California Signs Into Law New Amber Alert That Prioritizes Missing Black Kids

In California, missing black kids matter more.

Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 673 into law making California the first state to create an alert notification system called the “Ebony Alert” that prioritizes the search for black people ages 12 to 25 gone missing.

Per NBC News:

"The law, which will go into effect on Jan. 1, will allow the California Highway Patrol to activate the alert upon request from local law enforcement when a Black youth goes missing in the area. The Ebony Alert will utilize electronic highway signs and encourage use of radio, TV, social media and other systems to spread information about the missing persons’ alert. The Ebony Alert will be used for missing Black people."

The Ebony Alert is like the Amber Alert, except it only covers black people.

Of course, the Amber Alert already includes black kids. But according to Democratic Sen. Steven Bradford, the creator of the legislation, our media too often dismisses missing black people under 26.

"When go missing there’s very rarely the type of media attention," says Bradford.

What proof did he provide? He didn't provide any.

And for good reason. The proof directly contradicts his claim.

Specifically, the media aggressively covered the case of Carlee Russell, a 25-year-old black woman, this past summer. You know, the one where she fabricated her abduction.

The newly created alert system is unnecessary and patronizing.

It's a political device to show California voters that state legislators are still invested in the racial reckoning.

The law is an example of what we call Excused Racism, the presumption it's acceptable to racially discriminate so long as it favors so-called marginalized groups.

But Excused Racism is still racism.

Missing persons and children ought to receive more attention, and take priority over some of the more tiresome news stories we hear (car crashes, robberies, faux racism, etc.). Yet that should be true of all missing Americans, regardless of their race.

"What about Asian, Hispanic and white kids?" Elon Musk commented below an NBC X post reporting the news.

California says those missing kids still matter. They just matter less than the missing black kids.