Today, September 1st, marks the 15th anniversary of the death of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer. "Yummy" as he was affectionately called because of his love for sweets, was a young child, who died at 11, partly because he was a misguided youth without direction, who got caught up in the gang culture on the southside of Chicago. Yummy was gun downed by his fellow gang members because when he was instructed to kill a rival gang member, he failed to do so and killed an(other) innocent child, making his gang a target of the Chicago police force. Because of this, he was brutality gunned down in the area of Roseland. Unfortunately, although this happened 15 years ago, this trend has not stopped. Most from Chicago will tell you that they know a young man similar to Yummy now, or maybe they were that child. The sad reality in Chicago, and other inner cities, is that children grow up believing that your options are either, joining a gang, or playing basketball. And when most of our males, and children in general, lack guidance from their fathers, they are more likely to get caught up in what Lupe called "the cool." Even though I'm from the southside, I didn't learn about this story until about a year ago while I was browsing on FakeShoreDrive and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. I'm in grad school now, and when I get my teaching degree, my main goal is to go back into the city where I was born and help our children go down the right path and reach their full potential. Oh yeah, I wrote a song about Yummy too (something Tupac has also done), but really, I just want YOU to learn about him, whether you read the TIME article or check out my song. PEACE!
Read the TIME article HERE
Special thanks to ALL the sites that have posted this story and my song:
FakeShoreDrive
TheHipHopUpdate
GoWhereHipHop
SoSnewty
DudeGotBars
hello im meshell gonzalez 34 chicago,,, i learn bout yummy when it happend i couldnt belive it he waz jus a baby it made me cry then it still does, and at his own wake they didnt have a pic of him they had to use a mug shot wat kind of parent dont have a pic of there own child shit i got hunderds,, i could still picture his lil baby face ,, i see him i no he could of be sumthing in life if he had the right guidence ,, sum times i wished i new him i would of showen him the right way to go in life ,, now he wit are father god r.i.p robert yummy sandifer u are and will be missed
ReplyDeletei went were he waz killed at that tunnel i lead flowers and a bag of chocolate chips cookies,, i said a prayer for him wat waz weird i felt a cold spot it waz chilly out side but it waz strange like a chill on my neck so i looked behind me no one waz there,,, mind u i put the bag of cookies up right on the wall i looked back they were laying face down i got kinda nerves,,, but i new it waz his spirit saying thank u ,, so i said godbless u robert and may your soul be at peace ,, az i waz walking out of the tunle my hubby waz waiting for me by the car i swear on everything i herd a small lil voice say thank u it brong a tear to my eyes ,, i never new him it jus broke my hart to hear wat happen to that baby i dont no why to this day it still bothers me but r.i,p robert yummy sandifer i no i dont no u but u will remane in my hart for ever :)
ReplyDeleteI knew Yummy when I was a teenager. Me and Cragg Hardaway was in the same class together and Cragg was no dummy. However Yummy I didnt like his trouble making ass!!!! He shot my cousin Samuel Seay and a good friend Shavon Dean. So as far as me feeling sorry for a child who wouldnt think to shoot at you because you dint give him money isn't going to happen. His grandmother and mother are both sorry ass parents and as a result this trouble making demon is dead. Frankly put the little son of a bitch got what he deserved. i only feel sorry for my cousin my friend and our famalies who were affected by this. One question though why isn't the person who ordered the hit not in jail. Yes everybody over here knew who ordered the hit even the cops. I say get him and make him pay.
ReplyDeletewhat cemetary is shavon dean buried?
DeleteThats my question, why no one isn't feeling the pain & sorrow of the young girl who was killed, & the young fella who was paralyzed. Don't get me wrong, yummy was misguided in the wrong direction. We must remember, he was a kid. A fucking kid who didn't know no better. I say get the lead gangman, or OG as most would call em, & fry his ass. It makes me angry to read shit like this, & it hurts so deeply, cause I could've went down that same road growing up here in Miami... God bless his Grandma for trying to raise a kid she couldn't handle due to the streets. As far as his parents go, fuck em. Meaning his sorry ass mom & dad.
Deleter.i.h yummy you killer wannna a be thug,, i read up on u i dont feel sorry for u one bit piss of shit and for his sorry ass parents youz need sum parenting classes on the real and may throw in sum drug classes to you are no gud u should of teached him better then that,, hooker for a mom dope head, a bitch for a grandma no gud,, like i said rest in hell burn bitch burn,,, shavon dean you r.i.p gurl and god bless you
ReplyDeleteYummy was a real killer yu dumb fucc he woulda murked yo ass bitch
Deletethis is so ignorant
DeleteThis is for every one,who made a nasty remark about yummy.I didnt know him,just heard of him ,recntly.I am very compassionate ,when it comes to kids.That kid ,didnt ask to be born.It wasnt his fault ,on his up bringing,he was still a baby.People ,insult his mom,grandma,you dont ,know what they went thru.yes ,it was tragic.who are you,to judge them?How would you feel,if something happened to a kid you love.I think people ,who say cruel ,things like that ,are ignorant.Regardless,to anything,he and his relatives ,are stii human beings.I pray,and my heart goes out to ,him,and his family.It takes a village to raise a child.There is always 2 sides to a story.Noone who,knew the boy,even bothered to ask him,anything.I believe in karma.There is also a saying.It was him ,that day.It could be ,a kid ,or someelse,you love tomorrow.Watch what you say.He was still a baby.How dare you people say,he got what he deserved?How would you feel,if thst happned to your son ,brother ,niece ,nephew,or coudin,whoever,and you heard people say,they got what they deserve?You would be even more hurt.Sio stop it.Let that young babay,have peace ,in death ,that he didnt have on earth.I understand,he hurt alot of people.His crimes,affected alot of families.Pray,and let go,try to let go ,and let God.Pray for him ,as well ,as yourseves,and everyone this has affected.It is so much racism,and other things,going on in the.To hate a child.I could never imagine.pray ,pray and pray ,that God remove this hurt from your hearts.It is time ,we as moorish americans ,try to help each other,instead of writing hateful comments,about ,an 11 year old child.He had a hard life too.He dfid alot of things,including a murder.My heart goes out to that girl family as well.I feel sorry for the kids,all of them,but it still hurts,to hear people hating kids.hurting them.including yummys parents.I have sa strong dislike,for people ,who hurt kids.I think they should suffer ,in jail for life.yummy was a child .let him and his family,have some peace now
ReplyDeleteWow, first I would like to say R.I.P to Shavon Dean, who we forget about. There were two lives lost contributed to violence and lack of guidance.I wish that Robert would have been born in a different environment, one where at least someone cared enough to protect him from the horror he endured from birth until death. He was a child and to those who used him a robot. everyone talks as if he knew better when he didn't. instead of dealing with emotions try to understand and even put yourself in someone's shoes that was a product of abuse,neglect, lack of education no real role models but the losers in the community that took advantage of ones misfortune and needing to want to belong to something that he felt was family. Most of you on here that talk bad about Yummy only say those things because you lack knowledge of life and Gods word. god only takes car of children and fools, and you betta know that Robert is with God living a fulfilled life that he never got to know on earth in heaven. both of those children death was a tragic and should never be forgotten. Shavon was a tragic death because she never got to become the beautiful talented woman she wanted to be and Yummy never had a chance period. at birth he was damned to a dope fiend,abusive mother who couldn't love her children because getting a fix was all she knew how to do best! GOD BLESS THE DEAD
ReplyDeletei found out about robert "yummy" sandifer's story through and interview tupac did while he was incarcerated. there was a picture of the little boy, which obviously looked to me like a mug shot, with his name underneath him. i did some research and read about this tragedy, and all the pain that was left behind from it for robert's family and the families the other innocent children who were injured and or killed. although i have never met or have known robert or his family, or the family of shavon dean, i feel a trmemndous sorrow that such a thing happened and still happens till this day to the youth of inner city violence or in their communities. my prayers go out to robert "yummy" sandifer and his family. may you rest in peace and paradise since there was no peace for you here on earth. i pray for shavon dean and her family as well. the day will come where you will get to see your baby girl again and speak to her and hold her.
ReplyDeleteRIP SHAVON DEAN AND ROBERT "YUMMY" SANDIFER
ReplyDeleteI heard of this story yesterday. When first hearing of it from a friend, I started googling any information I could about it, I needed to know more. My heart aches behind each piece of information. Shavon was a victim as so many innocent kids growing up in the inner city of Chicago but so was Robert. Since reading of this, I have not been able to take my mind off this young boy, this baby, this kid, his picture. I tend to get very attached to the victims and I try not to. I feel so drained from what I see and hear when It comes to the Chicago violence, It hurts and It is sooo depressing. This baby was doomed the day he was born, no hope, no anything. I do blame his mother, she was the missing link from birth. I will forever be haunted by his story, why haunted? because the feelings I have are not pleasurable. Just when I think nothing can shock me, something does. You would think that WE as black people would stick together more than any race because of what our ancestors went through and our GREAT LEADERS that fought for us but WE are ONE of the MAIN races that have such a HATE for each other and it's simply unexplainable. I am proud of who I am, I just wish so many others would love themselves enough also. stop the violence!!!! Sincerely "DISAPPOINTED"...
this story has 2 sides......theres going to be poeple who will convey yummmy as a murderer and a victim and some might say he was both. yummy deserves our anger and our sympath....it was his parents who gave him no guiadance and the community of Chicago....yummy was a wake call to us on the nasty issue of gang violence and to the person who said they knew yummy.....can u give us a little more about him?? and has any1 read the book Yummmy: the last days of a shortside shorty? really good book with details on the issue
ReplyDeletefirst i would like to say R.I.P yummy foo u was jus a lil nigga tryin to get easy money ,and respect u didnt know the meaning in life u did what u were told and is not ur fault at all or ur parents i wish i knew u i probably wouldof smoked weed with you but anyway R.I.P yummy you were a cutthoat ass lil nigga in da HOOD !!!!
ReplyDeleteYummy was a victim of child abuse, he had no one to teach him right from wrong. He hung out with the gangbangers because they gave him some attention. His homelife was horrible. His mom on drugs and grandmother an alcoholic.
ReplyDeleteHe was just a kid with no one to take care or love him. He did the things the gangbanger told him to do. He killed Shavon with the help of older gang members telling him what to do. Lord help our children, they need love and attention from their parents. Shavon was a great little girl with parents who loved her.
Yummy was a sad littled boy with no one loving him. RIP Shavon and Yummy.
Rip lil yummy not your fault blaim the old fools that told him to do what he,did chicago has no laws the whole dumbass gang should b lock up geting kids to do they dirty work b a man an outing in your own work cowards
ReplyDeleteYou have to feel sorry for a kid who's dealt a shitty hand, but talk to anyone in the neighborhood. Lots of kids Yummys age have home lives just as bad as he did and don't fall prey to the negative influences. Like the social worker said, he was a sociopath when he was 3. There are people in this world who don't believe people can be born rotten and that's fine. Keep living in your pretty suburb and believing that but where I come from, I see it every single day. Maybe he might have turned out different if he had a different upbringing but the fact remains, he was a human being who had a real love for hurting people. The fact he was so young is what makes people get all sympathetic but like I said. Come to my neighborhood, I can introduce you to a few no different than him... and when you get on with your weeping sympathy BS, just make sure to do so when they're not standing around, because they'll just view that as an occasion to stick a gun in your face and take your wallet.
ReplyDeleteGood riddance to bad rubbish. Sorry life dealt him a bad hand, but he was a straight up predator from day 1.
Our jusitce system is partly to blame for allowing people like yummy to prey on others.
ReplyDeleteGod has already forgiving Yummy and those who speak down on him should forgive him too!
ReplyDeleteyou are so right he was just a kid I used to pick him up on that school bus every morning and the way he looked and dressed dressed I felt very sorry for him
Deletei used live around the corner from shevon and yummy he was nothing but trouble no one deserve to die but now u see how these young parents act no home-training just letting them run loose when is this maddness gonna stop are u just gonna let the children run over people with weapons
ReplyDeleteEveryone has their opinion about what happened. For all of those who say Yummy got what he deserved, take a look at yourself and the things you did wrong, somebody forgave you and your still alive so stop with all the negative comments. Children are very impressionable and want what we all want: TO BE LOVED!!! Shame on those who prey on children and their inability to distingush and comprehend to real meaning of right and wrong, life and death. Like Tupac said T.H.U.G L.I.F.E (The Hate You Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody) so while you are abusing and neglecting your children be aware of the monster you are creating.
ReplyDeleteI loved the both of them and may they rest in heaven I was a child that use to play and know both of them
DeleteThat was said right nicely I never even took time to find out what thug life meant tupac was something else and hit the nail on the head with that
DeleteI remember reading this story when I was 11 I didn't realize at the time I was the same age as yummy 18 yrs later this story is still with me my heart goes out to yummy and shavon so many have anger towards yummy but still he was a child misguided he took to the street looking for love and yet when he realized the streets had no love it was to late for him....I don't think cragg or Derrick hardaway is any better than yummy I read where some one said why has the person who orderded the hit never been punished good? This same person ordered yummy to shoot in that crowd that left shavon dead Sammy and kianta wounded this person is solstice responsible for everything he is the one to blame for yummy shavon cragg Derrick Sammy kianta and all there families pain hurt and suffering we.blame the ones who pulled the trigger physically but not the one who put it it in motion why??? And all these kids lives were messed up.from listening to an adult that manipulate and used them sad that these kids lives where cut short by someone who never meant them any good and I bet tha o.g feels no remorse for what he put in motion
ReplyDeleteI feel bad for all parties involved. Just came across this blog. I've been reading a lot and I feel he was failed from birth...Rest in Peace Shavon and Robert. Those that have negative things to say may God bless your heart. You never know what can happen to your children no matter what the home life is like.
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