+11/2/21

Gabby Petito and Missing White Woman

Syndrome

By: Michael Ybarra

Photo Courtesy: mmiwresources.carrd.co

On September 11, 2021, 22-year old Gabby Petito was reported missing by her family
after going on a camping trip with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie. Eight days later, her remains
were found in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. In the wake of her disappearance, the
Internet seemed to be set ablaze. From the FBI to Dog the Bounty Hunter, the whole country
appeared hellbent on tracking down Ms. Petito’s suspected killer. #gabbypetito began trending
on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook as people spread awareness of the situation and
helped support Ms. Petito’s family. Recently, Laundrie’s remains were found by the FBI and the
Petito family held a funeral service for Ms. Petito on September 26.
The fact that this tragedy happened in the first place is considered horrific and
heartbreaking. Fortunately, the FBI was able to recover her body, the public knows her story,
and the Petito family has created a foundation dedicated to spreading awareness of cases similar
to Ms. Petito’s and donating money to organizations that help victims of domestic abuse.
However, the same cannot be said for thousands of women of color that go missing every year.
In fact, this case highlights a phenomenon known as Missing White Woman Syndrome. The
term, coined by journalist Gwen Ifill, refers to a phenomenon when the media amplifies the
disappearances of white women compared to women of color.
According to the National Public Radio (NPR), the National Crime Information Center
has reported that over 268,884 women and girls were reported missing in 2020 in America.
About 34% of those women and girls identified as black. Meanwhile, 59% of those missing
women and girls were white. Black females make up around 15% of the US female population,
while non-black females account for 75% of the US female population. Note that non-black also
includes women and girls who identify as Hispanic/Latina.
To add salt to the wound, over 400 Indigenous women and girls have been reported
missing in Wyoming, the same state that Gabby Petito went missing in, from 2011 to the fall of
2020. Indigenous people consist of less than 3% of the state’s population and yet only 18% of
the Indigenous female victims received news coverage. In contrast, 51% of white victims were
reported in the media.
Nevertheless, there are strong-willed people out there working diligently to ensure that
these missing women are noticed. For example, California journalist Erika Marie Rivers created
the website Our Black Girls in 2018 to bring cases of missing black women and girls to the
public eye that otherwise would be forgotten.
In an interview with NPR, Rivers said, “And I know that there are a lot of stories like that
about girls and women who look like me, so why am I not seeing them as much as I’m seeing
everything else? And then it became, why am I waiting for somebody else to pick up this banner
when I’m the one who’s passionate about it?”
When NPR asked her about the disproportionate news coverage between missing white
women and women of color, Rivers replied that it’s not about being in “competition” with white
people, but rather it’s about other groups receiving the same attention as white victims and
having their lives honored in the same ways.
She elaborated that investigations on missing women of color should be on the same level
as white women, especially black and Indigenous women. She believes that when that message
is told it says, ‘Hey, we exist as well.’ It’s not to say to stop searching for white women but to
give the same energy to missing people of color.
To those who want to be a part of the solution, Rivers suggests being informed on what’s
occurring and sharing the information with others. There are other websites dedicated to
bringing the stories of missing people of color like the Black and Missing Foundation and Native
Womens Wilderness. However, Rivers urges people not to sensationalize these tragedies.
Finally, Rivers states, “...these were actual human beings with families and with hopes
and dreams and purpose. These are real humans that laughed, smiled, and did not expect to not
see tomorrow, did not expect to vanish off the face of the Earth. And I want to make sure they
are respected and honored.”