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Advocates: FBI Missing Children Data Misleading; Disservice to Black Juveniles

NNPA NEWSWIRE — According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), 298,000 girls went missing in 2019 in the United States. The center noted that 205,802 of those missing are Black. “The FBI 2020 data suggest that number has changed,” said Sherri Jefferson, the executive director of the African American Juvenile Justice Project (AAJJP). “But has it? Part of the problem in the missing, endangered, and the exploited area is the difference in collecting and delivering data.”
The post Advocates: FBI Missing Children Data Misleading; Disservice to Black Juveniles first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 years ago

April 11, 2022

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Missing white children receive far more media coverage than missing Black and Brown children.

A fact advocates often point to when explaining the disparity in attention provided to individuals of color.

But another unsettling fact has emerged with the release of the FBI’s latest statistics on missing children.

The federal agency noted about 346,000 children went missing in the United States in 2020, identifying 125,727 Black juveniles.

In addition, the agency said 197,381 white kids went missing, suggesting that missing white youth outnumber lost young Blacks by more than 71,600.

But a closer look at the statistics revealed a crucial piece of information, that advocates deem misleading.

“Missing from the report is separate data for Hispanic children because the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) combined white and Hispanic children,” said Sherri Jefferson, the executive director of the African American Juvenile Justice Project (AAJJP).

“This is alarming, disturbing, and problematic,” Jefferson asserted.

“First, the combination of white and Hispanic children denies the Hispanic community raw data of their missing children. This process denies research and resources to fund and find their missing and exploited children or to examine causation.”

FBI officials did not return several messages seeking comment.

The NCIC data isn’t robust or reliable enough to paint a complete picture of the magnitude of the problem facing missing persons of color, said Natalie Wilson, co-founder of the Black & Missing Foundation.

“We believe the numbers are much higher based on underreporting,” Wilson stated.

She noted that the FBI classified all missing Latino individuals as white despite research revealing that 24 percent classify themselves as Afro-Latino – otherwise identifying as Black.

Further, “immigrants don’t always report their missing because of fear of deportation,” Wilson concluded.

Jefferson noted that “from ‘Westside Story’ actress Ariana DeBose to Jennifer Lopez and Carmen Perez, the co-founder of the Women’s March to The View’s Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro, Hispanics are not monolithic.”

“Some identify as biracial or Black. Therefore, a separate category is critical to finding their missing children, too,” Jefferson stated.

She continued:

“More compelling is by combining white and Hispanic as one race, the figures mislead the public about the status of missing Black children whose missing outnumber all other races.”

“The FBI 2020 data suggest that number has changed,” Jefferson said. “But has it?”

“Part of the problem in the missing, endangered, and the exploited area is the difference in collecting and delivering data.”

NCMEC gathers data directly from law enforcement as children go missing, while FBI data is reported annually via NCIC.

“The operative words are ‘reported missing’ and ‘crime,’” Jefferson insisted.

“Most Black and Afro Latinx are underreported or not reported at all. This is because most law enforcement executes runaway warrants or deny families missing person reports.”

Jefferson concluded that more Black children are missing than white and Hispanic juveniles combined.

She said 62 percent of the 30,000 newly reported missing cases in 2020 were Black children.

“This is alarming because Blacks, or African Americans, represent about 14 percent of the U.S. population,” Jefferson noted further.

“AAJJP is constrained to ask whether the combination of white with Hispanic children is to deflect from reporting raw data proving more Black children are missing than any other race,” Jefferson continued.

“Moreover, whether it’s to evade or avoid finding our children or funding solutions to the problem?”

The FBI report notes about 9,000 missing Native American or Indian children.

Jefferson pointed out that the White House proclaimed May 4th to recognize missing and exploited NAI/Indian children.

“The White House has not proclaimed a day for Black girls or children,” Jefferson demanded. “Our hashtag is #BidenProclaimABlackGirlsDay #NOWBeMe.”

“Moving forward, AAJJP has created a missing person platform to include coalition-building of an Alliance. A collective lab in this space will help us to strategize, organize, mobilize, and energize (SOME) our base to effectuate lasting change in policy and policing and prevention and protection.”

The post Advocates: FBI Missing Children Data Misleading; Disservice to Black Juveniles first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.