Source: CS / Radio One Digital
Our special guest today is Derrica Wilson, she’s the co-founder and CEO of the Black and Missing Foundation Inc.
First, tell us what the black and Missing Foundation is, what compelled you and your sister to create The Black and Missing Foundation is a non profit organization that we established in 2008 to bring awareness to missing people of color.
My sister-in-law Mallory and I, we solid issue in our community and what we wanted to do is utilize our expertise to help eradicate this issue. I have more than two decades of law enforcement experience, and Natalie, she has expertise in media and public relations, and those are the two critical professions needed in finding and bringing our missing home.
While so black women in the US go missing at higher rates than other demographics, cases involving black women tend to get less media attention. Do you believe that the Carly Russell story that was in the news will hurt bringing attention to other black and missing cases?
You know while we’re disheartened by Carly’s revolutions. You know, we are calling on our community to not let this single incident undermine our efforts to help us find. You know, there are a staggering number of missing people that are currently missing in the country and we need our community to show up because we have seen that we have the power to make our cases a priority.
Why are black women… why are our women going missing at a higher rate than any other ethnic group?
Cause folks don’t care. But I think we have to peel back the layers into the systemic issues, human trafficking, mental health, domestic violence. You know, those are some of the the reasons why we are seeing it. Check in our cases and then with law enforcement not taking the cases seriously, labeling our children as runaways, or criminalizing our mission. And it really dehumanizes the fact that these are valuable members of our community.
If you have grace, then when you hear that story, you don’t ask what they did. First, you know so thank you so much for the work you do when it comes to missing cases that are currently being reported on what final word would you leave with our listeners today?
We need our community to be our digital milk carton. These families, they need us and they need us to help them bring their loved ones home. So let us continue to give forward on this momentum to make sure that we are providing equality across the board regardless of race. Gender and zip code our missing letter.
Yes, yes. And I think that we need to lose that oil added. Just none of my business. This is all of our business. We should all be playing a part in this mission. Thank you so much to you and to your sister-in-law for starting this organization, the Black and Missing Foundation. For more information, you can log on to blackandmissinginc.com
We’re going to keep our community informed on get up. Is there a final word you want to leave with us today?
And actually, can I give you a shorter URL it’s BAMFI.org
