The Minnesota Task Force for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls is a crucial initiative aimed at addressing the disproportionate rates of violence and disappearances affecting this community. Established to bring attention to the often overlooked cases of missing and murdered Black women and girls, the task force works tirelessly to advocate for justice, support families, and implement policies that prioritize the safety and well-being of Black individuals. Through collaborative efforts with law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and policymakers, the task force strives to create a more inclusive and equitable society where every Black woman and girl is valued and protected.

Black women and girls are uniquely vulnerable and too easily erased from public discussions about missing and murdered people. Statistics paint a devastating picture of the magnitude of the issue: over 60,000 Black women and girls are missing in the United States, and Black women are more than twice as likely than their peers to be victims of homicide. In Minnesota, only 7% of the MN population is Black women but 40% of domestic violence victims are Black women — and Black women are nearly 3 times more likely to be murdered than white women.

By creating the Missing and Murdered African American Women’s (MMAAW) Task Force in 2021, the Minnesota Legislature became the first U.S. state to dedicate resources to investigate and to consider the measures necessary to reduce and prevent violence against Black women and girls. These efforts were led by task force chair, Lakeisha Lee.

The MMAAW Task Force was charged to examine and report on: 

• Systemic causes of violence against African American women and girls.

• Appropriate methods of tracking and collecting data.

• Policies, practices, and institutions that assist in perpetuating violence against African American women and girls.

• Measures necessary to address and reduce violence against African American women and girls.

• Measures necessary to help victims, their families, and their communities.

Released in December 2022, the final report summarizes the work of the Task Force and Advisory Council to address the above areas and provides recommendations based on the information gained from the Equity in Action process — including insight from nearly 50 interviews, in addition to a deep literature review and quantitative data analysis — to the Minnesota Legislature, state agencies, and other entities responsible for solving the MMAAW injustice in Minnesota and supporting Black women and girls.