NBJC

We at the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) are reaching out to ask if you will help us raise awareness for Mikayla Miller. Mikayla Miller was a 16-year-old Black LGBTQ+ girl who was found dead on April 18, 2021, in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, only a day after she had been assaulted by 5 white teens (two of them young men). The state medical examiner has ruled her death a suicide but Mikayla’s mother, Calvina Strothers, along with activists and organizations, including NBJC and Ending Violence in Boston, believe that Mikayla was murdered.

Here are five things we know about the case that don’t add up, highlight the need for accountability including for the fact that Mikayla was assaulted less than 24 hours before she was found dead, and that lead us to believe this was not a suicide:

• There is no way Mikayla could have killed herself. She was found standing upright (not hanging) with a belt tied around her neck, which was tied to a tree that is not tall or sturdy enough to withstand her body weight.

• Five white teenagers are involved but have not been implicated. Mikayla was jumped by 5 white teenagers the night of April 17th at around 6:30pm ET. Mikayla’s mother called the police to report this incident at or around 7:30 pm ET.

• Curiously it was not until after public pressure from Calvina and Monica Cannon-Grant (a local community leader) that records of Calvina and Mikayla reporting the first incident was made public. The names or involvement of the white teenagers have not been included in any of the reporting to date, we do not believe they have been questioned or detailed.

• Two of the five white teenagers have relationships with the local police department.

• Calvina has a prior case that was supposed to be dismissed. When she engaged the local police department, they used this case and assumed shame around Mikayla’s sexual identity to suggest Calvina not make a big deal about her daughter.

We are still fighting to figure out what happened to Mikayla and we would like for you to join us in raising awareness by sharing information about the case and asking for accountability for Mikayla Miller. Linked HERE is a folder with digital assets that can be shared across digital platforms.