Justice in Institutions for Black Women, Girls, and Femmes

A 5-Year Special Initiative combatting structural violence to Build Safer and More Accountable Systems

Background

In partnership with directly impacted community members and cross-sector institutional stakeholders, Research in Action (RIA) released the first comprehensive state-level report on the crisis of missing and murdered Black women and girls in 2022.

That groundbreaking report helped catalyze the creation of the nation’s first Office of Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls (MMBWG) in Minnesota and inspired federal legislation introduced in 2023.

But the work to create a Minnesota where all Black women, girls and femmes feel safe is far from over.

About the Initiative

With funding from the Bush Foundation, the Equity in Action Way Foundation has contracted with Research in Action to lead an initiative to develop a first-of-its-kind assessment tool to better understand how structural and systemic violence impacts Black women girls, and femmes—and how public systems can be held accountable.

Through our Equity in Action model, the initiative will center the leadership and lived experiences of Black women, girls, and femmes to co-create a tool that will:

  • Examine how Black women, girls and femmes perceive their susceptibility to violence

  • Measure their confidence in state-funded programs to offer protection and support

  • Assess the capacity of key state agencies to provide responsive, effective services

In just five years, this ground-breaking work will create a transformative, replicable and scalable framework for assessing safety, vulnerability, and institutional accountability for Black women, girls and femmes in Minnesota—and potentially nationwide.

Current phase

This summer, we conducted a statewide survey to connect with hundreds of Black women, girls and femmes to understand their experiences with systems like education, health care, housing, and criminal justice. Now we need community input to turn that data into a tool that will create real change.

If you’re a Black woman, girl, or femme ages 14 and up, we invite you to join the newly established Justice in Institutions Community Action Council. The council will use the results of the statewide survey to build a scorecard that will assess county-funded programs and make recommendations to improve the way they serve Black women, girls, and femmes.

Watch the recording of our info session and learn more about the process and responsibilities here.

2025 Statewide Survey

Thanks to widespread community support and participation, we collected more than 750 responses to the Justice in Institutions for Black Women, Girls, and Femmes statewide survey from August 4 to October 31, 2025! The survey asked Black women, girls and femmes about their experiences with and expectations of state agencies, emergency services, and community organizations that serve people impacted by violence. Thank you to our dedicated partners and participants statewide who shared their time and expertise. See our next steps below!

Timeline

This special initiative will build and refine a community-driven tool designed to assess how effectively counties and institutions serve Black women, girls and femmes—and identify where improvements are urgently needed.

  • Launch a statewide survey of 600+ Black women, girls, and femmes (aged 14 years and older)

  • Form a statewide action council of Black women, girls and femmes to co-design the tool

  • Pilot the tool in select counties

  • Review and refine with feedback from partners and community leaders

  • Share findings and deploy the tool statewide

Meet the Team- RIA Staff

  • Dr. Brittany Lewis

    Lead Partnerships & Process Strategist

    As RIA’s CEO and Director of Research, Dr. Lewis oversees the special initiative and leads engagement with institutional partners and policymakers.

  • Dr. Amanda Bolton

    Senior Research Associate & Project Co-Manager

    Dr. Bolton leads project planning, supervises research activities, and co-facilitates action council and partner collaboration.

  • Emily Cavazos

    Quantitative GIS Specialist & Project Co-Manager

    Emily co-manages the initiative and leads survey design and spatial analysis to ensure outreach reaches impacted Black women, girls, and femmes statewide.

  • Cori Knuckles

    Statewide Partnerships & Community Leaders Coordinator

    Cori builds and sustains strong relationships with community-led organizations and leaders across urban and greater Minnesota.

  • Aya Aboudou

    Research Support Specialist

    Aya supports the project through writing, data collection, and analysis while also contributing to outreach efforts.

National Action Council

  • Kaleena Burkes

    Director of the Minnesota Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls (MMBWG) Office

  • Thalia Gonzalez

    Professor of Law, University of California-San Francisco

  • Dr. Tiara Willie

    Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins, Bloomberg School of Public Health

  • Dr. Lauren Martin

    Associate Professor, School of Nursing, University of Minnesota; Affiliate Faculty, Urban Research Outreach-Engagement Center

  • Dr. Catherine Squires

    Former Associate Dean of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and Professor of Communication Studies, University of Minnesota

  • Symmieona Williams

    Minnesota Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Task Force

  • Tiffany Roberson

    Minnesota Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Task Force

  • Dominique Buffet

    Minnesota Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Task Force

  • Madeline Hodapp

    Minnesota Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Task Force

  • Savannah Nicole

    Minnesota Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Task Force

Project Partners

    • Tameka Davidson, Community Impact Manager, Women's Foundation of Minnesota (WFM)

    • CeMarr Peterson, Senior Program Manager, Black Collective Foundation

    • Pearl Evans, Community Prevention Lead | Injury and Mental Health Prevention, Minnesota Department of Health

    • Hodan Omar, Founder and Executive Director, Hooyo Hour Organization

    • Victoria McWane-Creek, Founder, Organization 4 Full Participation (O4FP)

    • Dr. Jennifer L. Aranda, Assistant Professor - Extension Educator, Leadership & Civic Engagement, University of MN - Moorhead

    • Kameron Peak, Overdose Prevention Coordinator, Harm Reduction Sisters

    • Deyona Kirk, Founder & Executive Director, Divine Konnections

    • ReAnna Roby, Director of the Women's Center, University of MN - Twin Cities

    • Shereese Turner, Chief Program Officer, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

    • Jasmine Carey, Founder and CEO, AGAPE - Social Impact Solutions LLC

    • Artika Roller, Executive Director, Cornerstone

    • Marlee James, CEO and Founder, Reviving Roots

    • Savannah Nelson, Community Leader

    • Lydia Millard, Executive Director/City Council Candidate, Stevens Square Community Organization/Ward 10

    • Annette Bryant, Founder and President, Butterfly Lotus Healing Sanctuary LLC

    • Vanessa Allmon, Founder and CEO, The Vanessa Allmon Project (The VAP LLC)

    • Tescia Dayne, Community Leader

    • Latricia Tate, CEO and Co-Founder, Twin Cities Recovery Project

    • Ms. Elder Jewelean Jackson, Community Elder and Leader

    • Sarah Busch, Community Engagement & Outreach Manager, Missions Inc. Programs

    • La'Taijah Powell, Youth Training & Opportunities Program Manager, Appetite for Change

    • Ebony Aya, Founder and Author, Aya Collective MN

    • NDea Young, Program Coordinator, Engage Winona

    • Hannah Hassler, Director of Advocacy, CADA - Committee Against Domestic Abuse

    • Pernell Meier, Lead Coordinator, Community Food Response

    • Kathy Sublett, Founder and CEO, Let’s Erase The Stigma

Contact us to become a project partner in your region!