After seeing a commercial for a lifetime movie on the missing girl Natalie Holloway I recalled how many girls are missing an
d the constant news stories on them that have become like a nation wide soap opera. Over the years girls like Elizabeth Smart, JonBenét Ramsey, Madeline McCann and countless others have broken hearts across America due to their disappearances. I researched that around 800,000 children go missing every year so I wonder what makes these children get the national media spotlight as opposed to the 100,000’s of others. Throughout my life I do not remember seeing a missing black little girl’s face being plastered all over the national news. The message the media sends when they forget to cover a missing black girl from Harlem and instead spend all their attention on a missing white girl from an upper middle class family is that the white girl’s life has more value. It is distressing to see that missing minorities do not get as much media coverage as they deserve when in reality there are more missing minorities than Caucasians. The identity unit in class reminds me to ask if “there is any part of who I am that seems to be in conflict with society and its dominant narrative?” The answer for most students at New Trier could quite possibly be no, because the Caucasian narrative is common in the media. There is a different answer for minorities because the lives of their young don’t even seem to be recognized by American mainstream culture.
d the constant news stories on them that have become like a nation wide soap opera. Over the years girls like Elizabeth Smart, JonBenét Ramsey, Madeline McCann and countless others have broken hearts across America due to their disappearances. I researched that around 800,000 children go missing every year so I wonder what makes these children get the national media spotlight as opposed to the 100,000’s of others. Throughout my life I do not remember seeing a missing black little girl’s face being plastered all over the national news. The message the media sends when they forget to cover a missing black girl from Harlem and instead spend all their attention on a missing white girl from an upper middle class family is that the white girl’s life has more value. It is distressing to see that missing minorities do not get as much media coverage as they deserve when in reality there are more missing minorities than Caucasians. The identity unit in class reminds me to ask if “there is any part of who I am that seems to be in conflict with society and its dominant narrative?” The answer for most students at New Trier could quite possibly be no, because the Caucasian narrative is common in the media. There is a different answer for minorities because the lives of their young don’t even seem to be recognized by American mainstream culture. 
3 comments:
This is so interesting because it connects really well to my junior theme. Even though we say we are not a racist or intolerant country, there are so many subtle ways that the media in America shows African Americans that they are not as important as white people. Although this is wrong, it shows up everywhere. Magazines, television shows, and commercials. I think this is so interesting that you discovered this because I don't ever remember a black girl getting as much attention as one of these white girls that have gone missing. SO interesting.
Way to go alex! This is extremely interesting and concerning, but it makes perfect sense. I guess America is a sneaky racist nation. I also feel that this makes sense steroetypically because it will draw more sentiment out of people. I think that a lot of people would find the kidnapping of a black girl versus a white girl much more expected. When people see a little white girl they think of innocence. Is this right? Absolutely not, which is why I love this post.
Interesting post, Alex, and great discussion guys!
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