Minnesota Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Betty McCollum are calling on the White House to create an Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls within the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Omar, McCollum urge White House to create federal Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls
The lawmakers propose an office within the U.S. Department of Justice similar to what’s already been established on a state level in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
June 28, 2024 at 8:35PM
Their call comes as Saturday marks what would have been the birthday of Britanny Clardy, a St. Paul woman who went missing in 2013, and whose disappearance prompted Minnesota lawmakers to look more closely at disparities Black women face.
“This complex issue deserves a whole-of-government approach led by your Administration to help all states protect and care for our most vulnerable communities. And there is a strong precedent for similar actions,” Omar and McCollum said in a letter to President Joe Biden.
Omar previously introduced the Brittany Clardy Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Act in Clardy’s memory. It was co-sponsored by all of the Democrats in Minnesota’s congressional delegation. However, that bill has remained in the Republican-controlled House since it was introduced in December.
Clardy’s disappearance led Minnesota lawmakers to create a task force to look into why Black women face higher rates of violence. State legislators later acknowledged these disparities and created one of the nation’s first Office of Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls.
Former President Donald Trump previously signed an executive order that established the Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.
On the heels of that initiative, Omar hopes that she and McCollum will be able to have similar success with the Biden administration.
“Our hope is that it does resonate with them, and that they see the importance and are able to make sure that it’s created and that there is implementation and that this work does happen,” Omar said in an interview Friday.
The White House could not immediately be reached for comment on Omar and McCollum’s request Friday. Omar said she hopes Vice President Kamala Harris “will give this a thought,” and that the White House will support it.
“Establishing a national office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls at the U.S. Department of Justice would follow Minnesota’s lead at the state level,” McCollum said in a statement. “Every Black woman and girl in Minnesota and across America deserves to be safe — and when violence is perpetrated against them, they deserve the dignity of justice.”
Our mission this election cycle is to provide the facts and context you need. Here’s how we’ll do that.
