According to the most recent research, black women and girls make up only seven percent of the U.S. population, yet, in 2022, they accounted for 18 percent of all missing persons cases. One state is now tackling this issue head-on.
In 2021, Minnesota launched a task force to investigate the state’s disproportionately high number of missing and murdered black women and girls. The results uncovered a disturbing trend of violence, and a failure by state and local authorities to respond.
“As a nation and state we are facing a crisis and it is critical and long overdue that we have investment in disrupting this crisis,” said former state Rep. Ruth Richardson, who was behind the formation of the task force.
The following year, Richardson used the group’s findings to introduce legislation creating the first-ever Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls.
“This office is not about asking for more attention, it’s about getting the same attention. And it’s about having our lives honored in the same ways. We matter and we deserve the same energy and coverage in our cases,” Richardson said.
“It’s an unfortunate thing that there’s an office, we have an office that is dedicating thousands of
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