"We Need Visibility": This DC-Area Foundation Is Bringing More Attention to Missing People of Color - Washingtonian

"We hear from families all the time, 'I need media coverage, we need visibility for our missing loved one,' and that's why we created the [foundation], so we can create stories that tell about the missing person in an authentic, and truthful and human way, to humanize them."

"The foundation was created by sisters-in-law Derrica Wilson and Natalie Wilson following the 2004 disappearance of Tamika Huston, a 24-year-old Black woman, in Derrica's hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina. That case, Derrica says, initially struggled to receive media attention."

"The Department of Justice that as many as 100,000 people are reported missing in the US at any given time, with as many 600,000 reported yearly. Roughly 40 percent of missing persons are people of color, and the overwhelming of those people are Black."

The Black and Missing Foundation was established by sisters-in-law Derrica and Natalie Wilson following the 2004 disappearance of Tamika Huston, a Black woman whose case received minimal media attention while the concurrent disappearance of white woman Natalee Holloway dominated headlines. This disparity prompted the founders to address systemic coverage gaps affecting missing persons of color. The Department of Justice reports approximately 600,000 people are reported missing yearly in the US, with roughly 40 percent being people of color, predominantly Black individuals. The foundation creates authentic, humanizing stories through various media platforms, including the podcast Untold Stories: Black and Missing and documentary series, to increase visibility and generate leads in missing persons cases.

Read at Washingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.