Photo courtesy of Pax Ahimsa Gethen, wiki.
Every year people are unfortunately forced to cope with the loss of a loved one, whether that be because they passed away or have gone missing. Every year, there are some communities that find themselves missing their loved ones without getting an answer or justice for what they experienced.
Each year, thousands of Black and Indigenous women go missing without sufficient help or a word from news facilities. According to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), of the 268,884 girls and women who were reported missing in 2020, 90,333, or nearly 34%, of them were Black.
In Wyoming, from 2011 to 2020 there were over 400 Indigenous girls and women that went missing. According to NCIC, “Indigenous people made up 21% of homicide victims in Wyoming between 2000 and 2020, despite being less than 3% of the state's population.”
There is a clear disparity between the number of people who go missing and how often they are seen broadcasted across media platforms. It is an issue that needs to be addressed and dealt with immediately.
The families of missing people of color should not have to feel hopeless because authorities around them are not doing enough to help. The lack of news coverage of missing people of color is detrimental and goes to show that there are still existing stigmas that have yet to be addressed.
The overwhelming amount of missing white women seen in the news compared to the amount of missing Black women and Indigenous women in Wyoming alone shows which demographic receives more attention, according to Georgia Public Broadcast. That is not to say the white women who are missing are of no relevance, but there should be media coverage representing all peoples.
Such a matter must be addressed immediately because the longer people wait, the more victims and cases there will be. All people deserve to receive attention and support when undergoing such horrendous times, and it is in this moment that Black and Indigenous people need us most.
The longer this issue persists, the more women and girls find themselves silenced and left behind without receiving the opportunity to seek assistance.
dgonza15@ramapo.edu
