Bronzeville march calls for action for missing women on South, West sides

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A Wednesday march in Bronzeville is part of a year-long effort to shed light on what organizers call Chicago's "silent epidemic" impacting girls and women on the South and West sides.

Youth organizers and their supporters took their calls for accountability and action to the streets.

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They hope with each step they get closer to justice for what they say is an "alarming number of missing and murdered Black and brown women."

"It's like sad and scary because all of these girls are going missing and women too. Black girls and women are going missing and there's nothing being done about it," said Destinee Patton of Kenwood Oakland Community Organization and Girls Who Lead.

The "We Walk for Her" march is organized by Girls Who Lead, a Chicago youth-driven organization that is part of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization.

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"This is important because I am a young Black girl. I'm young Black girl and I have young sister, I got an older sister, Black sister, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to my siblings, my sister, my brother," said Jakaya Caldwell, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization and Girls Who Lead.

Teresa Smith's mother Daisy went missing and then was found dead in 2018.

"It's still hard for me to deal with this daily because my mom had no justice," she said.

But Smith also said her story is not unique in her community, yet her story is not often told.

"Because we Black or brown we don't get the same respect or the same attention," she said.

Organizers and marchers said they want justice for the dozens of women reported missing or murdered.

They demand cases back to 2001 be given a thorough investigation, and call on state and city officials to address what they've felt has been a failure when it comes to safeguarding some of Chicago's most vulnerable populations.

This is the organization's sixth year hosting the 'We Walk for Her' march.