Bishop T.D. Jakes, senior pastor at The Potter’s House of Dallas, Inc. and Codeblack Entertainment, announce their joint support of the Black and Missing Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization that brings awareness to missing persons of color. According to recent statistics, persons of color make up an estimated 40 percent of missing people in the United States. Of that 85 percent were Black – far greater than their approximately 13 percent share of the U.S. population and yet they were the subject of fewer than 23 percent of all news reports.
The collaboration was created as a campaign to support the April 13 theatrical release of Woman Thou Art Loosed!: On the 7th Day, produced by T.D. Jakes and distributed by Codeblack Entertainment. The film’s plot elements deal with the impact of abduction on an African-American family. Outreach offered at The Potter’s House along with the vital information and awareness championed by the Black and Missing Foundation, Inc. created an opportunity to form a relationship to address the issue of abduction in the film and the lack of media coverage when persons of color are reported missing.
Black and Missing Foundation, Inc. (BAM FI) was established as a non-profit organization, by a veteran law enforcement official and public relations specialist, whose mission is to bring awareness to missing persons of color, provide vital resources and tools to missing person’s families and friends and to educate the minority community on personal safety.
“African Americans are unlikely to receive a national alert or to be featured in the media when their loved ones go missing,” said Bishop T.D. Jakes. “In an effort to bring awareness and help turn the tide on these daunting statistics, Codeblack Entertainment and The Potter’s House are helping to bring this issue to the forefront.”
To do just that, The Potter’s House has created a multi-tiered relationship. BAM FI will be featured at the popular MEGA TOTZ and MEGA KIDZ conferences held June 29th and 30th and July 19th-21st, respectively. At both conferences, the foundation will be able to present safety workshops as well as provide child identification kits so that families are prepared in a crisis. The Potter’s House Center for Counseling and Behavioral Health has joined the efforts and will be listed as a resource for BAM FI clients and will be open to serve individuals and families referred by the trailblazing foundation. Additional efforts will increase awareness through scheduled posts and campaigns via Facebook, Twitter and in-house correspondence to all five churches under The Potter’s House umbrella.
Additionally, Codeblack Entertainment will help further awareness, education and support of BAM FI through a variety of traditional, non-traditional and social media marketing efforts.
“It is so important to educate our community on this issue, especially since an overwhelming number of missing persons in the United States are of color,” said Derrica Wilson, co-founder, Black and Missing Foundation, Inc. “We are so pleased that The Potter’s House along with Bishop T.D. Jakes and Codeblack Entertainment will use their platform to help find our missing men, women and children.”
The Foundation asserts that relationships with organizations are key, but that any effort can help bring a loved one home.
“Together we can find the thousands of individuals missing from our communities and bring them home or provide much needed closure for their families,” said Natalie Wilson, co-founder, Black and Missing Foundation, Inc. “We can all play a part-big or small- in addressing this issue.”
To learn more about Black And Missing Foundation, Inc. and for profiles of missing individuals, throughout the nation, as well as news, information, and tips, please visit BAM FI’s web site: www.bamfi.org.
