Photo Courtesy of IG: @gavinnewsom
In a groundbreaking move to address the crisis of missing Black children and young women, California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law the “Ebony Alert,” a first-of-its-kind notification system designed to prioritize the search for missing Black youth.
This innovative legislation, akin to the widely recognized Amber Alert, seeks to bridge the gap in media attention and resources allocated to missing Black individuals.
Set to take effect on January 1, Senate Bill 673, also known as the “Ebony Alert” law, will empower the California Highway Patrol to activate the alert when local law enforcement requests it upon the disappearance of a Black youth between the ages of 12 and 25.
The alert will utilize electronic highway signs and encourage the use of radio, television, social media, and other communication channels to disseminate information about the missing person.
Senator Steven Bradford, the bill’s sponsor, expressed his gratitude for Governor Newsom’s support, stating, “Today, California is taking bold and needed action to locate missing Black children and Black women in California. I want to thank the Governor for signing the Ebony Alert into law.”
Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Senator Bradford emphasized, “Our Black children and young women are disproportionately represented on the missing persons lists. This is heartbreaking and painful for many families and a public crisis for our entire state. The Ebony Alert can change this.”
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While the Ebony Alert is hailed as a significant step towards addressing the systemic disparities in handling missing persons cases, it has also sparked a debate among netizens. Some argue that the existing Amber Alert system should suffice, regardless of the child’s race, while others question the effectiveness of such alert systems in general.
One skeptical social media user questioned, “Why is the Amber alert not sufficient to find all children? Not sure I understand why something so important needed to be racially divided?”
Another voiced a similar sentiment, stating, “Amber Alert isn’t a color thing, it’s a missing child thing. Who cares what color the child is missing?!”
The Ebony Alert law, however, addresses a critical issue often overlooked by existing systems.
Data from the National Crime Information Center reveals that in 2022, approximately 141,000 Black children under 18 and nearly 16,500 Black women over 21 went missing. Despite these alarming numbers, missing Black individuals are less likely to have their cases highlighted in the media, and their cases tend to remain open longer than those of their white counterparts.
Derrica Wilson, co-founder of the Black and Missing Foundation, noted that the majority of the 6,000 missing Black people in her database remain unsolved cases. This disparity is due, in part, to the fact that missing Black children are often classified as runaways and, therefore, do not qualify for Amber Alerts.
Timothy Griffin, an associate professor of criminal justice, has studied the effectiveness of Amber Alerts extensively. He argues that these alerts are rarely successful in rescuing children from threatening situations, regardless of their race. However, Senator Bradford believes that the Ebony Alert represents a historic breakthrough in addressing racial disparities in missing persons cases. He maintains that it will ensure that missing Black individuals receive the necessary attention and resources that they have been denied in the past.
Bradford stated, “Something is better than nothing. Whether the Amber alert or an Ebony Alert is going to be 100% effective, we don’t go with that false illusion or belief. But it’s better than not doing anything at all.”
The Ebony Alert law is a significant step towards rectifying the systemic issues surrounding the search for missing Black children and young women. While it has ignited a debate, it is undeniably a bold and necessary move towards providing equal protection for all of California’s residents, regardless of their race.
As news of the “Ebony Alert” law spreads, it has garnered support from various advocacy groups and individuals who view it as a long-overdue solution to a pressing problem.
Rick L. Callender, President of the NAACP California Hawaii State Conference, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Today’s bill signing represents a historic breakthrough, guaranteeing that Black children and young Black women will receive the attention and protection they need when they are reported missing.”
As California prepares to implement the Ebony Alert law, there is optimism among advocates that it will serve as a catalyst for change, inspiring other states to address racial disparities in missing persons cases.