A new task force will address the crisis of missing and murdered Black women and girls in Missouri

By Andrea Y. Henderson, St Louis Public Radio

Studies show disproportionate rates of African American women and girls who are missing and murdered compared to white women and girls. Reports also show that their cases often get far less attention from law enforcement than white cases.

A new Missouri law is trying to lower those rates through the establishment of the Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls Task Force. It will help find ways to reduce violence against Black women and girls and help shape new policies around searching for missing African Americans.

There is a long history of how Black women’s missing persons cases are investigated differently than white women’s, said Sen. Angela Mosley D-Florissant.

“Hopefully, we’ll bring some resolve for those families who have been waiting for years for law enforcement to take their cases seriously,” she said.

Mosley introduced a similar bill last year, but it did not pass. However, she was made aware of a recent Minnesota bill focusing on missing and murdered Black women and girls that was introduced and ultimately passed. She adapted that bill for Missouri and it became law on Aug. 28.

Learn how the task force will begin its operations.

The Columbia Journalism Review created a tool to highlight the differences in coverage and investigations.

More Black news.