INDIANAPOLIS— What started as a yearly birthday remembrance has grown into a permanent tribute to a life stolen too soon.
Shontae Davidson has celebrated every birthday for her cousin Charlii since the day she was born. This year would have marked Charlii’s 18th birthday.
“She just had her 18th birthday, and we’ve had a birthday party for every year since then,” Davidson said.
For Davidson and her family, Jan. 14, 2008, is a date that brings pain and heartbreak. That was the day five-month-old Charlii and three others were murdered inside a home on Hovey Street.
Now, nearly two decades later, Davidson is turning her pain into purpose.
At the corner of East 25th Street and Dr. Andrew J. Brown Avenue, a bright new storefront called Charlii’s Chews is open for business.
Inside, shelves are lined with candy, chips, pickles, soda, and ice cream. It's a throwback to the classic neighborhood variety stores many remember from childhood.
Charlii’s Chews is more than just a candy store. Davidson says she sees it as a hub for neighborhood connection and a place where kids can feel safe.
She’s already planning to host movie nights, ice cream socials, bonfires, storytelling events and food pantry days.
“I want this to be a safe space for the children,” she said.
Davidson says opening the store and seeing her vision come to life is emotional but fulfilling.
“I know that her mother and my family are happy,” she said. “I always wanted to do something in memory of her name, and I just wish I could keep their name alive in whatever I do.”
Charlii’s Chews officially opens this Sunday, the 28th. Davidson hopes it becomes not just a business, but a symbol a place where the past is honored, the present is celebrated and the future is filled with hope.
