Chicago's 9th annual "We Walk For Her" march raises awareness for murdered and missing women of color

Activists were marching through the Bronzeville neighborhood on Wednesday evening to raise awareness for the dozens of unsolved cases of missing and murdered Black and Brown women and girls in Chicago.

The Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization was among the local groups behind the 9th annual "We Walk For Her" march along Cottage Grove Avenue, from 35th Street to 51st Street.

Whether they have been directly impacted by cases of murdered or missing women, or just wanted to support the cause, those marching on Wednesday were all there for one thing.

"These Black girls, girls of color, they don't get as much recognition as other females or women do," said Crystal Young, a college student youth intern at the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization.

Zakiyyah Muhammad said she's been a supporter of the organization ever since they started the marches.

"We have to continue to let people know, 'Hey, our girls are still missing,'" she said.

In years past, the event has brought out large crowds to raise awareness for a big problem.

Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization youth organizer Timara Wade attended previous marches and has seen power in the numbers.

"Power comes from the people, so the more people you have, the more power you got," Wade said. "That's people coming out and saying, 'Hey, this issue is important. I might not be directly impacted, but I'm in this community, I'm a part of this community, and it's something that needs to be changed here where we live at.'"

Wade said she walks to raise awareness for unsolved cases of missing and murdered women and girls of color, not because it's her job, but because it impacts her personal life.

"I've had people that I know personally who went missing and they were told, individuals in the family were told that they just ran away, or that they would come back, and the family members were just not taken serious," she said.

High-profile Chicagoans often attend. Last year, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling joined the march.

"We're hoping that they continue to show support, but they also understand that it's not just simply about the support, but it's actively trying to change and make that movement happen in relation to that office and getting that support that our community members need," Wade said.

Wade also wants to stress that when a woman of color goes missing, it doesn't always mean they've run away.

"Just because there are misconceptions and misconstruing of us just running away and never coming back does not mean that that is true," she said.