Missing and Murdered: A Transdisciplinary Conference on Black Women and Girls in Missouri and Beyond

The Department of Black Studies at the University of Missouri will host the 'Missing and Murdered: A Transdisciplinary Conference on Black Women and Girls in Missouri and Beyond.' This two-day annual conference aims to address the pressing and often overlooked issue of missing and murdered Black women and girls in Missouri and across the globe. Despite facing disproportionately high rates of disappearance and violence, the cases of these individuals have been historically marginalized in public discourse and institutional responses.

In recognition of this crisis, Missouri has taken significant legislative steps, including the establishment of the Missing and Murdered African American Women Task Force, sponsored by Senator Angela Mosley. The task force is dedicated to suggesting necessary policy reforms and measures to confront the violence against African American women and girls, echoing similar initiatives undertaken in states like Minnesota.

The conference seeks to unite scholars, advocates, practitioners, policymakers, and community stakeholders for an essential dialogue on this urgent topic. Participants are encouraged to submit individual papers, panel presentations, performance pieces, visual art, and poster boards that explore various aspects of the crisis surrounding missing and murdered Black women and girls.

Possible themes for engagement include disparities between rural and urban experiences of Black girlhood, data collection and reporting mechanisms, policy frameworks and accountability, the historical and structural factors contributing to this crisis, and the ethics of researching this issue. Abstracts for individual papers are limited to 250 words, while panel proposals should not exceed 500 words and must include a brief biographical statement of no more than 150 words.

This platform aims to foster critical discussions and generate actionable insights into the systemic issues affecting Black communities, particularly women and girls.