Gabby Petito’s Father Advocates For Missing Black And Brown People To Take On ‘Missing White Woman Syndrome’

Taking on ‘Missing White Woman Syndrome’

Joseph was inspired to change the narrative around “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” a term created by news anchor Gwen Ifill about missing white women, and how they receive media coverage on a larger scale than missing Black and brown men and women, CNN reported.

“I did a deep dive into it,” Joseph told CNN. “I looked at popular missing persons cases and the ones that hit the mainstream all looked the same.”

Shout out to Joseph Petito, father of Gabby Pettito, for raising awareness of Black and Brown Missing persons. He’s turning his indescribable pain into hope for other families. I hope his show is picked up soon.🙏🏽

— Dr. Deborah Jenkins (@DvineExpression) December 24, 2024

‘It’s really not equal’

According to 2022 FBI data, Black people make up 13% of the U.S. population and 31% of the missing reports. In contrast, white people make up 75% of the U.S. population and accounts for 54% of missing reports.

One case in particular that Joseph plans to shed light on is Daniel Robinson, a 24-year-old Black geologist who went missing in Arizona in June 2021. His and Gabby’s disappearances were months apart, even though the news about her dominated the airwaves and other media avenues.

Despite receiving local coverage, Daniel’s father, David Robinson, said his son’s case was not taken as seriously as Gabby’s. David also said he spent months pleading with police about their search efforts to find his son.

“You wish you lived in a world where everything was equal, but it’s really not equal,” Robinson told CNN at the time.

The Gabby Petito Foundation helps families of missing Black and brown people

David has not stopped searching for his son since his disappearance. He plans to go to Arizona next year to launch a team of volunteers to search new areas and follow up with leads, per CNN. The only difference now is that Joseph is his newest ally in the search for Daniel.

Joseph is also using the Gabby Petito Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about missing people and domestic violence, to shed light on missing Black and brown people nationwide.

The foundation partners with the families of missing persons and other organizations, like the Black & Missing Foundation, that are dedicated to highlighting these cases, CNN reported.

“What Mr. Petito has done for my family, it means a lot to me,” Robinson said. “Because he had a tragedy and it’s amazing when a person can take a tragedy and make something big out of it, become an advocate and help people.”