Still Missing, Still Loved: Why Missing Black People Deserve Our Attention

When someone goes missing, you would think their story would immediately get attention. But for many missing Black people, that’s not the case.

In 2025 alone, the FBI recorded more than 187,000 missing-person incidents involving Black people, with more than 136,000 of those involving Black children under the age of 18. Those numbers are huge, but how many names have we actually heard?

The Cases We Don’t Learn About

We’ve all seen missing-person cases that become national stories. The missing people’s pictures are everywhere, their names are constantly shared on social media, and thousands of people are following each case.
But there are so many missing Black people who never receive that same level of attention.

Organizations like the Black and Missing Foundation work to bring more awareness to missing people of color. Looking through their cases, you can find people who have been missing for a few days, a few months, or even years.
The difference in media attention between whites and people of color has even been described as “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” which refers to the amount of attention missing white women and girls receive compared with missing people of color.
The few missing Black people whose stories we do see online are only a small part of a much bigger issue.

Who Gets Seen?

The big question isn’t whether people care when someone goes missing. It’s: Whose story gets the chance to be seen?
News coverage and social media can make a huge difference. The more a person’s picture is shared, the more people have a chance to recognize their face, remember seeing them, or realize they know something that could help.

This is where racial equality, diversity, and inclusion matter, too. Missing Black people deserve the same urgency and visibility as anyone else.

As an anti-racism organization, ARCC knows that awareness can lead to action. Sharing a verified missing-person post, paying attention to cases in your own community, and supporting organizations that help missing people of color may seem small, but it can help someone’s face reach another person.
There are far too many missing Black people for us to include every name in one article. And maybe that is the biggest point of all: There are so many names we have never even heard.