Is Racism Alive and Well and Living in Florida?
Is Racism Alive and Well and Living in Florida? January 24th a pretty blonde haired 24 year old woman disappears while going to mail a package. Seventeen days later the media is still inundated with reports daily on this missing persons case. Without even mentioning her name her pictures and details that surround her case flash across your mind. While on February 6th a 30 year old pregnant woman vanishes and no one knows about her. I am referring to Ali Lisha Gilmore. Name still doesn’t ring a bell? That is because there are no planned searches, no posters covering every inch of Florida and only 3 newspaper stories. Her picture or the circumstances around her disappearance don’t flash across your mind. Is it because she doesn’t have blonde hair and blue eyes? Ali is African American and just as loved and missed as Jennifer Kesse. And yet we don’t see a daily barrage of attention for her. When I post a missing person on my site the one thing that never pops into my mind is what color is the person. I am baffled by the prejudices that to this day are still evident in the media’s reporting of Missing People. If you are elderly with medical problems and missing you rate a brief write up on the local TV station websites or paper. But within days unless they are found deceased the public never hears about them again. I like to think I stay pretty up to date on any and all missing people. And I post them accordingly based on age. Adults go in our Endangered /Missing Adults forum. Children who are considered abducted go in the Current Amber and Missing Children Alerts forum. And Endangered Runaways have their own section that everyone can view. We don’t have separate sections based on the color of their skin so why is the media so biased. After doing this for awhile now the pattern of who gets publicity and who doesn’t is very clear. The younger, prettier and white you are the better chance you have to being picked up by mainstream media. Do the families of missing people care what the color of their loved one is, of coarse not they love them and want them found safe so they can be reunited. I was raised to believe it is never the color of a persons skin that defines them or makes them superior so why is Jennifer’s case more important than Ali’s? Ali is 4 months pregnant and according to the Tallahassee Police Department there are no leads, no evidence, no witnesses, nothing to tell them what happened to this Department of Health employee. I like to think we are all equal in the eyes of the media but it is as clear as black and white that we aren’t. What can be done to change this injustice? Bring it to the forefront so the public knows it is happening. I’m hoping this story will do just that. Ali Lisha Gilmore, 30 years old, 5’6”, weighs 180 pounds, is 4 months pregnant and missing.

Oh I agree Florida isn't the only place this happens. I just used them as an example with the recent missing who have made big headlines there. Like Olga who vanished,her husband rented a helicopter twice. That made headlines. For adults there seems to be a double standard. Unless you are elderly or have a life threatening illness you get very little press. And even then it is more like an honorable mention and then nothing. Or your story is picked up by the online bloggers and then you finally get attention. Why does it have to be this way? They are ALL important!

In the posts we do have of her in Missing/Endangered Adults it says she was last physically seen on the 3rd,and reported missing on the 6th. Looking through her records or not the police put out a plea for information and yet her story hasn't been picked up like others. So how will people know IF they do or don't have information when she is virtually unknown. This has struck a bad cord with me.

Thanks sand. I sure hope so. Any word on the two girls down your way yet?

That is another pet peeve of mine. Runaways. They are under 17, away from home. Missing is missing I don't care what the situation is. They need more press too. Why are so many of our children turning up dead? Lack of attention in the media. A note, a fight doesn't matter gone is gone. They deserve our help as much as anyone else does. Yet they are forgotten and never reported til they are found deceased.

From our Blog Ali Lisha Gilmore is still Missing in the Media. Sad to say that there is still not one new story on pregnant 30 year old Ali Gilmore. While getting updates on Jennifer, which there were plenty including the SWAT Team being called in, I searched those sites which had at least 20 stories on Jennifer for even one on Ali. I wasn’t surprised to find none. So in my frustration I sent each station a copy of my original post. And I added it was a sad state of affairs in this day and age where money and prestige decide who gets press and who doesn’t. As I rant I hope you realize I am referring to adult victims. Children have a much better chance especially if they are lucky enough to qualify for an AMBER Alert. But I won’t go there right now. I don’t believe Florida is racist, many states play this who ever has the biggest wallet wins game. But especially during Black History month most media outlets like to prove they believe we are all created equal on their outlet. And tend to post more black oriented stories. We aren’t stupid or blind we know they compete in that manner. So why pass up the perfect story. An attractive black woman, vanishes without a single clue and is 4 months pregnant. They usually salivate over tragedies such as this. Don’t get me wrong I do not for one second find any pleasure in the fact that Ali is missing. Also I am not trying to take away from the fact the Jennifer is missing, in my eyes she too is Important. For one reason, like many of the Missing People, she did not choose for this to happen to her. What I am hoping is that someone who reads this will be as infuriated as I am and help bring her story to the front page where it belongs. I look at Ali’s picture and I see someone who is loved and missed. I see sisters who cry uncontrollably at her candle light vigil begging for help. Missing her inspirational emails each day that lifted them spiritually and emotionally. Now my question: What do you see? Most important what do the media moguls see? Do they see her at all?