TITLE:
Federal Intervention and the Fight for Justice: Examining Systemic Disparities in Missing and Murdered Black Women, Women of Color, and Girls in U.S. Law Enforcement and Media Coverage
AUTHORS:
Mohammad Ibrahim
KEYWORDS:
BIPOC, Department of Justice, Policymaking
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.11 No.12,
December
17,
2024
ABSTRACT: Leadership promotes sustainable actions and positive outcomes to address systemic issues. For decades, Black women and girls suffered from unsolved cases and increased homicide rates. Poverty and violence became widespread in several states exacerbated by inaction and bias from police authorities and preferential treatment from the media. Reports and data trends highlighted that African American women and girls encountered violence and death four times more than in white communities. Sociopolitical theories elucidated how society propagated inaction, generalization, and unfair treatment. Patriarchy, skewed power dynamics, victimization, and lack of inclusivity contributed to an imbalance in the criminal justice system. Media outlets preferred to focus on missing white women while police authorities conducted long and subjective processes in investigating missing women and girls. The paper aims to understand the role of federal intervention in addressing inequities in the law enforcement and media industry. The systematic review of literature utilizes peer-reviewed articles, relevant texts, government reports, and reputable news items to address the pervasiveness of inequity and the function of the federal government. A systematic review process was conducted, incorporating peer-reviewed articles, government reports, and high-impact news outlets. This approach ensured a comprehensive evaluation of evidence-based strategies to address inequities in law enforcement and media coverage of missing and murdered Black women and girls.