Overview of the crisis

The 2024 FBI Missing and Unidentified Persons report found that 97,577 Black women and girls were reported missing in the United States. Statistically, despite making up only about 14% of the U.S. female population, Black women and girls made up over 37% of female missing persons. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol website as of May 2026, out of the 229 actively missing women in Missouri, 72 are Black women (31.4%), while Black women only make up around 12% of women in Missouri.

Despite the extreme consequences of this disparity, the crisis of missing Black women and girls often goes unnoticed and unaddressed. Furthermore, there is a distinct lack of widespread public awareness of missing persons cases involving Black women and girls. Stories of missing Black people are severely underreported in national news coverage, leading to their cases receiving less attention, priority, and resources. Within police investigations, missing Black girls and women are frequently classified as runaways, leaving families without access to critical resources.

Many other intersectional factors also contribute to the disproportionately high rate of missing Black women and girls. Missing person cases often have a direct overlap with femicide, including gender-based and/or intimate partner violence. A 2025 United Nations Human Rights Council article reported that “60 percent of all female homicides are committed by intimate partners or other family members,” compared to only 11% of male homicides.

Human trafficking is another major component of this issue. The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation found that 40% of sex trafficking victims were Black women. Many traffickers target Black women, believing that they will receive less jail time than if they were caught trafficking White women. This problem is also linked to socioeconomic disparities, with traffickers targeting Black women experiencing poverty or a low socioeconomic status.

The disproportionate rate of missing Black women and girls is a multifaceted issue stemming from racial, gender, and socioeconomic biases in investigations and media. Therefore, combatting this crisis will require an intersectional approach to reforming current investigation practices and a widespread effort dedicated to raising awareness for these cases.