Say Something Real
A Tragic Example of the Need for Recognition
By Michelle Bryant
Michelle Bryant
Sade Robinson’s name will never be forgotten. As a 19-year-old African-American college student, studying criminal justice at Milwaukee Area Technical College, Robinson went missing on April 1, 2024. Maxwell Anderson, a Milwaukee man, was subsequently arrested and charged in connection with her death and the mutilation of her body. However, few of us know the names of other missing or murdered Black women. Because they are invisible.
According to a study conducted by the Black and Missing Foundation, in 2022, 214,582 persons of color were reported missing. Of that number, nearly 64,000 Black women and girls remain missing in the United States. Yet, their stories seldom make headlines, perpetuating a cycle of invisibility and neglect. Further, families connected to these unresolved cases are left devastated and questioning both the lack of closure and media coverage. Because they are invisible.
Anderson’s capture initially brought some measure of relief. The arrest also shed light on the vulnerability and dangers faced by Black women, both outside and inside criminal justice structures. Systemic issues, bias, and disparities afford perpetrators the space to operate undetected. Similarly, these factors, societal attitudes and at times flagrant racism, contribute to the underreporting, underfunding and lack of cultural understanding required to solve these cases.
If we are honest, few of us can name many Wisconsin missing Black women and girls. Alexis Patterson, who disappeared on her way to school in 2002, remains the most prominent name I know. She has been missing for 22 years. How is it possible that other names of missing Black women and girls don’t easily come to mind? Because they are invisible.
According to data from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2022, Black women and girls made up approximately 18% of all missing persons’ cases in the United States, despite accounting for about 7% of the population.
Without hesitation, I can rattle off at least 10 names of white women and girls that were missing or murdered, in the same 22-year period. I didn’t memorize them intentionally; I was inundated with their stories. Media outlets kept their faces, families, and the facts of their cases in public view. I didn’t have to ask who they were. The press and police told me. Because they were important.
Wisconsin State Representative Shelia Stubbs has been at the forefront of efforts to level the playing field. She introduced legislation, AB 615, to create a task force to investigate the systemic causes of violence against African American women and girls, improve data collection, develop measures to address and reduce violence, and understand the role of policies and institutions. Despite the efforts of Rep. Stubbs and other supporters, the bill has faced challenges in the legislative process. Support from bi-partisan legislators, law enforcement, community stakeholders, and legal experts is needed. Because we are important.
Sade Robinson’s case hits home and hits hard. Many of us hugged our mothers and held our daughters tighter. We saw our sister. As Black women, we saw one another. We must join the fight to make others recognize our value too. Because we all are important.