Mayowa “MO” Osinubi, founder and president of Mics for the Missing Inc.

State Rep. Bud Williams, co-sponsor of the Ebony Alert bill.

Legislation would strengthen response for missing Black youth, women

Lawmakers have until July 31 to advance legislation that would establish an Ebony Alert notification system for Black youth and women under 25 who go missing under suspicious circumstances.

If the final vote is successful, advocates believe Massachusetts could serve as a model for advancing protections of missing and exploited people, sparking a wave of change in the Northeast. California was the first state to implement an Ebony Alert system in 2024.

State Rep. Bud Williams co-sponsored Bill H.2732 in May 2024 to establish a similar setup in Massachusetts; however, despite media coverage and public momentum, the bill has stalled.

While missing white women often receive ample media attention, cases concerning Black women struggle to hold “traction,” Williams told the Banner. He attests that police may take hours to respond to a report in a community like Roxbury, compared to a “timely” response in a suburban setting. He hopes that by instituting an alert for Black youth and women ages 12 to 25, the state can work to “balance the scales of justice.”

According to the Black and Missing Foundation, 40% of all missing people nationwide are Black or brown. Local advocate Mayowa “MO” Osinubi, founder and president of Mics for the Missing Inc. (MFTMI), said that in Boston the number is even more disproportionate. Her organization pulled data from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to find that 70% of people reported missing in Boston are Black or brown.

Osinubi highlighted that California saw an 87% success rate: it was issued 31 times in its first year, resulting in 27 recoveries. This track record suggests the system could do a great deal to address the disproportionately high numbers of missing people of color and girls in Massachusetts. Williams said that to save even “one life” goes “a long way.”

When Black girls go missing from state care, they are considered runaways, or marked as absent, as opposed to officially missing. As such, police treat such cases with less urgency. Osinubi contends that labeling a child a runaway is both dismissive and dangerous, as those fleeing challenging circumstances are even more vulnerable to exploitation.

“Let’s say they did run away,” she said. “That doesn’t mean they’re less endangered. Oftentimes, data shows that they’re even more endangered.”

The nonprofit president said human traffickers target Black and brown girls, as they anticipate less effort will be put into finding them.

While authorities frequently adopt a “wait and see” attitude when children flee from care, Osinubi points out that “somebody can go missing in Massachusetts, and they can be in D.C. in under six hours.”

Williams corroborated that when a child is taken, in “two or three hours, they could be in New York City.” As such, the pattern of youth of color going missing in Massachusetts is not merely a local issue but is related to the wider issue of human trafficking and exploitation.

In addition to an alert system, H.2732 would establish an Executive Office of Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls in the Department of Public Safety. Williams describes this as the “hub” or “brain” of the endeavor, a command center to collect data and coordinate cases. The office would be required to gather comprehensive data on missing person cases, incidents of trafficking and homicides.

The measure would also create a community-centered advisory committee to include survivors and family members of the missing.

“There’s no better teacher than experience,” said Williams, adding that survivors and family members “walk the walk, talk the talk and live these experiences.” Plus, grants would be issued to community-based organizations for prevention and victim services.

Supporters of H.2732, including advocates at MFTMI, believe that passing the bill could have a ripple effect throughout the tristate area and the East Coast more broadly.

“A rising tide lifts all boats,” said Osinubi. “By helping the most vulnerable, we help everybody that is missing and exploited.” Turning this bill into law would “set a precedent for neighboring states to get on board, expanding the power of the network to protect the missing and exploited,” she added.

While the Amber Alert has strict criteria, the Ebony Alert has a lower threshold to prevent people from falling through the cracks. The notification may be triggered if the missing party is in danger due to health, disability or signs that their disappearance was involuntary. Williams hopes that gathering data through this program will help advocates identify the “systematic causes … behind violence to black women and girls.”

Osinubi, who previously researched femicide at Tufts University, agrees with the need to dedicate funding to data collection.

Boston community groups have been protesting Mayor Michelle Wu’s $4.9 billion city budget proposal, which would increase police spending while cutting social services. It is through such cuts that bills comparable to H.2732 wind up languishing in the Ways and Means Committee.

At the same time, the federal government has rolled back grant programs that target resources toward minorities or women. Even so, Williams voices pride in how the state has tried to stand by immigrants, protect health care, and preserve SNAP benefits in recent months. He holds hope for the passage of H.2732, believing it is “long overdue.”

To keep legislation “on the front burner,” the state representative has met with leadership, presented data, gathered testimonies and organized public hearings. MFTMI has held vigils, speeches, community gatherings and performances. Supporters have garnered press coverage, made calls to politicians, signed petitions and kept discourse alive.

Osinubi says that if the bill fails to advance in Massachusetts through this year’s cycle, supporters will continue to apply pressure on lawmakers. She added that her organization may also advocate for the Ebony Alert in neighboring states.

Putting legislation aside, Osinubi believes that raising “community consciousness” on this topic ultimately makes conditions safer.

“Awareness is prevention,” she said.