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Much like the Amber Alert, the new NAACP-sponsored Ebony Alert intends to send emergency alerts to Californians to let them know a Black 12 to 25-year-old has gone missing nearby. But will it work?
It will make more people aware of missing Black youth. But, as L.A.'s Women’s Leadership Project founder Sikivu Hutchinson identifies, awareness isn’t enough without addressing why Black youth go disproportionately missing and receive less support to be found.
In 2022, 36% of the 546,000 reported missing were Black women and youth. According to the Black and Missing Foundation, one reason is access to Black DNA to match the missing with relatives. Another is social media bias when posting about missing children.
And, of course, the adultification of Black youth plays a key role. Different police departments have cutoff ages determining immediate investigation practices. Believing Black youth are older than they are and holding stereotypes about their intentions is dangerous when police who interview their families have the power to override those limits or not.
Many Black Americans, whether online or in the streets, advocate loudly for missing Black youth when the mainstream news won’t. Our continued empathy and solidarity with missing youth and their families is critical. And those can be directed into even more solutions and resources to protect our youth and bring them home.