Filed under: News, Race and Civil Rights
The last time her grandmother saw her, 13-year-old Aja Stroud was leaving for school. The teen, who suffers from bipolar disorder, was living with her grandmother in Atlanta while her mother was back in Ohio caring for her own mother as she lost a battle with cancer.School officials say Aja spent the day at school but no one has seen her since. Now, Aja's mother feels Dekalb County officials are not doing enough to find her daughter:
"I don't know if she's alive or what's going on," Lonyel Cole, Aja's mother, told the Atlanta Journanal-Constitution during a recent trip to Atlanta to search for her daughter. "All I know is she's missing and nobody cares except me."
Police are treating the situation as a runaway case. Cole thinks that's improper because Stroud had no money on her and suffers from bipolar disorder.
"She cannot make any clear decisions," Cole said.
Aja's story is, unfortunately, all too common.Of the 558,000 people under the age of 18 listed as missing last year, 194,000 are black, according to FBI statistics. According to the FBI, 719,558 people were listed as missing in 2009. Statistics show that 238,847 were African American - that's a little more than 33 percent of the total. African Americans only make up 12 percent of the country's population.
Minorities accounted for more than 38 percent of the total of missing people, but it could be higher because some Hispanics and Latinos are classified as white based on appearance, according to the FBI.
The Black and Missing Foundation says black children are more likely to be considered runaway cases than kids of other ethnicities. Aja's case is eerily reminiscent to that of Mitrice Richardson. The Cal State Fullerton graduate was released from a remote police station late at night without a car, cellphone or money, after being arrested for failing to pay an $89 dinner bill.
Richardson's parents say their daughter was bipolar and there was evidence she was acting oddly before her arrest. The Richardsons complained that police were not doing enough to find their daughter as well. After complaints from the family and political pressure from Rep. Maxine Waters, police stepped up search efforts but it was too late.
Richardson's remains were found two weeks ago in the rugged Malibu Hills. Both of Richardson's parents have filed a suit against police.
Aja's grandmother said a bus driver told her that he may have recently seen her granddaughter. Meanwhile, police say they have no leads. Cole says police told her that the case is not a priority.
"I'm doing more investigation than they have during the three months," Cole said of police. "I'm coming in Atlanta blind searching around for my child."
This is where members of the community have to step up and take matters in to their own hands. We know blacks receive less media attention than other missing people. The Richardson family launched a media campaign that forced police to do more and landed their daughter on the cover of People.
Aja's family and their community support must now step up and do the same thing.
The fact that Aja is only 13, bipolar and without her medicine should move the case in to some sort of priority status.
"You have to continue your life and your day, but my mind is on my granddaughter," Carolyn Stroud said. "Who has her? Where has she been?"