Black Women Going Missing at Alarming Rates: Urgent Need for Community Support
In a concerning trend, black women are disappearing at alarming rates, yet their stories rarely make national headlines. According to the 2022 NCIC Missing Person and Unidentified Person Statistics, over 97,000 black women were reported missing in 2022 alone, and this number is believed to be even higher. Unfortunately, the viral case of Carlee Russell, which had the potential to raise awareness and ignite nationwide interest, instead led to backlash and resentment. People vowed not to share cases of missing black women again, and a sense of distrust now surrounds every report of a missing black woman.
These statistics and the reality of the situation cannot be ignored. As the co-founder and publicist of the Black and Missing Foundation, I have witnessed the desperation of families seeking help to bring awareness to their loved one’s disappearance. In the early years, there was a lack of media coverage, law enforcement support, and community engagement, leaving these families with little hope. Despite some progress in the last 15 years, thanks to national and local media partnerships, it is still not enough, as the number of missing black women continues to rise.
One of the key issues is the lack of media coverage. According to the Urban Institute, only seven percent of missing person cases involving people of color receive national media coverage. This disparity is alarming when we consider that black women represent 18 percent of all missing persons cases. Media coverage plays a crucial role in setting a sense of urgency, galvanizing communities, and pressuring law enforcement to allocate more resources to the search. Unfortunately, cases of missing black women often fall through the cracks without sufficient media attention.
It is essential to address the root causes of this issue. Black women are often targeted, particularly in cases of sex trafficking. Predators and pimps have revealed that they target black women because they believe they are less likely to be looked for, and the penalties for trafficking them are perceived as less severe. Additionally, black women are often not seen as victims but rather stereotyped as promiscuous and responsible for their own disappearances. This damaging perception further hinders efforts to find and bring them home.
To truly make a difference, we need the support of the community. We must change the narrative and actively search for our missing loved ones. The Black and Missing Foundation has been successful in locating over 400 individuals with the help of the community. Currently, we are working with thousands of families, but we need more assistance. We urge communities to become our digital milk carton, sharing profiles of those who are missing. With the power of social media, we can make these cases go viral and potentially bring answers and closure to families who have been tirelessly searching.
It is also crucial that elected leaders enhance public communication alert systems. In critical situations, reaching the most people in the shortest amount of time is essential. The media and social media platforms are paramount in amplifying these cases and keeping them at the forefront of the public’s mind. We need elected officials to prioritize allocating resources to strengthen these communication channels.
No one should be denied media coverage or law enforcement support based on their race, zip code, income, or education level. Our missing black women deserve equal attention and resources. They are our mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends, and their lives matter too. It is time for a collective effort to bring them home and provide answers to their families. Let us work together to ensure that the media covers these cases, the community engages in the search, and law enforcement dedicates the necessary resources. The time to act is now.
