10-04-2025
Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Day on the Hill addresses disparate violence
The Brief
The first "Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Day on the Hill" was held at the Minnesota State Capitol.
The event featured community leaders and families of Black women and girls victimized by violence.
The Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Office was established by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety in 2023.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Hundreds of people gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul on Wednedsay as part of the first "Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Day on the Hill", which aimed to raise awareness about the disproportionate amount of violence experienced by Black women and girls.
Big picture view
Advocates, including local leaders and family members of victims, were shining a light on Minnesota's missing and murdered black women and girls.
Among them was Joyce Hayden, whose daughter was killed in a gang crossfire while visiting Atlanta.
READ MORE: Minnesota state Sen. Jeff Hayden's sister killed in crossfire in Atlanta
She strongly supported the opening of a Department of Public Safety Office dedicated to missing and murdered Black women and girls, which was established in 2023.
"This is more than a ceremonial event, though," Joyce Hayden said. "It is a pivotal, pivotal moment, a collective declaration that the lives of Black women and girls matter and that the silence surrounding their disappearances and deaths will no longer be tolerated."
READ MORE: Minnesota task force aims to examine missing black women epidemic
The office is designed to support affected families and communities and to ensure timely investigations, partly by collaborating with law enforcement.
More information on the DPS office can be found here.
The Source
This story used information from the news conference at the Minnesota State Capitol and past FOX 9 reporting.
