California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law, known as SB 673, that aims to address the disparity in missing persons cases involving Black youth and young women. The law, which will go into effect on January 1, 2024, establishes the Ebony Alert, a notification system that will be used to inform the public about incidents involving missing Black children and young people between the ages of 12 and 25. The alert system will be activated by the California Highway Patrol upon request from local law enforcement when a Black youth or young woman is reported missing under suspicious or unexplained circumstances, is considered at risk, developmentally disabled, cognitively impaired, or has been abducted.

State Senator Steven Bradford, a Democrat and the sponsor of the legislation, expressed the importance of the Ebony Alert in bringing home missing Black children and women. He stated that the alert system will ensure that vital resources and attention are given to these cases, similar to the way we search for any missing person. Bradford described the disproportionate representation of Black children and young women on the lists of missing persons as a "heartbreaking and painful" public crisis that the Ebony Alert can help change.

The Ebony Alert will function similarly to the existing Amber Alert system. The California Highway Patrol will have the authority to activate the alert within a designated geographic area, as requested by the investigating law enforcement agency. The alert messages may be disseminated through highway signs and various news outlets, including television, cable, online, radio, and social media platforms.

The creation of the Ebony Alert in California follows the establishment of the first alert system for missing Indigenous people in Washington in 2022. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System reported that there are currently over 23,000 missing persons cases open in the United States.

The Ebony Alert legislation aims to address the disparities in missing persons cases involving Black individuals. Advocacy groups and policymakers have criticized the Amber Alert system for often overlooking missing Black children. According to the Black and Missing Foundation, at least 39% of children reported missing in the United States in 2022 were Black. The foundation highlighted the initial classification of minority children as runaways, resulting in them not receiving Amber Alerts. Similarly, missing minority adults are often labeled as associated with criminal involvement in gangs and drugs.

The Ebony Alert legislation was authored by State Senator Steven Bradford and supported by the NAACP California Hawaii State Conference. Rick Callender, the conference president, described the signing of the law as a historic breakthrough that guarantees attention and protection for missing Black children and young women. The law aims to mitigate racial inequities when it comes to missing Black individuals.

The Ebony Alert system will expand on the age range covered by Amber Alerts, encompassing individuals aged 12 to 25. It will also prioritize young Black women who are at a higher risk of being victims of sex trafficking. Berry Accius, the founder of Voice of the Youth, a Sacramento-based nonprofit youth mentoring and motivational speaking program, emphasized the urgency and need for attention that the Ebony Alert will provide.

The California Highway Patrol and the state Office of Emergency Services will now work on implementing and launching the Ebony Alert system, which is expected to be a game changer in addressing missing persons cases involving Black youth and young women.