Black women in Minnesota are three times more likely than white women to be murdered. While only 7 percent of the state population is Black, 40 percent of domestic violence victims are Black women. Starting August 4, community leaders across Minnesota will join the fight to end this violence, distributing a groundbreaking survey specifically for Black women, girls and femmes to shape how state agencies, emergency services, and community organizations serve people impacted by violence.

Thanks to the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder for their exceptional three-part coverage of Minnesota’s leadership around Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls. In the third part of the series published in November 2024, MSR editor Cynthia Moothart outlines the impact of the Missing & Murdered African American Women’s Task Force, including the role of Research in Action in making that task force process different than traditional state work groups…

Research in Action is excited to announce the next phase of our critical work to address the epidemic of violence against Black women and girls. In 2024, the Equity in Action Way Foundation was awarded a Bush Community Innovation Grant and contracted with RIA to embark on a five-year process to 1) assess how Black women and girls perceive their level of vulnerability to violence and 2) measure the progress of key state agencies toward reducing Black women and girls’ vulnerability to violence.

After 18 months of deep listening with community and extensive data analysis, we were honored to join the West Side Community Organization (WSCO) last night for the public launch of our new report "From the Flats to the Future: Understanding Displacement on Saint Paul's West Side."