Research in Action Launches Next, Ground-Breaking Phase in Work to End the Epidemic of Violence Against Black Women & Girls

Thanks to the leadership of directly impacted community members and collaboration of cross-sector institutional stakeholders, Research in Action (RIA) published the nation’s first comprehensive state-level report on the epidemic of missing and murdered Black women and girls in 2022. Focused on actionable recommendations to shift systems and resources, the report sparked trailblazing progress in Minnesota, including the creation of the nation’s first Office of Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls (MMBWG) and the introduction of federal legislation in 2023. 

“But, despite these wins, Black women survivors are rightfully wary: They have witnessed past promises amount to nothing but speeches and red tape,” says Dr. Brittany Lewis, founder and CEO of Research in Action. “At RIA, we’re deeply committed to ensuring our research doesn’t just sit on a shelf — but catalyzes concrete changes in the lives of the most impacted people. That’s why, despite the national-leading progress provoked by the task force, we knew the next and crucial step was ensuring the policies Black women and girls recommended aren’t just enacted but implemented in ways that disrupt the institutional norms that have allowed this epidemic to become so entrenched.”

Now, we’re excited to announce the next phase of this critical work. 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. Using our innovative Equity in Action process, we’ll once again center the expertise of impacted communities to co-create a model framework for assessing safety and vulnerability of Black women and girls in Minnesota — that can be a model for the nation.

“We can’t change systems simply by passing policies; we have to reshape the approaches and practices of the people within those systems,” Lewis says. “From state agency staff to shelter workers, those on the frontlines of crisis response and prevention must have the right skills, resources and relationships to gain the trust of Black women and girls who have, for so long, been re-traumatize by institutions that have failed or further harmed them.”

Over the past two years, RIA has worked closely with the Minnesota Office of Justice Programs to execute the MMBWG Task Force and legislative report, and has been invited to be an essential partner to the new Director of the Office of Missing and Murdered Women and Girls. With the resources from the Equity in Action Way Foundation, RIA is deepening and innovating these collaborations to develop and test a shared structure between the state and a community organization to address missing and murdered Black women and girls. The work we do will not only help to transform systems — including  creating an interagency coordination strategy and culturally relevant trauma training — but will enable the Director to lead on other important parts of the work, particularly building community relationships, providing immediate crisis intervention, and granting funds to community organizations working with Black women survivors and victims’ families.

Learn more and read the Task Force report and recommendations here.