love wins! In response to the family’s wishes, we have now closed the GoFundMe page.
In alignment with State NAACP guidance, 100% of this money, minus standard GoFundMe fees, will be given to the family in a trust account with the parents serving as executors. The responsibility of the trust account will rest solely with the family, as it should. The creation of this trust reflects the spirit in which these donations were made—out of love, protection, and a desire to support the long-term well-being of the child and family. No member of the Rochester Branch of the NAACP has received - or will receive - funds from these donations.
We stand in full solidarity with the child and his family—and with all those who believe in building a community where dignity, justice, and love prevail. We are united in saying “Not in Our Town"
In Solidarity,
The Rochester Branch of the NAACP
https://www.naacprochestermn.org/s/05-3-25-NAACP-Rochester-Press-Release-Love-Wins-Rochester-Branch-of-the-NAACP-Stands-with-5-year-old.pdf
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How did this start?
On April 30, 2025, in a City of Rochester public park, a white woman launched a racist and hateful verbal assault on a defenseless 5-year-old Black child—who, according to reports, is also on the autism spectrum. She called him the n-word, and when confronted by a bystander, she didn’t back down. Instead, she repeated the slur multiple times and attempted to justify her actions by blaming the child. At no point did she show any remorse.
Let us be clear: this was not a misunderstanding or a moment of poor judgment—this was a deliberate, racist, and threatening attack on a young Black child. Public parks should be safe, welcoming places for all children and families—not sites of hate and trauma.
The Rochester Branch of the NAACP is taking this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are standing up for this child, his family, and every member of our community who deserves to live free from racist violence and intimidation.
Shockingly, the woman responsible for this hateful act has launched a fundraising campaign for herself and has raised nearly $150,000 in less than 24 hours. Many of the comments from her supporters celebrate and justify her hate.
We’ve been asked by countless community members how they can help. This campaign is our answer.
All funds from this campaign will go towards the affected child and family including:
• Legal redress and social justice efforts in support of the child and family.
• Legal advocacy, accountability, and restorative efforts, also in support of the child and family.
Community members wishing to support our broader social justice and anti-racism work – to change the culture and ensure this never happens again – are encouraged to donate directly to our Rochester Branch of the NAACP’s Fighting Fund for Freedom.
This is about more than one incident. It’s about who we are as a community and what we choose to stand for. Help us match the funds raised in defense of hate with an equal force of love, justice, and action.
Organizer
Rochester Branch NAACP
Organizer
Rochester, MN