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.

There is no official commemoration of these devastating events. A monument is a public statement of worth. It restores dignity to the victims, validates their humanity and the humanity of their surviving families alike. It declares undeniably that these Black lives mattered. The location of the memorial will be determined in consultation with surviving family members and other community members. A number of public spaces, parks and other suitable sites in South Los Angeles are currently under consideration. We anticipate announcing the site after a substantial portion of the funds needed to erect the memorial have been secured.