Missing black toddler case gets little attention

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Despite detectives' pleas to national media, the disappearance of an 18-month-old black child with a wide smile has yet to grab the widespread attention given to other missing children's cases. Some advocates say the reason may be as simple as the toddler's gender -- and his race.

Amir Jennings, who hasn't been reported seen since he was on surveillance video in November with his mother in South Carolina, nearly a year ago, has registered as scarcely a blip on the nation's consciousness.

"Media has always leaned toward the cute little kids," said Monica Caison of the Wilmington, N.C.-based CUE Center for Missing Persons. "And unfortunately, a lot of times they think cute little kids are white."

Amir's mother, Zinah Jennings, was convicted Friday on a charge related to his disappearance and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

According to the Justice Department, about 800,000 children a year are reported missing in the United States. Nearly all reported missing to the police -- almost 99 percent -- are returned home alive. More than half of those are white, while about 150,000 are black, and 164,000 are Hispanic.

Amir's body has not been found, and police have said they fear foul play was involved in his disappearance. It's the uncertainty of his fate that could play a role in the lack of widespread attention, said Jacqueline Fish, a former law officer and current criminal justice professor at Charleston Southern University.

"Someone needs to be brought to justice," Fish said. "In Amir's case, they can't be out for justice because we don't know what happened to him."