Marcus Dixon was born with sickle cell disease, a painful condition that required frequent hospitalizations, especially when he was younger. Despite that, he remained upbeat and playful.
“A few times he asked, ‘Why do I have to have sickle cell?’” his mother Jada Dixon said. “But his illness never stopped him from doing whatever he wanted to do.”
During summer vacations, Marcus attended the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut, a program for children with terminal illness founded by Paul Newman. He enjoyed being around the other kids because for once, he wasn’t the different one.
Jada worried about him as a mother does, but she didn’t realize she had been concerned about the wrong thing. Marcus lost his life on Oct. 31, 2020, not as a result of his illness, but from gun violence. He was shot and killed in the 100 block of East Duval Street in East Germantown.
“I thought his illness would take him out, not the violence here in Philadelphia,” Jada said.
Marcus was born May 3, 1990 in Philadelphia to Jada and father Stephen Dixon. His nickname was “Bean,” which came about because of the shape of his head.
He grew up in Germantown with his elder brother Steven and graduated from Germantown High School in 2009. He had a 9-year-old daughter, Madison, and they had a close relationship. He was with Madison’s mother for about 10 years.
Marcus was known for his “Hollywood smile,” Jada said.
“He was always smiling, always pleasant, very approachable,” she said. “He really never talked ill about anyone. He respected others, and he was very giving.”
Marcus was generous, too. He was good friends with Niam Johnson-Tate, who was shot and killed in July 2017. Niam’s mother, Kimberly Kamara, recalled that a few years ago, Marcus asked her for her CashApp handle so he could send her a wedding anniversary gift.
He strived to be the best he could be. Jada described him as “a typical young black man who wanted to be about something.”
“I know some people would probably judge him, but I know my son. He was about something,” she continued. “But when you get caught up, people put a label on you. He had to do what he had to do to make a living for himself and his daughter. Society put a label on him that he couldn’t be what he wanted to be.”
No matter what, Marcus was a beloved son, Jada said, and he felt the same about his mother: His favorite song was the 1973 soul hit by The Intruders, “I’ll Always Love My Mama.”
Resources are available for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Click here for more information.
A reward of up to $20,000 is available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible for Marcus’ murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS or the Philadelphia Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334.
Date: 2020-10-31
Location: 120 E Duval St, Philadelphia, PA
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