S1: It's time for Midday Edition on Kpbs. Today we're talking about California's first in the nation , Ebony Alert System , which aims to help find missing black children and young adults. I'm Andrew Bowen here with conversations that keep you informed and inspired and make you think. Senator Steven Bradford authored the law that established the new alert system.
S2: This nation's history has proven that there is disparities , there's discrepancies and there's discrimination and all levels , and it still plays a part today.
S1: So how does the Ebony alert aim to address those disparities ? Plus , the youngest Freedom Rider revisits what it was like to be put on death row at just 13 years old. That's ahead on Midday Edition. Brothers Orrin and Orson West , Serena , Princess Welles , Daphne Webb those are the names of a few of the missing black children in California. Of the currently 25 missing children listed on the California Attorney General's website , ten of them are black. California is the first state to create the Ebony alert system to help find missing black children and young women. Democratic State Senator Steven Bradford authored the legislation and spoke with Midday Edition host Jade Hindman.
S3:
S2: So I think the data spoke to why it was so important.
S3:
S2: And that's alarming. And that should be troubling to each and every one of us. And more times than not , African American kids who are missing , they're listed as runaways versus abducted are missing , but they're listed as runaways. Those young folks who are also being sex trafficked are often listed as juvenile prostitutes. So again , that diminishes the priority of looking for these individuals. So we just want to make sure that we dedicate the same level of resources , both through the media and law enforcement , to returning these individuals home safely. Yeah.
S3: Yeah. Well , the data clearly says something needs to be done.
S2: I mean , if you can do it for those folks who don't look like us , what else can you attribute it to ? And I hate to say that , but I think this nation's history has proven that there is disparities , there's discrepancies and there's discrimination and all levels. And it still plays a part today , especially when it comes to the number of missing individuals who are , you know , the resources are dedicated to try to bring them home.
S3: You know , the data also shows that missing persons cases for black people also remain open longer than those of white people.
S2: When you have a TV show right now focusing on individuals who disappear , and researchers are not dedicated to bringing them home in a timely manner. Um.
S4: Um.
S3:
S2: First , it has to work an Amber alert is not working right now , so we wanted to work in the same fashion that the Amber alert has been working for those non American and non Latinos. But what we do differently is that it addresses individuals from 12 to 25 , whereas the Amber alert only deals with individuals 17 years or younger. Ours also states that if you're known to have suffered from some type of mental or physical disability , that is a priority for initiating the alert as well. Or if an individual has been suspected of being abducted or disappeared mysteriously , or possibly a victim of sex trafficking or sex crimes , that too will trigger an ebony alert.
S3: Let's unwrap that a little bit. The Amber alert system is not working for black children who go missing if they are on the Amber alert system , though , is it helpful in that instance , or do people have a tendency to still not come forward with information ? For some reason , when a black child is missing.
S2: There is hesitancy because many times they feel law enforcement is not going to respond in a in the same manner in a timely manner. So we do have to deal with that. But hopefully through this Ebony alert , we will better educate the public that this exists for those missing black kids and also further engage law enforcement at a greater degree. I hate to always hear folks say , oh , they have to be properly trained. I don't feel law enforcement needs to be properly trained or retrained. I should say , in order to deal with this issue , it just has to be a priority. Just like they make those other individuals who disappear our priority. We just got to make sure that African Americans are , you know , afforded the same level of resources and attention when they disappear.
S3: I guess I'm.
S2: I mean , it's means absolutely nothing to put this in place. And it's used , you know , sporadically. We want this to be a priority. We want once the alert to go out that it to be real and it be paid attention to and that resources are afforded to those individuals and making sure that , you know , they are found in a timely manner. So we want to make this a priority.
S3:
S2: So I always hate to have to introduce legislation to ask people to do the right thing by one another. So I would hope they find it in their heart that they would want to do this. And again , they often talk about having to retrain law enforcement. And to me , that's really just this excuse because you don't need to be retrained if your heart is right and you want to do the right thing.
S3: The Ebony alert will also include runaways , whereas the Amber alert doesn't.
S2: But again , most of these African Americans are labeled as runaways when they have been abducted. So we just want to clear that up too and reduce those mislabeling. Again , how do you label a minor a juvenile prostitute ? But you'll see almost two thirds of African American women who are being sex trafficked under the age of 18 are also labeled as a juvenile prostitute. And we know a minor can't consent to sex.
S3: Yeah , yeah , San Diego is known to have a problem with sex trafficking and and human trafficking in general. How do you see the Ebony alert aiding in the rescue of those victims , as you just mentioned.
S2: Again , bringing attention to the number of individuals who are disappearing on a regular basis , that you never see anything , you know , no blurbs , no signs , the highway signs being utilized , none of our social media platforms being utilized. So we want to take advantage of all of that and making sure that our radio stations are involved in it. Our TV networks are involved in it. And again , all our social media outlets , we just want to make sure that they're aware of it. So this is what we're going to spend the next couple of months doing prior to the bill going into action and just educating individuals to let them know that this is a new alert that's in place that's targeting African Americans. And it's a shame that we have to , you know , segregate ourselves like this in order to bring attention to a majorly ignored problem. But hopefully it's going to help solve the problem that has been ignored for far too long.
S3: And you know , there are similar alerts for other segments of the population. Tell us about that.
S2: We have the feather alert , which was passed last year for indigenous Native American individuals , the first people. And surprisingly , we didn't hear all the hoopla about , oh , that's so discriminatory. How how are you separating people based on race ? And we passed that with no problem. We also have the Silver Alert for our seniors 65 and older that disappear. And a lot of folks are unaware that there's also a blue alert for missing law enforcement or individuals who are suspected of hurting or killing a police officer looking for them as well. So those various alerts have never gotten the level of attention. And and , you know , questioning why it's needed as African Americans. But we feel we're just as important as those other ones. But they're working , and we want the Ebony alert to work in the same fashion. Yeah.
S4: Yeah.
S3: So so the Ebony alert goes into effect on January 1st.
S2: Here's when it should be activated. And again , working with not only our local law enforcement agencies , but with our Highway patrol as well , so that we take advantage of the highway digital signs as well , when individuals are deemed missing or , you know , abducted.
S3: Yeah , we touched on this a bit earlier , but , you know , there's been criticism that the Amber alert isn't effective , and thus the Ebony alert may not be. Either.
S2: I mean , there's some truth to that. I mean , but hopefully , again , by bringing attention to the disparities of when individuals are found and when amber alerts are initiated , I think it speaks to , again , making folks aware that this is a new tool that's available that we should be taking advantage of to make sure that we bring folks home in a timely manner and as safe as possible. So I'm hoping it's going to , you know , be what we intended to be a resource that we will take advantage of. It's a shame that we have to use something like this. But again , history has shown that it's needed.
S3: And finally , what remains to be done to address this issue beyond the Ebony alert. I.
S4: I.
S2: That's a hard question. I just are changing our relationships with one another here in the state and in this country , and understanding that we're all equal. You know , we're all entitled to life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Happiness and our lives should be valued just as much as anyone else's. So again , I wish I had a magic wand to , you know , make us all see us as one.
S3:
S2: We've got a tremendous amount of outreach all across the country , the majority of it in support of this. So I could very well see other states looking to implement this in the near future. We're going to Tennessee next month for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators , and I have no doubt this will be one of the topics of discussions for model legislation that they look to implement. So I do possibly see more states implemented , or at least the National Black Caucus , taking a good look at how and how it can be utilized in those respective states.
S1: That was Midday Edition host Jade Hindman , speaking with the author of the legislation that will create the Ebony alert system , State Senator Steven Bradford. What do you think would be helpful in addressing the disparity between the rate of black children and white children going missing ? Give us a call at (619) 452-0228 and leave a message. Or you can email us at midday at pbs.org. Coming up , the conversation continues with Guyton Borders , the president of a nonprofit that runs an alert system similar to the one that's coming to California.
S5: It would be crazy to think that for some reason , racial disparity and racism somehow doesn't find its way when it comes to missing persons. Of course it does.
S1: You're listening to Kpbs Midday Edition. Welcome back to Kpbs midday Edition. I'm Andrew Bowen. A child goes missing every 40s. And 40% of those children are children of color. That's according to the Georgia based nonprofit PS. In their pods , the organization seeks to raise awareness about missing children of color and give resources and support to the families of those missing children. Kpbs Midday Edition host Jade Hindman spoke with the group's president and CEO , Guyton Borders.
S6: So first , what's your.
S3:
S5: I think it's a long time in coming , and it's definitely several steps in the right direction.
S3: And your organization actually has something similar. Tell me about that.
S5: Yes , we our organization started in 2007 , and it was at that time , around that time that we realized that there was an inadequate amount of media attention or attention at all , given to children of color who are missing. And so to that end , there was one story of a missing girl that really touched us , and that was a story of Riley Wilson , who was a child who was missing for over a year and nobody knew. And so we we named our alert system in her honor.
S4: You know , when.
S3: I spoke with State Senator Steven Bradford , I asked him why there was a need for an alert system for black children and young women. And he told me it boils down to racism.
S5: Numbers don't lie there. Black and white. I do believe that there has been disparity in the way that children and persons of color in general have been treated that that are missing , I should say , and in general. And so that is that is absolutely true. It would be crazy to think that for some reason , racial disparity and racism somehow doesn't find its way when it comes to missing persons. Of course it does.
S3: And I want to circle back. Tell me more about the case of Riley that really inspired this alert that you all have.
S5: She was in foster care , and there was a lot of cover up because her foster care caseworker had falsified some documents stating that they had done some home visits when really they had not. So on the record , it looked like she was okay , that Riley was okay , but in reality , she had been missing for quite some time and had endured quite a bit of abuse during that time.
S3: That's that's awful. You know , so we've got these alert systems , but it sounds like there's a lot that needs to change within systems as well.
S5: That is correct because these alert systems are just that. But they are fueled by humans. And humans sometimes can be flawed. Right. So with the Ebony alert , it's wonderful because it's an alert system that's dedicated for persons of color within a specific age range , but it also does require for law enforcement to do a thing right. Follow certain steps to pull the trigger so that the alert can be initiated. So there's still work to be done. But that's why I say it's a step in the right direction , because it it focuses a spotlight on an issue that so many have refused to acknowledge as an issue , and that is that people of color are disappearing at alarming rates.
S3: What does the data say about the need for these alert system specifically for black children , as you just kind of alluded to.
S5: Right , because people of color , particularly African Americans , only make up , what , 13% of the population. But the data , the data that comes out every year through the NCIC shows that people of color make up. It's been about 40% holding steady , 40% for the past several years. And those numbers just don't add up. 13% of the population should not make up that larger percentage of those that are missing. And for children , every 40s a child is reported missing and about 40% of those kids are of color. Hmm.
S3: And let me unpack that a little bit more.
S5: Um , for sure , the research is showing that. Children of color , women of color are being targeted , right. And that's why they make up such a high percentage of the abduction when it comes to sexual abduction , sexual manipulation , that sort of thing. So those communities , our communities are being targeted. Now , on the flip of that , there aren't enough resources out there to help find them when they are being taken. So there is limited media coverage , whether it's print or popular media , there's limited talk about it. And so that is really impactful because even within the communities of color , when those communities don't see images of children and women and men that look like them , that are missing , they naturally assume that it doesn't impact the community as much as it does when really it's an epidemic that's occurring.
S3:
S5: That's that's hard to dispute , but it's true. And I've been saying this for , for very , a very , very long time. And that continues to be the case when you look at the numbers and the high numbers of people of color that are missing , yet people of color receive the least amount of media coverage. It just doesn't add up. So it does show that there's a lack of value. And that's something that plays into police reporting how these children and women are being classified on the police report. A lot of times they are labeled as runaways and not as endangered.
S3: And why is that ? Why are they labeled as runaways ? In your eyes.
S5: The bias , their inherent bias is that they're not seamed. They're not deemed as children in distress , that they're actually out there on purpose , maybe getting into trouble or doing adulting type things and they don't need help. They're not seen as in distress. And I've seen that whether we're talking about a child that's as young as 8 or 7 or whether we're talking about a 17 year old. So there is that preconceived notion that children of color are somehow in the community doing something negative , and therefore they don't. We don't need to bother looking for them either. They'll come back on their own or whatever. They're just fine. Yeah.
S4: Yeah.
S3:
S5: It takes a lot of energy , can be very , very , very , very frustrating for the families. And that's why we do. We work so hard in the work that we do in helping them advocate , because it can be like going up against a brick wall when you're going up against law enforcement , right ? It can be intimidating for one , and you feel powerless. There's so many times when they feel like families feel like they're not being listened to , and once once they get a police report with runaway distinction on it that doesn't allow them to get an Amber alert. It typically doesn't allow them to get any media coverage either. So you can only imagine how deeply depressing , saddening and demoralizing that is for families. The families that do the best are the ones that are really persistent , and we encourage them. You have to be persistent and not easily intimidated because it is a very intimidating process.
S3: You mentioned that children of color and women of color are being targeted for abduction. What do we know about why they're being targeted ? And I asked that question specifically because oftentimes young girls are lured away and lured into sex trafficking online. And I would imagine that law enforcement would even classify that as a runaway situation.
S5: Sometimes they do , because the nuance is that they have met someone online and they're leaving the home on purpose to go meet somebody. Right ? But we know what grooming looks like and that they think they're going to meet somebody , but in fact , they're going to meet up with somebody completely different. But the African American community , community of color is very much targeted because the repercussions are not as stern when it comes to the community. So a lot of these traffickers will put invest a lot of energy in luring away young black girls , young black women , abducting young black boys as well , because they know that even if they're caught , it's a slap on the hand. In fact. In fact , the children oftentimes are labeled as prostitutes even though they're being sex trafficked.
S3: And their children.
S5: And their children. Correct. So that's why they know these these traffickers know if they can infiltrate the community and abduct and lure this community away. They may or may not face jail time. They may or may not. But if they do the same thing on a different side of town with a different demographic. The penalties are greater. And.
S4: And.
S3: Are there.
S5: It's very , very big. I don't have those numbers at my fingers right now. But when we're talking about the same numbers that we're talking about when it comes to missing how wide and in your face those numbers are , particularly in areas where there's a hub of sex trafficking , like here in Atlanta , where peas in their pots , home bases. Those numbers are astronomical.
S3: And , you know , as we we talk about trafficking. I mean , California is one of the nation's top four destinations for human trafficking. And according to the FBI , San Diego , where we are , is one of the top 13 cities in the country with what they call high intensity child prostitution areas.
S5: When we look at the issue of sex trafficking , we know that it's a multibillion dollar industry. So there are people from all different walks of life with their hands in this industry. When we see all the the raids and the busts , the arrests that they make , and you look at the different professionals that are involved , we're talking about judges , lawyers , doctors , teachers , coaches , housewives. It's a cross-section. And these individuals work really hard to make it difficult for us to save children. Not to mention that these individual children and young adults are being shipped across the world. So sometimes even before we recognize that they're missing , they've been taken to a completely different part of the country , or perhaps out of the country. So yes , it is a challenge. And that's why it takes everybody , every single person , to be vigilant and to speak up when they see something that just doesn't seem right , because it's that pervasive in that difficult for us to save these young people and these individuals in general.
S3:
S5: It begins by having earnest conversations within the home. We do a lot of trainings specifically for young girls and teen girls , and what we find is that these young people that have the lowest self esteem are the ones that are prone to being lured , right ? So if they're not receiving the attention or they don't feel the connection and the love at home , they will seek it elsewhere. And there is always someone on the other side of the screen or in the community waiting and watching. Always. And so it begins by talking as a family and then also having like very , very candid conversations about what's going on in the world. But then also lastly , I know some parents don't like this , but monitoring our children online and also their cell phones because these perpetrators are very , very , very manipulative , manipulative. And if they want to access children , they will. So we have to be vigilant in the home as well as parents and guardians.
S3: Guyton , thank you so much for joining us.
S5: It has been my absolute pleasure. Thank you so. Much.
S1: Much. That was Kpbs Midday Edition host Jade Hindman speaking with Gaitan Borders , president and CEO of the nonprofit Peas in Their Pods. Coming up on Kpbs Midday Edition , Hezekiah Watkins revisits how he became the youngest Freedom Rider by accident.
S7: We began a little jingle the Freedom Riders coming to Jackson. They coming this year. Just loving it. We were just happy.
S1: Watkins tells us how the experience led to him being held on death row after officers mistook him as one of the protesters. That's after the break. You're listening to Kpbs Midday Edition. I'm Andrew Bowen. In 1961 , hundreds of black and white protesters were imprisoned for riding segregated buses into the South. They were known as the Freedom Riders. At just 13 , Hezekiah Watkins became the youngest among them by accident. He was held on death row with no due process after officers mistook him as one of the protesters , his crime falling into the whites only section of the Greyhound bus station. Watkins came to speak at the University of San Diego in October. He shared his story with Kpbs race and equity reporter Katie Hyson.
S7: I was the type of kid who loved watching television , and I fell asleep one day watching cartoons , but I was awakened with the national news on , and what I saw was unbelievable. So when the news went off , I ran next door to my close , close , close friend and I wanted him to come and watch the news with me. So we come over. We were watching the news and he said , man , I never seen anything like this. I've seen black folks being beaten. And what's so surprising is they beaten the white folks too. I said , man , I don't know what they call them , but they got to be some bad folks. And they were spraying this water on these individuals. And the velocity of this , this water was so strong and it was knocking people over , knocking them down. We heard mentioned the word Freedom Riders and my friend name was Troy. Troy. He said Freedom Riders. I think so that's what they are freedom riders. So we went to these guys and asked whether or not they ever heard of the Freedom Riders , and they jumped up. Oh man. Yeah man. But you don't want to mess with them. I'm told that if you mess with the Freedom Riders , your your house could be burned and a cross would be burned in your yard. So that was a little scary because we kind of backed off , but we kept watching the news. Troy said , man , we have this teacher named Mr. Jeremiah Turner. Troy. So why don't we go on his vacant period and just ask him ? He'll tell us the truth. So a couple of days later , he went to his classroom , knocked on the door. We want to ask you about the Freedom Riders. The what ? We want to ask you about the Freedom Riders. And you raised up from his death , looked at us in our eyes and said , get the hell out of here. Wow. Mr. Turner had never spoken to us like this before. We were trying to figure out why. Okay. We were walking out of his classroom with our head bowed , and he yelled , you must want me to lose my job. The look on his face was scary and we didn't understand. But anyway , one day Troy came to my house and said , man , I got good news. I heard the Freedom Riders are on their way to Jackson and I jumped up. He was already standing and we began a little jingle. The Freedom Riders come in , Jackson. They come in this jail just loving it. We were just happy. Not happy because we wanted to join the Freedom Riders. We just wanted to see them and maybe touch one. And on Sunday was our church day where we stayed in church all day. But trust that we got a place sick and our parents would give us the opportunity to stay home. And we went to the Greyhound bus station. We get there and no one is there. And I still thought maybe you had the time confused and he said , no , I have the right time. So we began racing each other up and down the sidewalk of the Greyhound bus station. Let's go get some water. And after we get to the to the water fountain , we see this design that's written on the bricks that red whites only. I looked at Troy , and Troy looked at me and we didn't utter one word. Cause we knew we were gonna drink up some white water. And we did. He said , man , you know , this water has vitamins , minerals , all kinds of iron in it. Well , we're going to be healthy. I said , let me see. I don't think I tasted that , and I drank. I said , man , you show , right ? That's what it tastes like. So Troy pushed me away. Let me get some more. So he drank and more water. He said , man , this water tastes like Kool-Aid , too. I pushed him aside so I could try , and it was a mind thing. I said , man , you show right ? It takes just like Kool-Aid. And as we was going back past the bus station , we are just pushing back out. Kids would do. He elbowed me , I elbowed him , but we still walking and we get by the front door. And Troy pushed me and I landed inside of the bus station. So I spot this sign across the ceiling and I'm looking , said whites Only. But before I could bag completely out , this officer hit me on my shoulder and asked , why are you in here ? And I told him. I said , well , officer , my friend out here pushed me in. He said , what friend ? Officer he's right here. So he took me by my wrist , led me back inside and said , where ? I looked to my left. I looked to my right. There was no Troy. Your name and your birth place. And I wasn't thinking. I just said , Hezekiah Watkins. I was born in Milwaukee , Wisconsin. And when I said Milwaukee , Wisconsin , he reached in his back pocket a little two way radio. I don't know what he said , but they came like flies just running in and said , we got another one here. I'm trying to figure out another. What ? What are you talking about ? Told me to stand up , put my hands behind me. They put handcuffs on me. A transport vehicle came to pick me up. We rode , rode and we rode some more. And I didn't know what the deal was or where I was going , but ended up at the state prison , Parchman , Mississippi , one of the most notorious prison in these United States , and still is. I didn't know what to think. I'm scared , number one , but I didn't know it was a prison. I kind of looked like an old school , but I saw the wire across the fence. Top fence line. So I'm thinking maybe that's what they going to hold me. I don't know what. So I'm told to get a mattress and Father God there I got a mattress. I was weighing maybe 120 , £25 would be the most. Whereas I had to drag the mattress along with me and they opened these doors. You , the click , click and the slamming of the doors is not a good feeling. The inmates. They started a conversation with me about what did you do ? You're so young to be here. And I said I didn't do anything. They all began laughing. They began asking me who was the judge. I told them I didn't know. You don't know the jury , a sentence you. That's a no. Yes. Who was your lawyer ? I said lawyer. Lawyer. And I thought of the name Perry Mason. The TV show. I was the only lawyer that I knew of. Had never met a lawyer before. So I said Perry Mason. And they thought that was the biggest joke he had ever heard. And that's when the beating started. My food was taken. It was just a rough time there. This is 19 6 to 1. My mother was able to get the whites and the blacks together and began looking for me. Police came out and spoke with my mom and told her , you know , not to worry because your son ran off to Chicago , or he might have gone to Detroit , or he might be dead. So my mom was thinking that he didn't run off to any of those places , so he must be dead. But we had a president of. These United States. And his name was John Kennedy. I wasn't at the table , but I'm told that the president called the governor. His name was Rose Barnett of Mississippi called him , and I'm told the conversation went something like , I hear you have some miners in your prison. And the governor replied , no , sir , Mr. President. Everybody here is of age , no miners. And I'm told that they hung up. But the next day the governor called the institution the correctional institution and told them to release me. And they brought me back to Jackson and called my mother. So when she got the call , she was thinking they was calling her to come and identify my remains. So when my mom came to the police department , she spotted me and she just went berserk. I mean , it was it was one of those glorious time she began running in my direction. And I knew the way she was running. She was going to fall. I just had handcuffs and they was behind my back. So I headed in her direction and sure enough , she fell. But I was in position for her to fall on me and her weight carried me down. So we're on the floor and she's squeezing me like she's trying to kill me. So the officers let us stay there for a minute or two. It seemed like much longer. So they took the handcuffs off me and they had to lift both of us up.
S1: That was Hezekiah Watkins speaking with Kpbs race and equity reporter Katie Hyson. What thoughts do you have about the disparities that exist with missing children of color ? What ideas do you have to solve it ? Give us a call at (619) 452-0228 and leave us a message. Or you can email us at midday at pbs.org. We'd love to share your ideas here on Midday Edition. Don't forget to watch Evening Edition Tonight at five on Kpbs television for in-depth reporting on San Diego issues. We'll be back tomorrow at noon. And if you ever miss a show , you can find the Midday Edition podcast on all podcasting platforms. I'm Andrea Bowen. Thanks for listening.
