BATON ROUGE, La. – State inmates representing inmate organizations from across Louisiana presented an $11,350 check today to the family of Sadie Roberts-Joseph, the slain Baton Rouge community activist, and founder of the The Baton Rouge African-American History Museum in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Inmate organizations at Louisiana's eight state-run prisons including Allen Correctional Center, David Wade Correctional Center, Dixon Correctional Institute, Elayn Hunt Correctional Center, Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, Louisiana State Penitentiary, Rayburn Correctional Center, and Raymond Laborde Correctional Center made the donation from money their clubs raise at the prisons.

"Our inmate organizations are very generous, donating money each year to worthy causes," said Secretary Jimmy Le Blanc, Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. "I'm very proud of them for helping the family continue the Legacy of Ms. Sadie. This museum means so much to our community."

The Baton Rouge African-American History Museum is a non-profit museum in Baton Rouge, founded in 2001 by slain community activist Sadie Roberts-Joseph. The museum operates on an abbreviated schedule since Roberts-Joseph was murdered in July of 2019. Roberts-Joseph's family will use the money to help stabilize the museum, so that it can continue to educate the community.

"This is such a blessing," said Angela Roberts Machen, Roberts-Joseph's daughter. "This museum meant so much to our mother, and it means so much to us to have these incarcerated individuals dig deep and give so much to keep this museum open."

"I'm amazed at the generosity," said Jason Roberts, Roberts-Joseph's son. "This is such a surprise, and it renews my faith in humanity. They didn't have to do this, but it means so much."

Louisiana's state-run prisons have dozens of inmate organizations including Veteran's Association, Jaycees, Toastmasters, Men of Faith, Alumni, Civil Leadership Association, and Reentry. These clubs provide self-development and growth opportunities for the inmates and a sense of community while they're incarcerated. Many of these organizations operate concessions, and use the money to support charitable causes on the outside. One example of the causes they routinely support is the Louisiana Correctional Association’s (LCA) “Kits for Kidz” project. LCA is a non-profit organization whose members volunteer every July to distribute school supply kits to the children visiting incarcerated parents in Louisiana’s state prisons.

The Baton Rouge African-American History Museum is currently open 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Wednesday and Friday. Admission is free, but the museum does take donations. Donations can be made on PayPal to the Sadie Roberts Joseph Memorial Fund organized by Angela R. Machen.