California's recent establishment of the "Ebony Alert" system, a significant step toward prioritizing the search for missing Black individuals, has sparked discussion in Texas about adopting a similar system. According to FOX 26 Houston, the Ebony Alert aims to bridge the gap in media attention and law enforcement resources when people of color go missing. Natalie Wilson, the Co-Founder of The Black and Missing Foundation, tells reporters, "Forty percent of the missing population are people of color...they typically don't happen," in reference to stories of missing people of color that dominate news cycles.
The Black and Missing Foundation's data indicates that Black individuals make up 38% of all missing persons cases despite receiving disproportionately fewer public resources. This has been corroborated by CNN as well, clarifying that the disparity is so, even with Black children who are often classified as runaways and therefore do not trigger an Amber Alert. The efficacy of the Ebony Alert, comparable to the Amber Alert, hinges on a framework of alerts activated by the Highway Patrol upon local law enforcement request. It will see electronic highway signs, radio, TV, and social media deployed to disseminate information quickly and broadly.
As of the end of 2022, according to Click2Houston, approximately 30,285 Black people remained missing nationwide. The Ebony Alert, which California Governor Gavin Newsom stamped into law, addresses this distressing statistic directly by targeting missing Black children and young adults aged 12 to 25, a demographic particularly vulnerable to being overlooked. California Sen. Steven Bradford emphasizes the need for such focused attention, telling NBC News, "it is time to dedicate something specifically to help bring young women and girls back home because they’re missed and loved just as much as their counterparts."
Moving forward, the question that remains is whether cities like Houston will follow in California's footsteps. Houston, with its own history of missing person cases and the Texas Center for the Missing already operational, might stand to benefit from a system such as the Ebony Alert. Despite reaching out, KPRC 2 has yet to receive a response from the Texas Department of Public Safety about the implementation of the Ebony Alert in Texas. The urgency of this issue is underscored by 2022 figures from the Texas Center for the Missing, revealing that 7,335 new missing child cases were recorded in Harris County alone.
