Forty percent of missing people in the United States are African American, although we make up 13 percent of the population.
Now I ask, when was the last time you saw or heard media coverage of an African American man, woman or child?
The so called “perfect victim” is blonde, blue eyed and white. This “perfect victim” is all we hear of when we watch the news, read the paper, etc.
As a result of this lack of media coverage for missing African Americans, there are a few organizations dedicated to finding these victims, for example the Black and Missing Foundation Inc. and Black and Missing But Not Forgotten.
There is even a television show on TV One called Find Our Missing. I find it sad that these organizations even exist, simply because the media and law enforcement officers should already be taking care of this.
I wonder how many people, if any at all, knew these facts prior to reading this article. I wonder if after reading this article some of you will begin to pay attention to the media portrayals of the so called “perfect victim” and realize, “Hey there is a problem!”
I am not by any means saying we all should just focus on missing African Americans, and forget everyone else. I am saying we need to include everyone, not just some people.
If reading this article makes you desire to learn more about this topic, come out to FMLA and the NAACP’s event “Missing Women” to learn more. The event will take place Monday, April 1, at 4 p.m. in the Smith Center Theater.
We will have a panel and a lot more information regarding this topic. Also, the CSIL office is giving volunteer hours to those who attend. I hope to see you there!
