Does race really play a factor in how missing children are being viewed in the media?

Earlier this week, I blogged about little Shaniya Davis and the tragic events surrounding her disappearance and death. This story is still heavy on my mind. It is a sad, sad story with a tragic end. When I first heard about the story on Sunday, the picture of little Shaniya’s mother flashed on my computer screen, as well as her alleged kidnapper. My initial thought was this is some sick country shit that is going on. However, when I started to read the article I was puzzled about many things. However, when I saw the news and I saw little Shaniya’s father crying his heart out, I began to be overwhelmed with grief. It was heart breaking to watch him break down and cry, all his pain, hurt, and agony was there on my television screen.

Now, when I first saw the mother of Shaniya she looked as if she had some issues whether they were financial disadvantage or drug related, which is not an uncommon truth or stereotype among black people. However, this story had a twist that wasn’t the norm. Usually, when stories such as kidnapping are displayed in the news, it is either a white family (Elizabeth Smart) that is affected or it is high profile black family (Jennifer Hudson’s family tragedy). However, you rarely see the family dynamics of Shaniya Davis in cases such as hers.

In one frame the news is showing pictures of Antoinette Nicole Davis, and her sister’s boyfriend, Mario Andrette McNeill (alleged kidnapper). And seconds later the screen flashed to Bradley Lockheart, the father of Shaniya Davis. Scratching my head for a moment, here you have this black woman who has the appearance of a drug addict and this white guy with the appearance of a clean cut guy. Many would say an odd couple but that is beyond the point. Whatever, their relationship was they produced a beautiful angelic child.

Now getting back to my original point of this post, does race really play a factor in how missing children are being viewed in the media? Don’t get me wrong this was a heinous, cruel, demented and sick crime. However, situations like this happen to people of color all the time. Especially, in impoverished areas and you hardly ever hear about the incidents that occur unless it is a three minute blip across the screen. Why is that?

Currently, I live in the suburbs of Baltimore. However, I am not too far from the inner city. Every year there are hundreds of stories of heinous crimes, involving missing children that occur and lead to tragedies such as this one or worse. For example, I can remember a few years ago that a little girl went missing and her mother’s boyfriend had raped her and left her dead in the woods. The little girl was missing for weeks. There was no national coverage, hell there was barely local coverage. If you drove south past Columbia, Maryland or north past Joppa, Maryland you might not have even heard that a little black girl was missing. After her body was recovered, it was business as usual in the media.

Two years ago, a man who suffered from mental illness and was awarded visitation by a negligent Judge, decided because he was not getting his way regarding the child he was going to drop his child, (Turner Jordan) ALIVE over of one of the largest bridges in the state of Maryland. The little boy’s body wasn’t recovered until almost 6 months later. I remember briefly hearing about it on the news and it was even harder to find news articles to be updated as to what happened. As a matter of a fact, it hasn’t been discussed in the news as to the outcome of the case. There was no commentary as to reform of child custody/visitation issues or how things like this could be prevented. Imagine a child in your neighborhood being alive and dropped 150 feet to their death, in the dead of winter. On the other hand, a situation similar happened with a Chinese man throwing his kids off a bridge. What was the different besides it was multiple kids or that he was Chinese and in their culture things like this don’t happen?

There have been hundreds of thousands of cases like this all over the country. Each day there are approximately 2,000 missing children. Can you tell me what they look like? What are their family dynamics? And, what is the motive for new coverage for one missing person over another? Shamefully, we would have never heard about Julius King being missing if it wasn’t for the fact that his Aunt was an Oscar winning superstar, Jennifer Hudson.

In my eyes tragedy is tragedy, murder is murder, and kidnapping is kidnapping. I sincerely hope that the media will not continue to only shine the light on one group of people over another. We all bleed the same, we all hurt the same and we all are human beings that have the right to fair media coverage to aid with the recovery and or search for our loved ones.

Prayerfully, the family of Shaniya Davis will be able to heal and receive an overwhelming outpour of support for their local community and being in the national spotlight. I also pray harder for the families of missing child that never received the five minutes that was necessary to make a difference. I hope that there is a call for action on this issue that has been prevalent in our society for so long. Slavery is over, Colored only fountains are gone… abolish the separate but equal clause and media outlets need to recognized people of all colors are in need of coverage. After all, this is the future potential leaders of America. So many potential, doctors, lawyers, teachers have been lost already. Now, is the time for America to wake up and understand that when tragedy occurs it doesn’t have a color, it has a feeling of irreplaceable emotions of pain, loss and devastation. There is no price you can put on a human life so isn’t it time the media starts to value all.

• This article is dedicated to Nicholas David Tonic. In December of 2005, he disappeared and wasn’t found until 6 weeks later. There were no leads as to the persons responsible behind his murder and disappearance. To date, the case is still open as an unsolved murder with the Anne Arundel County police.

In Memory of Shaniya Davis

Today was a sad day for ALL of those with a heart and soul and a love for their children. First thing this morning, I woke up, kissed my daughter, got her ready for school, fixed breakfast, and walked her to the school bus. I kissed her again, wished her a GREAT day at school, and waved good bye. Unfortunately, that is not something little five year old Shaniya Davis will not experience.

Sadly to say but, today, Shaniya’s body was recovered along a North Carolina Highway in a shallow grave. Just to write this brings tears to me, and I was praying for a positive outcome. After reading about how her own mother, Antoinette Nicole Davis, was being charged with human trafficking and other charges, I knew in my heart that this was not going to be a positive situation.

Sunday evening, I watched the news and the story about how little Shaniya’s disappearance was unfolding and I was heartbroken. It was heart wrenching to watch her father cry uncontrollably, and plead with the public for her safe return. His pain was so great and unbearable; I could never imagine what he might be going through. I prayed that this father was reunited with his daughter.

Through published reports, it was cited that Shaniya’s father had primary custody of her for the last four years. However, over the course of the last six months her mother had showed that she had stable housing, and held a job. He was a father (with) wishful thinking and obviously had the best intentions for his daughter. He wanted to reunite his daughter with her mother. A dream that was very short lived! Shaniya had only been in the care of her mother for a period of three weeks before the terrible chain of events.

As a mother of a little girl, to even hear this story was devastating… and when it was announced that her body was found, I shed tears myself. My little girl sat next to me and said, “Mommy why are you crying”? I had to take a moment to get my thoughts together in order to best explain it to her. The first thought that went through my head was how could a mother be so cruel? I truly believe our jobs as parents are suppose to love, protect and defend our children from the evils of the world. There is nothing more evil for a five year old girl, than your own mother prostituting you.

And, what makes this story even sicker is not the fact that a mother would prostitute her own child, but to see video footage of a grown man carrying this innocent five year old child down a hotel hallway.

I just shook my head at this GROWN ASS MAN, carrying a child into a hotel room for sex like a groom would his bride on their honeymoon. It is just enough to make one sick.

There are so many issues that are puzzling. The first issue is beyond Shaniya’s father wanting to have his daughter bond with her mother, he had been raising her for four years. There had to be some signs subconsciously that her mother was not capable of raising her. The second issue is what was the motive for any reason beyond sheer stupidity and greed to feel that your child’s body can be expendable and put up for sale to the highest low-life bidder. And, my final issue is how and why does a grown man or anyone for that matter think that having sex with a child is remotely kosher.

Because, I am a mother that is over protective and communicates openly with her child; I have instructed my daughter to recognize when an adult is doing something shady, or that they should not be doing. I feel in many cases adults that engage in this type of behavior are going to try to prey upon the child when there is no one else around. I have taught my daughter that if she is ever in a compromising situation, to SCREAM one of all of the three following phrases: “Get the hell off me”, “What the hell are you doing”, and “What the hell would your momma say”? My daughter is seven and I had to make sure that she was in tuned with the fact that there are people in this world that are not friendly, and will try to hurt kids.

I pray for little Shaniya Davis. I feel sorry that your mommy failed you but God will take care of you! I pray that her father is able to heal from this situation. He made an honest assumption; regretful, it turned out not to be a good judgment decision. Hug your child(ren) today, as for I have hugged mine. It takes a whole village to raise a child, what are you doing to strengthen your village? God Bless.

*Please turn into April Sims and the Peace Man discussing Shaniya Davis on blogtalkradio