Kalisha Buckhanon has written a novel about a black woman’s search for her missing twin sister. All too often, missing people of color are not given the same attention as missing white people. When I collect files on missing persons and cold cases, I make an effort to pay attention to cases involving people of color. I was really pleased to read this interview in Sunday’s Chicago Tribune, in which the author talks about her own frustration in reading about cases involving missing black women.
In the interview, she lists a couple of resources that address the issue of missing black people. One is the Black and Missing Foundation. The other link is to an article written by Buckhanon for the site crimereads.com. This must-read article outlines the difficulties black communities and black women in danger face in seeking help, including a justified distrust of the police.
I know well the prejudices toward black and hispanic people who are missing, as well as those whose murders are unsolved. I live in a mixed race community, and from time to time, I encounter flyers that indicate a black resident of the community is missing. But if you comb the myriad missing persons databases, you’ll find that a large number of missing white people are likewise victims of the drug trade or are homeless or otherwise living on the fringes of society. The fact is, someone cared enough to report these people missing, and provide some background and a photo. Someone cared about them, and some predators are eluding accountability for their crimes. We owe it to them to give them the same attention we give missing white people.
The Cold and Missing Persons Case Archivist 