Parents at a Thursday congressional hearing about missing and murdered women of color detailed their frustrating attempts to get the attention of law enforcement and adequate media coverage.
“This is a crisis that is hiding in plain sight,” said Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat and chair of the U.S. House Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
Advocates told lawmakers about the struggle of not having complete and accurate data to fully understand the scope of missing women of color because the federal government does not collect that data. In 2020, 40% of women and girls reported missing were of color, despite making up 16% of the population, according to the U.S. Census.
“The epidemic of missing persons of color is not a new topic but one that has been dismissed because society does not care about us,” Shawn Wilkinson of Baltimore said.
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Photo is a screenshot of Shawn Wilkinson of Baltimore who testified before U.S. House lawmakers on Thursday about the disappearance of his daughter, Akia, who was eight months pregnant when she went missing in 2017. The U.S. House Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties held the hearing to focus on the lack of attention to missing Black, Hispanic and Indigenous women.
