64K Black Women And Children Are Missing In the USA, Where’s the Outcry?

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by Yolanda Spivey

As the world pays attention to the estimated 300 missing Nigerian school girls who were abducted by an extreme Islamic group, they forget that right here in the United States, there are over 64,000 African American women and children who remain missing.

Over the years, studies have repeatedly shown that missing minorities don’t garner the same media attention as their white counterparts.  Critics allege that mainstream media shows preference to white women and children who are reported missing. A 2010 report shows that out of the 692,944 persons missing, over 273,985 of them are minorities, and out of that number, an astonishing 85 percent are African American.

There are many factors as to why the cases of these Black women go unnoticed.  One determining factor is that missing African Americans are usually from a lower economic status.  Another factor, according to MailOnline, is that there is a lack of diversity in newsrooms, so the “African American community is not properly reflected” when it comes to reporting the news.

Fortunately, a new campaign has been launched to highlight the thousands of missing African-American women and children. The organization, The Black And Missing Foundation, has teamed up with TV One Network to make a television news series titled ‘Find Our Missing.’ Their aim is to tell the stories behind the women’s disappearances.

The Black And Missing Foundation was founded in 2008.  According to TV One, the organization “was set up by a former law enforcement officer and public relations experts to support families and raise awareness of those who have disappeared. It also offers tips on personal safety.”

In an interview with ABC, Natalie Wilson, co-founder of The Black And Missing Foundation said, “When we hear the term ‘missing persons,’ most people conjure up images of Chandra Levy, Caylee Anthony or Natalee Holloway. As a result, the public is misled in believing that victims of abductions and kidnappings are [all] blonde, blue-eyed and female.”

Ms Wilson added, “’It is time for all people – regardless of race – to be treated equally in their times of greatest need.”

Most of these women have been missing for decades and often times their cases are abandoned by local law enforcement. Also, according to The Black And Missing Foundation, most women disappear in the states of New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, and Florida.

Yolanda Spivey writes on a variety of topics and is the founder of Black Insurance News. She can be reached at organize@yourblackworld.net or you can visit her Facebook page.