On Monday, February 20th, 2023, the Minnesota State House approved a significant bill, establishing the inaugural Office of Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls within the United States. This legislative action comes in response to the alarming statistics, revealing that Black women in Minnesota face an alarming murder rate, nearly three times higher than that of White women. Moreover, an estimated 60,000 Black women are currently reported missing in the entire United States.

Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the representation of Black people among missing individuals stands at 14 percent, which is over four times greater (3 percent) than their proportion in the overall population. In the city of London, this percentage is even more concerning, with black women accounting for 12.9% of the missing person cases.

The intention behind my creation of this piece is to serve as a poignant reminder that, despite recent progress in the form of the aforementioned bill, the journey towards achieving equality and safety for black women globally is far from over. While the bill is undoubtedly a commendable step in the right direction, the safeguarding of black women must begin within their own communities, emphasizing the importance of collective efforts to protect and empower this vulnerable demographic.