Unlike the Ebony Alert, the Amber Alert system does not discriminate based on color.
Legislators in California are promoting ground-breaking legislation that would create the “Ebony Alert,” a targeted missing persons warning system. When black women and children are reported missing, the proposed system would quickly alert the public, providing communities that are in need with an essential layer of security. This ground-breaking legislation strives to make sure that no Californian is left behind and that they all feel protected and appreciated.
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Three separate categories of missing person warnings are currently in effect in the state: Amber for youngsters, Silver for the elderly, and Feather for indigenous people. It’s important to note that, unlike a hypothetical “Ebony Alert” system, the Amber Alert system is inclusive and does not discriminate based on race. Remain alert and keep an eye out for any information that can assist in finding these missing people.
State senator Steven Bradford stated that the law will “address the often disregarded or lack of attention given to Black children and young Black women that are missing in California” in a release on the race-based crime bill.
Recent studies show that an alarmingly high percentage of black children in the US are reported missing, with this group accounting for a startling 38 percent of all cases. However, a large number of these situations are frequently categorized as runaways, which indicates that they do not meet the requirements to activate the Amber Alert system. As a result, questions have been raised concerning the fairness and efficiency of the Amber Alert system in assisting all missing children, regardless of race.
The bill will encourage law enforcement to use the Ebony Alert “if that agency determines that it would be an effective tool in the investigation of a missing Black youth or young Black women between the ages of 12 and 25 years,” but it will not alter the criteria for determining whether a missing person is a runaway.
Also, it would motivate media outlets to report on these disappearances.
Without taking into account a person’s race or ethnicity, the Amber Alert system is intended to assist in finding children who have been abducted. Bradford contends that this approach may be biased and that it has some form of implicit prejudice.
California’s Amber Alert system specifies that in order for it to be launched, “the following conditions must be satisfied: Confirmation that an abduction has occurred or a child was kidnapped by anyone, including but not limited to a custodial parent or guardian.
“The victim is 17 years of age or younger, or an individual with a proven mental or physical disability. The victim is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death. There is information available that, if disseminated to the public, could assist in the safe recovery of the victim.”
“The Ebony Alert would ensure that resources and attention are given so we can bring home missing Black women and Black children in the same way we would search for any missing child and missing person,” said Bradford.
“When someone who is missing is incorrectly listed as a runaway, they basically vanish a second time. They vanish from the police detectives’ workload. They vanish from the headlines. In many ways, no one even knows they are missing. How can we find someone and bring them home safely when no one is really looking for them,” he said.
