"A so-called “missing white person syndrome” had been circling the internet with the news that Gabby Petito’s remains were found in Jackson Wyoming after missing for two weeks. She was on a road trip with her fiance and was reported as missing nearly two weeks after.. With all this focus on Petito, the media is being bashed for not paying enough attention to missing people of color." -- WIlla oxley, 8th grade
A so-called “missing white person syndrome” had been circling the internet with the news that Gabby Petito’s remains were found in Jackson Wyoming after missing for two weeks. She was on a road trip with her fiance and was reported as missing nearly two weeks after.. With all this focus on Petito, the media is being bashed for not paying enough attention to missing people of color.
The FBI’s National Crime Information Center's statistics show that there are more than 89,000 missing person’s cases that have been reported, with, at most, 45% being people of color. Those cases with POC have not gained the kind of wide-spread awareness as is seen with missing white persons.
"When you report your loved one missing, you hear, 'We'll try to get someone on this,' and they act as if they don't have enough manpower to do it," saysPaula Cosy Hill, whose 16-year-old daughter had gone missing over 13 years ago.
There is also the issue with minority children and adults going missing, which takes away the attention from their cases.
“Minority children are often classified as runaways, and adults are stereotyped as being involved with crime or violence,” says Natalie Wilson, co-founder of Black and Missing Foundation Inc.
What this communicates to many is that white lives matter more than people of color, which is terrible news to families of missing people of color.
“Missing kids and specifically teens are victims of injustice as well,” said Lynnette Grey Bull, who is Hunkpapa Lakota and Northern Arapaho and director of the organization, Not Our Native Daughters. “One sample of 247 missing teens in New York and California found 34% of white teens’ cases were covered by the media, compared to only 7% of Black teens and 14% of Latino kids,” she continued.
Petito’s case has drawn lots of attention but also, it highlights the fact that missing people of color don’t get the same attention. With her case, growing outrage had caused families of missing POC to speak out about their missing family.
The FBI’s National Crime Information Center's statistics show that there are more than 89,000 missing person’s cases that have been reported, with, at most, 45% being people of color. Those cases with POC have not gained the kind of wide-spread awareness as is seen with missing white persons.
"When you report your loved one missing, you hear, 'We'll try to get someone on this,' and they act as if they don't have enough manpower to do it," saysPaula Cosy Hill, whose 16-year-old daughter had gone missing over 13 years ago.
There is also the issue with minority children and adults going missing, which takes away the attention from their cases.
“Minority children are often classified as runaways, and adults are stereotyped as being involved with crime or violence,” says Natalie Wilson, co-founder of Black and Missing Foundation Inc.
What this communicates to many is that white lives matter more than people of color, which is terrible news to families of missing people of color.
“Missing kids and specifically teens are victims of injustice as well,” said Lynnette Grey Bull, who is Hunkpapa Lakota and Northern Arapaho and director of the organization, Not Our Native Daughters. “One sample of 247 missing teens in New York and California found 34% of white teens’ cases were covered by the media, compared to only 7% of Black teens and 14% of Latino kids,” she continued.
Petito’s case has drawn lots of attention but also, it highlights the fact that missing people of color don’t get the same attention. With her case, growing outrage had caused families of missing POC to speak out about their missing family.
