La'Tannya Banks was devastated when her 15-year-old daughter, Lelah, disappeared from their Los Angeles apartment in July. "I thought she'd been abducted," Banks said. She immediately began searching, contacting hospitals, distributing photos, and posting online. When she sought help from the police, Banks was told Lelah's disappearance didn't meet the criteria for an Amber Alert, and it took over 24 hours to file a police report.
Frustrated, Banks pushed for an Ebony Alert, California's system for missing Black youths, introduced to address the disproportionate number of Black children who go missing. "I just kept putting pressure on them," Banks explained. Two hours after the alert was issued, police traced Lelah's phone and reunited her with her mother. "I don't know how I ever would have found her," Banks said.
The Ebony Alert, enacted in January, has been used 31 times, with 27 successful recoveries. However, advocates like Jasmine Lee, CEO of the Dock Ellis Foundation, argue that it's underutilized. "Where is the ongoing training for law enforcement to guarantee they even understand what to do?" Lee questioned. She's assisted families in getting Ebony Alerts issued, but believes officers often lack urgency in these cases. "You can change the name, but if you have the same people approving it, we're going to end up in the same place," Lee said.
The system has helped save lives, but there are still challenges. A case in point is Adrienne Hutchinson, whose daughter, Sanai, went missing for three days. Hutchinson struggled to get an Ebony Alert issued, facing police who were unfamiliar with it. Only after persistent effort, including a planned news conference, did police issue the alert, ultimately leading to Sanai's recovery.
According to USA Today, nearly 37% of Amber Alerts from 2017 to 2021 were for missing Black children. However, these alerts were less effective for Black children compared to white and Hispanic children. In a six-month period, Amber Alerts helped locate 1 in 3 white and Hispanic children, but only 1 in 7 Black children. This disparity highlights concerns about the effectiveness of Amber Alerts for missing Black youth.
Lee remains hopeful about the program's potential but emphasizes the need for better community involvement and police training to ensure more effective use of the Ebony Alert system.
Link: NBC News
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