The killing of 19-year-old Sade Robinson in Milwaukee has intensified calls to confront a crisis that disproportionately endangers Black women and girls. In Wisconsin and nationwide, violence against Black women is increasingly recognized not only as a criminal justice issue but as a profound public health disparity with lethal consequences.
State Rep. Shelia Stubbs has renewed her push to create a Wisconsin task force on missing and murdered Black women, arguing that years of inaction have cost lives. “Three years is three years too long,” Stubbs said, asking how many victims have been lost while lawmakers waited. The proposed task force would investigate systemic causes of violence against African American women and girls, examine law enforcement search practices, and improve data collection that advocates say has long obscured the scope of the problem.
National data cited in the report reveal the scale of the disparity. A 2022 investigation found an average of five Black women and girls were killed every day in the United States in 2020. In 2022 alone, more than 97,000 Black women and girls were reported missing. Health research underscores the racial gap even more starkly: a Lancet report found that in Wisconsin, Black women ages 25 to 44 were 20 times more likely to die by homicide than White women during 2019 and 2020.
Family members and advocates say the losses ripple outward, damaging community health and trust in institutions meant to protect them. Robinson’s mother, Sheena Scarbrough, called the task force “mandatory,” saying the state needs it for Black, Indigenous, and other women of color.
Supporters argue that without focused attention, Black women will remain at heightened risk of violence and premature death. The renewed effort reflects growing recognition that racial health disparities include not only hospitals and clinics, but the conditions that determine whether women return home safely at all.
See: “Wisconsin lawmaker renews push for task force on missing and murdered Black women” (June 23, 2025)
