A lot more black women go missing and are victims to violent crime than we know. The reason that we do not know more about this is because less attention and focus is given to finding missing black women and solving related crimes. We are proud to see that TV One has decided to dedicated a program that purely aims at bringing this matter to light.
As reported by ABC NewsCloseAfter years of complaints in African-American circles about the lack of attention paid to missing black women in this country, a U.S. cable network dedicated to black programming begins a revolutionary series this week.
The program, called “Find Our Missing,” is scheduled to begin airing tonight on TV One, a black cable network available in 56 million homes.
The network is working with the Black and Missing Foundation, a group of black professionals who keep track of missing black Americans — cases that are often ignored or unreported. The sheer number of faces that peer back from its website is startling. Most of the missing are from New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland and Florida.
According to FBI figures, nearly 40 percent of all missing persons are people of color, but critics say that the most media attention is reserved for white women.
Craig Henry, executive in charge of production at TV One, says the presumption in this country is that “black people live in impoverished conditions, so there’s not the same sense of outrage” when black Americans disappear.
“We are also accustomed to seeing stories and news reports of black people involved in criminal activity, and not very often the victims of crimes,” he said.
Derrica Wilson, the CEO and co-founder of the Black and Missing Foundation, says it is the public’s attention and media coverage that help find the missing, and this new effort could save lives or give families closure. She said many of the missing black women are victims of human trafficking. Since 2008, her organization has helped to either locate or bring closure to 71 missing persons cases. This January alone, the organization helped find six people, and all six were found alive.
“We all know that black and Latinos, or any person of color, who go missing oftentimes do not receive the much needed media coverage, which could drastically increase the odds of their safe recovery,” she said.
“It is time for all people — regardless of race — to be treated equally in their times of greatest need,” said Natalie Wilson, another co-founder of the Black and Missing Foundation.
“When we hear the term ‘missing persons,’ most people conjure up images of Chandra Levy, Caylee Anthony or Natalee Holloway,” Wilson said. “As a result, the public is misled in believing that victims of abductions and kidnappings are [all]blond, blue-eyed and female.”
continue reading at ABC News…
This topic is deeply saddening, to think that the lives of black women are considered less worthy of making an effort to save. The lesser news coverage and police support in finding black women does not only ring the bells of race discrimination but this attitude also contributes not only to the suffering of the families but also to a false sense of security for black women. The more we are aware of crime the better prepared we can be to take care of ourselves and to look out for others. However, the media never wants to portray black people as being victims but relish in exposing our crimes.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of these young women and we ask you all to be diligent ALWAYS.
