Precious Doe/Rilya Wilson

The African American/Ethnic people of the United States of America are insulted and outraged at the broadcast media's lack of coverage for missing African American/Ethnic children. Over the years, the media has flooded our homes with pictures and video footage of missing and murdered Caucasian children and has failed consistently to give the same media coverage to the African American/Ethnic community. On the Today Show, one day after a missing 6-yr. old African American girl was found murdered 2 days after being reported missing in Philadelphia, the Today Show felt that this child's life was not worthy of even a mention. If they did mention it, those who blinked missed it. However, we received an update every 30 minutes on the trial of the man held in the Van Dam childs murder and, also, a daily report on the murdered Runnion child out of California, not to mention the missing Smart teenager out of Utah. Obviously, the media feels that our African American/Ethnic childrens lives are insignificant, valueless and not newsworthy enough in comparison to the Caucasian missing and murdered children. I highly commend Alonzo Washington who addressed this issue on the Phil Donahue Show on Friday, August 9th, and the fact that Donahue had to agree that this is true. I am outraged at our African American/Ethnic anchor persons who will comment on how sad and tragic it is when a Caucasian child is kidnapped and murdered (and it is) and yet not speak out publicly against their stations' lack of coverage and media attention within their own race. In the Runnion case, the national media worked together to give out the description of the man and his vehicle as it was coming in over the wires and even commented that they wanted to get this information to the public as quick as possible to try to find this child before harm could come to her. However, in Philadelphia, two weeks ago when a 7-yr. old African American child was kidnapped, the family was receiving ransom calls, and there was a description of one of the kidnappers and the vehicle, the national media did not come together with the same intensity to get this information to the public to find this child before harm could come to her. Fortunately, this young child had the courage and strength to save herself. The message that the national media is sending to our communities is being heard loud and clear; and it is now time that we, as the African American/Ethnic community be heard loud and clear by flooding the media, especially the Today Show and Good Morning America, with this Petition and demand that our children receive the same media attention provided to the Caucasian community or we will boycott viewing their programs in our homes. This Petition is in memory of Precious Doe, the unknown child found decapitated in Missouri and Rilya Wilson, the Miami child who has been missing for two years, and who are representative of all of our murdered and missing African American/Ethnic children. This Petition is also an extension of Alonzo Washington's quest to bring attention to this lack of media coverage to all African American/Ethnic missing and murdered children. Please sign this Petition and keep the message moving that all children, no matter your race, creed, color or stature in life, holds promise for our future, hope for tomorrow and when missing will be searched for with the same intensity and passion afforded to any Caucasian child. Keep the message moving.