WASHINGTON – The Howard University School of Law hosted “Finding Tamika: A Conversation on Missing Black Women” in collaboration with Color Farm Media. “Finding Tamika” is a true crime audio series following the story of Tamika Huston, a 24-year-old black woman gone missing in 2004. The series focuses on the difficulties Huston’s family faced in garnering attention for her story and the disparity in media coverage between missing white women and missing Black women.

The panel discussion featured special guests: actress Erika Alexander; former MSNBC commentator Tiffany Cross; Derrica and Natalie Wilson, founders of Black & Missing Foundation; Billi Wilkerson, managing director of the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center at Howard University; and Huston’s aunt Rebkah Howard.

Howard, a graduate of Howard Law and experienced public relations professional, highlighted her family’s struggles in getting media attention on Huston’s case. Although she had many connections in the media and knowledge of the industry, she quickly found that the appetite for stories about missing Black women did not compare to coverage of missing white women. Major networks were simply not interested in telling Huston’s story. It wasn’t until Cross, then a young producer for America’s Most Wanted, picked up the story that the family began to make any progress.

“It's not just about having white people in newsrooms who have empathy for our stories. It’s about having us in newsrooms as decision makers and people who understand the community in an intimate way that cannot be taught,” Cross said.

Wilkerson highlighted the work of the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center and Center for Women Gender and Global Leadership, who co-sponsored the event. The centers are focused on exposing students to opportunities to spread awareness of injustices against Black people and connect to social justice movements around the country.

Photo Credit: Jefry Andres Wright