The Urgent Need for National Attention on Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls: A Case for Sade Robinson and Beyond

In recent months, the tragic case of Sade Robinson has brought renewed attention to the often-overlooked issue of missing and murdered Black women and girls. Sade, a young woman from Wisconsin, was last seen in April 2023. Her death—at the hands of Maxwell Anderson, who has since been charged—has reignited conversations about the disproportionate violence faced by Black women and girls across the United States.

As highlighted in a powerful article by David Clarey in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , Black women in Wisconsin are 20 times more likely to be murdered than white women, and nearly 40% of domestic violence victims in Milwaukee County are Black women. These statistics are alarming, yet the necessary action from policymakers has been slow to materialize. Despite advocacy from Sade Robinson’s mother, Sheena Scarbrough, and state lawmakers like Senator La Tonya Johnson , Representative Sheila Stubbs, and Representative Dora Drake, the push for a task force to address the crisis has stalled due to political gridlock.

State lawmakers have persistently called for the creation of a task force to track data on missing and murdered Black women and girls. As Rep. Dora Drake stated,

"We have no system or mechanism to determine how many Black women and girls are missing... We can’t really address [the issue] the way we need to unless we have the data."

Unfortunately, efforts to pass legislation creating this task force have been blocked repeatedly by Republican-led bodies.

But this issue isn’t unique to Wisconsin.

Across the nation, Black women are disproportionately impacted by violence. In cities like Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C., the narrative is eerily similar. Black women and girls are going missing at alarming rates, yet receive little to no media attention—a phenomenon often referred to as “Missing White Woman Syndrome.” Without the public pressure that comes from sustained media coverage, many of these cases remain unsolved, and families are left with little hope of justice.

We need a systemic overhaul.

Communities across the U.S. must come together to demand better protections for Black women and girls. We need data, resources, and legislation. We need local and state task forces that gather the vital information to guide decisions on prevention and protection, much like those established for Indigenous women in 2020. Without this foundation, we are operating in the dark—unable to adequately address the sheer scale of the problem.

The case of Sade Robinson is a heartbreaking reminder of what is at stake. Her mother’s fight to ensure Sade’s voice continues to be heard is a powerful testament to the strength of those left behind. But it should not take this kind of personal tragedy to move the needle on policy change.

We must do better—regionally and nationally.

This isn't just a problem for Wisconsin, Atlanta, or Chicago. It is a national crisis. It’s time we treat it like one.

Sources: David Clarey, “Mother of Sade Robinson, state lawmakers advocate for Black women and girls,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 22, 2024.

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