Since the early 1980s, at least 200 Black women and girls were victims of serial murders or mysteriously disappeared in South Los Angeles. Many were victims of the multiple serial killers (including the notorious “Grim Sleeper”) who preyed on vulnerable and impoverished Black women, including sex workers, homeless women, and those with addiction issues. Most media outlets paid little or no attention to these murders due to the marginalized and devalued lives of the victims. Most city and county officials made little attempt to raise the alarm even as women continued to die.
The South LA community has been traumatized by the violent loss of so many precious lives over such a protracted period. This loss and trauma must be acknowledged. We refuse to accept the silence and indifference that often follows these murders. We say the names of these Black women and girls who are victims of serial murderers in South LA, and etch them in stone. Each victim is a mother’s child, a father’s daughter, a sibling’s sister, a friend.
Black Women’s Lives Count!
The victims deserve a permanent memorial that reclaims their dignity, shows community care, and provides their family members and the community a dignified space for reflection and healing. The victims are gone but they will never be forgotten.
