California Dems Pass Bill That Establishes A ‘Blacks Only’ Amber Alert System

Daphne Moon 1 1 min read

California Gov. Gavin Newsom sparked a debate this past Sunday by signing Senate Bill 673, known as the “Ebony Alert” law, into law. This new law will allow the California Highway Patrol to activate an alert specifically for missing black people aged 12 to 25, NBC News reported.

The move immediately drew criticism from many, including some on social media, who saw this move as an example of politicians consistently working to divide Americans. One Twitter user said, “What will they follow this up next with? Priority service for Black’s on busses? How about medical attention? California is pretty racist.”

The bill’s author, Democratic Sen. Steven Bradford, defended the law, saying it will “give police a new tool to help bring home missing Black youth & Black women!” adding that it “will also raise public awareness about the disproportionate numbers of Black missing persons.”

The number of Black people reported missing in the United States far exceeds that of their white counterparts. According to the National Crime Information Center, investigative cases involving African Americans in 2020 accounted for 34.2% of all cases, 4.6 percentage points higher than any other demographic.

But even with this disparity, many disagree that singling out Black people by creating a segregated alert system is the right answer. “What’s next? A ‘Ginger Alert’ for missing red-headed children?” an AI-generated line from a spoofed “Curb Your Enthusiasm” script asked, pointing out that if governments want to solve the issue of missing people, they should focus on making a more comprehensive alert system for all.

Critics of the law have argued that it could also lead to a false assumption that missing people of color and white people are always vanishing under different circumstances, which could lead to fewer resources for cases involving whites.

While Senate Bill 673 may have been intended to bring more attention to the issue of missing people of color, many believe that segregation like this won’t solve the underlying problem of racism in the criminal justice system.

“This law is a symbolic gesture that does precious little to combat the comprehensive racism that keeps Black and brown people from being successful in America,” said Jay Hernandez, a criminal justice reform advocate. “We need to start having real conversations about what we as individuals can do to make a difference.”

Tell me again how Democrats are supposed to be the ‘pro-unity party’? I’ve never witnessed anything but division from that lot.

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