New TV Programming To Draw More Attention To Missing Black Women

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After 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 or 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.

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