New York State Creates Missing BIPOC Women And Girls Task Force

According to the FBI, over 43% of the more than 271,000 missing women and girls nationwide were Black, Indigenous, or other people of color.

New York has announced a new task force to address the alarming crisis of missing girls and women in the state who have been identified as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.

On Dec. 21, Governor Kathy Hochul authorized the creation of the Missing BIPOC Women and Girls Task Force. According to CBS News, Hochul stated, “We have a moral obligation to treat these cases with the care and seriousness they deserve, and this new Task Force will be a critical part of that effort.”

According to statistics from the FBI, over 43% of the more than 271,000 missing women and girls cases nationwide were Black, Indigenous, or other people of color. The new task force will examine discrepancies in how New York investigates such cases and make policy recommendations to improve community education. As the governor asserted, “The statistics are alarming: thousands of women and girls who are Black, Indigenous or people of color go missing every year.”

The Missing BIPOC Women and Girls Task Force will have nine members, which includes representatives from key state agencies like the Office of Family and Children’s Services and the Division of Criminal Justice Services. Additional members will be appointed by the State Legislature.

Over a two year period, the task force will study this crisis and provide findings and recommendations to better address the unjust realities for minority women and girls.

This action comes on the heels of another major initiative Hochul signed into law earlier this week. As previously covered by BLACK ENTERPRISE, the governor signed a bill on Dec. 19 for the creation of a commission to study the history of slavery in New York State and explore potential reparations. Though controversial, the governor continues taking bold steps to confront racial injustice in the state.

With the Missing BIPOC Women and Girls Task Force, New York hopes to lead by example in providing equal protection and urgency when minority women and girls disappear without explanation.