In a historic move, Minnesota officially launched the nation’s first “Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Office” during a ceremony at the State Capitol on April 9. The office, which aims to address the disproportionately high rates of violence faced by Black women and girls, was celebrated with the inaugural “Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Day on the Hill.”
The event brought together hundreds of advocates, lawmakers, and community members to honor the lives lost and to call for continued action. The creation of the office follows years of advocacy from families of victims and grassroots organizations working to shine a light on the often-overlooked crisis of missing and murdered Black women and girls.
Director Kaleena Burkes, appointed in 2024, emphasized the significance of the office “guiding women and girls who deserve to be protected, women and girls whose names should have never become headlines or cold cases. We hold them in our hearts, and we carry their stories forward, not as statistics, but as lives that matter.”
She further highlighted the systemic issues contributing to the crisis, noting that Black women and girls often face a lack of urgency and media coverage when they go missing, attributing this to factors like adultification and dehumanization.
“Minnesota has done something remarkable. This state became the first in the nation to say this is an issue important enough to create an office dedicated to addressing it,” Burkes added.
The office’s creation is a direct response to findings from the Missing and Murdered African American Women (MMAAW) Task Force, which reported that Black women in Minnesota are three times more likely to be murdered than their white counterparts. Representative Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights), a leading advocate for the office’s creation, emphasized the importance of the initiative.
“This is just the beginning.,” said Richardson. “Families like mine, like Lakeisha Lee’s, have fought for justice for far too long. Now, we finally have an office that will dedicate resources to investigating these cases.”
Lakeisha Lee, whose sister Brittany Clardy was murdered in 2013, shared her perspective, saying, “This office is vital, but it is just one part of a larger movement. We need to continue to raise our voices and ensure Black women and girls are never forgotten.”
Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobs emphasized the importance of the office in coordinating efforts across agencies and communities to improve the response to these cases. “This office is about making sure we don’t just react after the fact,” Jacobs said. “It’s about prevention, it’s about education, and it’s about building trust with the communities we serve.”
Attorney General Keith Ellison praised the creation of the office, calling it a critical step toward ensuring that Black women and girls are treated with the same dignity and respect as anyone else. “Your daughter’s life, your sister’s life, your mother’s life is of sacred importance,” Ellison said.
“When Black women and girls go missing, society has historically shrugged its shoulders. Those days must end. It’s time to commit to change.”
Artika Roller, executive director of Cornerstone, one of the organizations that has advocated for years for the office’s creation, stressed that this work is not limited to law enforcement. The office’s success will depend on collaboration across sectors, including health care, education, and social services.
“We are not just talking about the criminal justice system,” Roller said. “We need a collective effort that includes law enforcement, advocates, funders, and the entire community to ensure that we are addressing this crisis comprehensively.”
The creation of the office comes after decades of advocacy from organizations and individuals dedicated to ending the systemic neglect of Black women and girls. Sharon Sayles Belton, a former mayor and long-time advocate for Black women’s rights, highlighted the importance of community-driven efforts in this work.
“We were not waiting for anyone to come and save us,” Sayles Belton said. “We were doing the work ourselves, and this office is the result of that dedication.”
The “Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Office” will prioritize improving data collection, enhancing public safety, and ensuring that families receive the support they need during investigations. Dr. Yohuru Williams, a historian, reminded the audience of the long history of Black women being marginalized and erased from public narratives.
“These stories are not isolated. They are systemic,” Williams said. “The creation of this office is just the first step in ensuring that Black women and girls are seen and heard.”
While the office represents a victory for those who have advocated for justice, advocates and lawmakers emphasized that it is just one part of a larger effort to create lasting change. The office’s creation is not just symbolic but a structural intervention designed to address systemic failures in the response to cases of missing and murdered Black women and girls.
As advocates, lawmakers and families continue their work, the office represents hope for many who have felt their stories ignored. The Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Office is created to serve as a platform for accountability and a catalyst for change, ensuring that no more Black women or girls will be forgotten.
For more information, visit dps.mn.gov.
Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com