Sadness and anguish along with a call for action highlighted the “Justice For Tony Awareness March” that was held Sunday, March 6, on Willy Street on Madison’s near east side to reflect on the one-year anniversary of the killing of Tony Robinson.
Hundreds of community members met at the Social Justice Center and proceeded down Willy Street shouting and chanting in hopes of keeping the memory of Tony Robinson alive, who died exactly one year ago at the hands of the Madison Police Department. 
“Since a year from this day, we still have not received justice,” Andrea Irwin, Tony Robinson’s mom, told the crowd with a megaphone. “It was identified as a justifiable shooting as he was unarmed and not lucid to make proper decisions. My son was 19 years old, a high school graduate, and on his way to college. He was the oldest of four children. He was my son. He was my baby … and he is no longer here.”
On March 6, 2015, Madison police officer Matt Kenny forced his way into the house where Robinson had been living for the past few months with two of his friends on Willy St. Robinson had been behaving erratically from an overindulgence of hallucinogen mushrooms. After a brief confrontation in the stairwell, Kenny shot Robinson 7 times and killed him. He was later cleared of criminal wrongdoing by Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne based on an outside investigation by the state Department of Justice.
The shooting spurred numerous protests in the community and brought national attention – along with significant racial disparities – to Madison.
After opening with a prayer by Rev. David Smith, the march began around 3:35 p.m. and the group soon passed by the apartment house at 1125 Williamson Street where Robinson had died. An elaborate shrine to Tony Robinson, a longtime Madison eastsider and a 2014 graduate of Sun Prairie High School, had been set up at that house.
The event was part of a weekend dedicated to Tony Robinson including “A Celebration of Life: Community Dinner Memorial of Tony Terrell Robinson Jr.” which was held the night before at the Harlem Renaissance Museum on East Washington Ave.
“Since he has died, there has been 1,000 other people who have lost their lives to senseless homicides by the people who are supposed to protect us,” Irwin told the crowd. “I want you all to know that we have not forgotten Tony. His death will not be in vain. We will make some changes and we will move forward. We will not be pushed around and we will not accept any more children being shot down in the street. Period.”
The diverse crowd — white and black, young and old — nodded in agreement.
“Tony Robinson!” Irwin shouted.
The crowd gathered later that evening for a candlelight vigil at 6:30 p.m. – near the time Tony Robinson was shot and killed on that same date last year.
