Photo by Jasmyne Cannick
By Stephen Oduntan
Contributing Writer
SOUTH LOS ANGELES — When Los Angeles police encountered reports of missing Black women here, they often labeled them “NHI” — short for “no humans involved.” It signaled exactly how much attention those cases deserved in their eyes: none.
The women’s families knew better. The community knew better. The Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders knew that dozens of Black women were disappearing.
Yet, for decades, the city ignored their cries for justice.
Founded in the 1980s by Margaret Prescod, the coalition worked relentlessly to expose a serial killer targeting Black women. They gathered names, pressured law enforcement and refused to let the victims be erased.
By the time police finally acknowledged Lonnie David Franklin Jr. — now known as the Grim Sleeper — was active, they claimed there were only 11 victims. The coalition had already documented dozens.
Nana Gyamfi, a human rights attorney and longtime coalition member, argues police indifference was intentional.
“Law enforcement doesn’t give a damn about Black people — Black women and girls in particular,” she said. “They denied the existence of a serial killer, even when they knew multiple people were operating in the area.”
Prescod recalled her frustration when law enforcement finally announced their investigation.
“When they stood at that press conference, acting like they had been working hard to solve this case, I had to interrupt,” she said. “This wasn’t their work — this was the work of the community, the families, the people who refused to let these women be forgotten.”
Franklin was finally arrested and charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder for the killings of nine women and a 15-year-old girl between 1985 and 2007. In May 2016, he was convicted of those crimes and also found guilty of the attempted murder of a woman, who survived being shot in the chest and pushed out of a moving vehicle in November 1988. The same jury deliberated for just over five hours over the course of two days before recommending that Franklin get the death penalty. Franklin died in prison awaiting his execution in 2020.
But to Prescod, even the term “Grim Sleeper” was misleading.
“The name makes it sound like he stopped, like there was a pause in the killings,” she said. “But women kept disappearing and the police didn’t care. This wasn’t about one man — it was about a system that let this happen.”
She recalled confronting a high-ranking officer about the disappearances.
“He told me, ‘Why are you worried? These are just a bunch of hookers.’ That was how little they valued these women’s lives,” Prescod said.
This systemic neglect allowed serial killers to operate unchecked for decades. At one point, authorities estimated five or six serial killers had been active in the same region — undetected and unchallenged.
Today, activists are fighting to ensure those women’s lives are remembered.
A coalition led by Reclaiming Our Sisters Everywhere South LA (ROSE South LA) and the Black Coalition is advocating for a permanent memorial in Martin Luther King Jr. Park. More than a tribute, it’s meant to serve as a symbol of resilience and a call to action.
Renowned artist Michael Massenburg, who is designing the project, described its purpose:
“This memorial is a place of remembrance, a place of learning, and a commitment to never letting this happen again,” he said.
He also noted the urgency of establishing the memorial now, as South L.A. changes due to gentrification.
“People are being pushed out, and history is being erased,” he added. “If we don’t create this memorial now, we risk losing the story completely.”
The memorial will feature engraved names of the victims, community-inspired artwork and interactive elements to educate visitors about the ongoing fight for justice.
“Art has the ability to reclaim stories that institutions try to erase,” Massenburg said. “This memorial isn’t just about grief — it’s about making sure these women’s names are spoken long after we’re gone.”
Despite its importance, securing city approval and funding has been a challenge.
“We had a big vision for this memorial,” Gyamfi said. “But lack of funding forced us to scale it down. And we still don’t have the city’s final approval.”
Activists are urging the public to pressure elected officials — including county Supervisor Holly Mitchell and Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson — to ensure the memorial becomes a reality.
“This isn’t just about the past,” Prescod said. “Black women are still disappearing. Still being preyed upon. And the system still doesn’t care.”
Prescod emphasized the memorial’s deeper meaning.
“This isn’t just a structure — it’s a declaration,” she added. “It says these women mattered, that their lives weren’t disposable, that their families’ pain wasn’t in vain. The city ignored them in life, but we will not let them be ignored in death.”
Yet, Gyamfi says little has changed in how authorities handle cases of missing and murdered Black women.
“A white woman goes missing for four days, and the whole country stops to look for her,” she said. “Black women go missing for years and no one even hears about it.”
That’s why, she says, the memorial is just one piece of a larger fight.
“This is about making sure Black women’s lives count,” she added. “It’s about making sure their names are remembered. And it’s about making sure this never happens again.”
Stephen Oduntan is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers.
