ST PAUL, Minnesota — Lakeisha Lee’s life mission has been to raise awareness about murdered and missing Black women and girls since her younger sister was killed.
“She was someone’s teacher, my sister, and my closest friend. “She means a lot to our family,” Lee explained.
She claimed her sister, Brittany Clardy, was murdered in 2013.
“He met her online, coerced her to come there, and unfortunately, he ended her life,” she told me. “We had no idea where she was; we couldn’t find her. She was found in her car ten days after going missing. “He killed her.”
Alberto Palmer pleaded guilty and received a life sentence for the murders of Clardy and another woman, Klaressa Cook.
“My entire world has been shattered.” It’s been a lot of picking up the pieces, even to this day,” Lee said.
Lee stated that her sister was loving and passionate. Lee is now inspired by her sister’s passion for life to help others.
She spoke at the state capitol as part of the inaugural Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Day on the Hill. State officials and community members came together to call for an end to violence and raise awareness about how it affects Black communities.
Minnesota opened the Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Office in 2023. This is the first of its kind in the country.
“It is the only one that focuses on Black women and girls.” We are modeled after the office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives, but this is the only one that deals with this population,” Burkes explained.
Burkes was hired to lead the office in 2024 and remained the sole employee for ten months. They are now a four-person office, and she is looking to fill two additional positions.
“It’s important because every life counts. You don’t want families and victims to navigate this system alone, and you want them to have resources, which they typically lack compared to their counterparts, so we’re here to help,” Burkes explained.
She stated that the office was established to address the disparities that exist.
“Black women account for 7% of the population in Minnesota and 40% of domestic violence cases. When compared to their White counterparts, three out of four Black women are murdered, so we’re here to help close the gap. She also said she wanted to help families raise awareness about their cases because they don’t always get the same media coverage.
Burkes stated that she has spent the past year engaging with the community to determine what they want from this office. She stated that they intend to have more conversations with victims and families to determine where the system failed them and address any gaps. She eventually stated that someone in the office would be dedicated to investigating cold cases in order to bring closure to some families.
Lee is proud to lead this task force.
“We all matter. We are disproportionately affected as Black and Brown people. “So having this day means a lot to me,” Lee explained. “It makes sure people know and remember how important it is to protect Black and Brown girls because when Black and Brown girls are protected, all girls are protected.”
She stated that having a day at the state capitol to highlight the stories of murdered and missing Black women and girls is one way to honor her sister’s legacy.
“She’s loving, she’s very passionate about whatever she cared about, and she would tell you very much,” Lee told me.
It explains why Lee is so passionate about her work. She does not want other families to go through what her family has.
“I wouldn’t want or wish any of this for my worst enemy. “I wouldn’t want everyone to go through this,” Lee said.
Burkes hopes that one day her office will be permanently closed