The Black and missing finally get a voice

As if it were a family reunion, smiling faces greeted each other at Meridian Restaurant and Bar on a warm Saturday afternoon. Twenty-five friends, family, and associates of Derrica Wilson had gathered in the sun-lit dining room. They hugged, kissed, and exchanged kind words. But then the mood suddenly changed when Wilson announced the purpose of the event - to honor those who have missed out on the company of their family. The Black and missing. Local print and television media came out to capture the event which they inadvertently triggered by their apparent indifference to covering the lives of Blacks, poor and missing. Wilson wants to change that. On Saturday, May 24, Wilson, president and CEO of Black and Missing, Inc. (BAM), announced the launch of a free, Web-based service whose mission is to maximize exposure of missing persons of color so they can be reunited with their loved ones. The service uses a formal, technology database to create a profile of missing individuals and will include biographical and physical information.

"As a police officer, mother, and member of the African-American community, I have witnessed first-hand the disparity in media coverage for missing persons of color," said Wilson, a Hyattsville, Md., resident. "BAM was created to change that disparity by being the voice of the missing."

BAM will create public awareness campaigns for missing African Americans, Hispanics and Asians and provide parents, other family members and friends with a forum for spreading the word about the disappearance of missing persons. A variety of media will be used to help locate the missing. BAM is also dedicated to educating individuals on personal safety, and providing tips on what to do if a loved one is missing.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation statistical report published in January 2008, there are more than 65,000 persons missing. More than 25,000 of them are persons of color.

"For many years, the minority community has been severely underserved in the media mainstream when it comes to missing persons," Wilson writes on the new organization's web site: ww.blackandmissinginc.com. "We're dedicated to getting these cases to the media mainstream."

Wilson recalled the case of Phylecia White, a 48-year-old Alexandria, Va., woman who suffers from mental illness. After making what was probably a routine hospital visit, she disappeared. She was last seen in April, but her status was not publicized until May. Rupinder Kaur Goraya, an Asian woman has been missing since October 2007 from Fort Myers, Fl. In addition, Asian male, Khoi Dang Vu disappeared in April 2007. The 26 year old was last seen in Washington state.

Their cases did not meet media coverage standards, like Laci Patterson and Natalee Holloway which became household names, while missing persons of color like Tamika Houston received little to no news coverage. Houston was a 24-year-old South Carolina woman who went missing in June 2004. She was found dead the next year. Like Patterson and Holloway, Houston was young, sparkling, beloved, beautiful and gone without a trace, wrote one infuriated blogger.

"The mechanism of racism in our society is responsible for the media ignoring missing persons of color," Wilson said, adding, "Some might say that missing minorities don't generate the ratings. As a mother, I wouldn't know what to do if my son went missing," said Wilson, whose five-year-old son eagerly supported her at the luncheon.

The free service allows anyone to report a missing person by simply uploading a photograph and basic information. Within 24 hours, the new profile is published.

Wilson also plans to make the service available to the police. "We're going to be sending it to all the law enforcement agencies nationwide," she said. "We have to get out of the frame of mind of 'no snitching'," she said. "If anyone out there knows anything, please report it. The tips are anonymous."

Her next step is to bring BAM to the small screen. "My ultimate goal is to create a TV show like America's Most Wanted with reenactments, because I'm a firm believer that someone out there knows something," said Wilson.