Led by members of Mary Baldwin University’s Black Student Alliance (BSA), more than 150 people are expected to paint their faces with a date that marks when a black or Hispanic child was reported missing in America. Mary Baldwin faculty, staff, and students are invited to bring information about a missing minority child with them to the Nuthouse from 7 to 11:30 a.m. on October 15 if they wish to participate in the event, which aims to increase awareness about the mainstream media’s lack of attention to these cases, say event organizers.
BSA members were inspired to take action based on recent studies that indicate that race is a factor in how much media coverage a missing child case receives. A report from Ohio State University revealed that African-American and Hispanic children represent more than 65 percent of child abductions in the United States, but that minority cases receive just 20 percent of the media coverage of missing children.
The event will culminate with a candlelight ceremony and guest speaker at 7 p.m. in Hunt Dining Hall (West). Members of the community with ties to missing children have been invited to the ceremony, which is open to the public and will include remarks from Virginia State Police Officer First Sergeant K. Scott Downs.