An Ebony Alert is an emergency notification system designed to help law enforcement locate missing Black children, youths, and young adults (typically ages 12 to 25) who are missing under suspicious or unexplained circumstances or who may be at risk due to mental or physical disabilities. It functions similarly to an Amber Alert but specifically addresses cases involving Black youth, aiming to counteract the historical neglect and disparity in attention these cases often receive. The alert can be activated by law enforcement in some U.S. states like California, where it disseminates information widely via social media, highway signs, and media outlets to aid in the safe recovery of missing Black persons. This alert system recognizes the disproportionate rates at which Black children go missing and seeks to ensure timely and equitable response to these cases.
