Bill aims to address disparities in solving kidnap and murder crimes against black women
by Tru Newman
Minnesota’s House of Representatives passed a bill last month that may create an Office of Missing and Murdered African American Women to address disparities in missing persons cases.
If the bill makes it through the Senate and is signed by the governor, it would be the first office of its kind focused on Black women in the nation.
The office stems from the findings of a 12-member task force, which was created through legislation by Democratic state Rep. Ruth Richardson to investigate the causes of violence against Black women and girls, and to report on measures that could be taken to reduce this violence.
A December 2022 report by the task force stated that despite Black women making up only seven percent of the state’s population, they make up 40 percent of domestic violence victims.
Experts say domestic violence, human trafficking and systemic poverty are all factors contributing to missing persons cases.
Black women are also three times more likely to be murdered than White women in Minnesota. Following the task force’s findings, Richardson introduced a bill to create the office, which she hopes will provide a framework for legislators across the country to address this crisis nationwide.
|
 |
