Originally posted in May 2008
Villagers, please take a moment and hug, call or think about your child.
How much would it tear you up if your child was missing? Two of my colleagues in The AfroSpear have made the commitment to use their online resources to highlight the disparity of coverage for missing children of color in favor of missing white children. HustleKnockin' and Black & Missing But Not Forgotten each do remarkable work to inform us when children of color are missing.
KTHustle feels that the Amber Alert only works for the Ambers of the world. As such, he created the Lakeesha Alert with the following operating instructions:
KTHustle feels that the Amber Alert only works for the Ambers of the world. As such, he created the Lakeesha Alert with the following operating instructions:
"Upon being pushed your Lakeesha Alert button will send
hyper-sonic signals to urban radio stations, online communities, urban newspapers, bloggers, street gang members ... and on the outside chance that they’re not too busy and might display a casual interest ... the police and mainstream media."
The idea is tongue-in-cheek. The topic and the need for our continued awareness and support is very real! Villagers, what say u about the idea?
13 comments:
Greetings!
I read the entire guide online at another blog and it is a shame that one of the tips for parents who have a black boy/teen missing is to report that he has committed a crime and when the police track him down, to recant and pay a fine for filing a false report!!
Now THAT is such a shame to have to take those measures just for the police to look for your child!
I know it was written with a sarcastic bend, but I do hope NO ONE has to resort to that...
I understand the reason why this had to be written and we MUST continue to blow the trumpet about the disparity in media coverage and police attention to black missing persons.
Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa
Please feel free to stop by my house and share your views about the post,"Who's In Charge: The Mantle of Black Leadership". The black male insight is needed!
Join in the dialogue!
I think it's a great idea even the part about reporting the missing to members of street gangs, maybe they will show more respect and concern.
Villager, my bones are tired from oppression...
BWB The Trumpet - It is a shame what we need to do at times to make our points. Anyhow, I will come by to check out your blog and the specific posting that you reference in your comment.
Hagar's Daughter - We got your back. You can take a rest for a while to get rejuvenated for the next round of battles...
Hey Villager,
We know that any attention given to the further securing of, or locating of our children is all for the good.
How are you? The good thing about my blog growing - it's growing. The bad thing - I don't get to visit and keep in touch as much. But with Electronic Village just becoming this monstrous paragon of virtue, you already know this.
Have a great day~~Shelia
Urban radio stations and Kinko's. Urban radio stations will be more likely to give the free air time. Take a picture, go to Kinko's make a flier and spread it everywhere.
While it pisses me off the Lakeesha's don't get the attention, we need to immediately focus on the metro area where the person is missing. (With focus on the state and bordering states too of course.)
It may not be "fair" but we can do something while trying to fight for the equality.
Hi Villager :) Thanks for visiting my re-opened blog. I'm going back to using it for personal reflection instead of activism so that I can keep my sanity. It's good to be blogging again and good to see/read you :)
Shelia - I'm wishing good thoughts for Williams sisters and James Blake in French Open! It is difficult to keep up with the many great blogs out there. I changed my 'homepage' on my laptop to Google and I have an RSS feed widget set-up there so that when those bloggers I truly enjoy post ... it will show up on my laptop 'homepage'. That is one way I can try to stay current...
Symphony - You give some good ol' school remedies. I'm grateful to the Black and Missing but Not Forgotten blog for giving us the information in a timely manner as well...
Bronze Trinity - We are blessed to have your voice back up & going. Just take it slow and only blog and read blogs that you enjoy. It's just a hobby for most of us...
The Lakeesha Alert is a great idea, Wayne. But it's unfortunate that a separate Alert has to be created all children under the Amber Alert should be paid attention to!! :)
Mary - I agree. However, it seems tragic to many in the African American community how selective the mainstream media is about who they will give time to when it comes to these missing children.
In any case, your comment gave me a reason to re-post this one at the top of my blog this morning. Asante sana!
I'm really not sure about this. It doesn't strike me as likely that gang members and others are more likely to help search for a missing child (of any color) than police and regular citizens. In my very limited experience (and I admit to its limitations) gang members and thugs are worried only about their own "business". It's a romantic myth that they "care" about the black community. One could argue that if these folks "cared" they wouldn't be doing what they are doing...
I think the search for missing children of color-- and in particular the issue of getting attention from the mainstream media-- is about knowing how to use leverage and pressure. Too often, black folks expect the media to come to them-- which isn't likely. Instead, we have to make ourselves OBNOXIOUS in the same way that I think that Natalie Holloway's mother made herself such a total nuisance that she got a ridiculous amount of coverage.
There are many more black journalists and bloggers and than there used to be, and black parents have to make efforts to reach them, as well as the MSM to press their cases. We need to "work the system" as we used to say. Sure, we can call it a "Lakeesha" alert. You can call it anything you want. But ultimately it comes down to devoting time and resources, pressure and leverage, dollars and know how to the search for our kids. Alleging racism (even if that's the case) doesn't get our kids found-- and that's what a parent ultimately wants. Working the media-- and even using their alleged bais to guilt them into coverage-- might work. But that means understanding the media-- the need for new angles and information--and making it in their interest to stay with you.
I know that if anything ever happened to either of my two daughters, I would stand outside of NANCY GRACE's OFFICE every day (and I can't stand that woman!) if it would get us media coverage and bring my baby home. I would call every reporter of every shade until I got some attention, pitching every angle I could think of. I would hire private detectives, publicity people, whoever it took to help me do what I needed to do. I would mortgage my house, empty my bank account, sell everything I ever owned to pay these people. I would send out daily press releases and contact everyone in the blogosphere that I ever met. In short, I would use EVERY resource I ever heard of to get my child home safely-- and I would make myself such a NUISANCE that I DARE anyone to dismiss me or my kids.
I'm not arguing that there isn't bias. I'm just arguing that this is just another area where POC often don't know how to pressure the existing systems to get the needed results.
I'm loving this idea! I dont have any children, but I'd be damaged if one of my blood went missing...
This is a very very sad day!
From Jemma Perrett on Facebook
"Jada's dead.. why god why???????? lil girl so so precious, miss you baby girl! I cant stop crying WTF is wrong with this world?!! she was only a baby!! she was only 2!! R.I.P xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox"
Karyn - I appreciate your village voice on this matter. I think that the Lakeesha Alert is a symbol that the Black online community isn't going to sit still and wait on MSM to do what's right. We are going to marshall our resources ... including our blogs ... to spread the word. It worked in cases like Jena 6, Shaquanda Cotton and such ... why not unleash it in effort to find our missing nubian children when necessary.
Goddess Intellect - We were too late to save 2-year old Jada Justice. Her remains were found earlier today by authorities. We have to stay connected thru our blogs to help out in the future when we can. I hope you find reason to visit with our village again in the future...
Ed - Yes, I just learned the sad news about Jada Justice as well. Our prayers are with her family.
On another note, I imagine that the folks at the LA Times are enjoying the 'bittersweet' victory of being the tip of the sword in reporting on Michael Jackson's passing today...
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