California is set to implement its new “Ebony Alert,” a system similar to the often-used Amber Alert designed to give priority to the search for missing black children.
Expected to take effect next year, this alert system will employ various communication platforms, including highway signs, radio, television, and social media, to alert the public about missing black individuals aged between 12 and 25. The legislation behind this new system aims to coordinate alerts for black youth, especially girls, who are reported missing for a variety of unexplained reasons including developmental disabilities, cognitive impairment, and abduction.
“The Ebony Alert will ensure that vital resources and attention are given so we can bring home missing Black children and women in the same way we search for any missing child and missing person,” said California State Senator Steven Bradford, who authored the bill.
Bradford argues that the Ebony Alert system is necessary because black, brown, and indigenous children often receive inadequate media attention and limited police resources in comparison to their white counterparts.
“Data shows that Black and brown, our indigenous brothers and sisters, when they go missing there’s very rarely the type of media attention, let alone AMBER alerts and police resources that we see with our white counterparts,” said Bradford. “We feel it’s well beyond time that we dedicate something specifically to help bring these young women and girls back home because they’re missed and loved just as much as their counterparts are.”
As the state of California attempts to allegedly “combat systemic racism,” state officials have gained criticism for the obvious fact that they are prioritizing missing children by the color of their skin. Law enforcement should have all the resources necessary to help locate missing children who need help, but they should not rank the value of these children by their race.
This piece first appeared at TPUSA.
