A new report by the United Nations (UN) reveals that femicide—the most extreme form of violence against women and girls—is still pervasive globally. Black

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Nearly one-third of children reported missing in the United States are Black, despite Black individuals making up only about 14% of the population. This overrepresentation highlights systemic issues, including higher vulnerability to trafficking, poverty, housing instability, and overplacement in foster care. The Amber Alert system, while effective for some cases, often excludes Black children who are disproportionately labeled as runaways due to implicit or explicit biases, limiting their access to widespread public notifications and reducing recovery chances. In response, states like California (which implemented its Ebony Alert program in January 2024), Pennsylvania, Alabama, and Massachusetts are proposing or advancing Ebony Alerts tailored to missing children of color, particularly Black youth. These alerts use similar dissemination methods as Amber Alerts but with adjusted criteria, such as 'unexplained and suspicious circumstances,' to ensure equitable treatment. A law professor's analysis, co-authored with an attorney, suggests Ebony Alerts could help address these gaps, though they raise constitutional questions under equal protection clauses and strict scrutiny following recent Supreme Court rulings on race-conscious policies. The authors argue that protecting children's well-being is a compelling state interest and propose reforms to the Amber system itself, including holistic case evaluations, broader risk definitions, and shifting the burden of proof in decision-making to reduce bias. While not a complete solution, these proposals aim to correct racially unequal outcomes in child safety systems.