Turning tragedy into purpose: Gabby Petito’s father advocates for missing Black and brown people
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Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN
(CNN) — When Daniel Robinson, a 24-year-old Black man, went missing in Arizona in June 2021, his father, David Robinson, spent months pleading for police to be more aggressive in their search.
Frustrated with the lack of progress, Robinson temporarily moved to Arizona, hired an independent investigator and assembled a volunteer search team to look for Daniel.
Despite local media reporting Daniel’s disappearance as early as July 9, 2021, Robinson also felt the case did not receive the necessary media coverage. At the time, America’s attention was captured by the disappearance and death of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old White woman.
“You wish you lived in a world where everything was equal, but it’s really not equal,” Robinson told CNN then.
More than three years later, Robinson is still desperately looking for Daniel. He plans to travel to Arizona next spring and assemble a team of volunteers to search new areas and follow up on leads. And he has found a new ally in his efforts — Joseph Petito, Gabby’s father.
While searching for Gabby, Petito said he was being tagged in social media posts about the term “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” which prompted him to look it up.
The term, coined by the late TV news anchor Gwen Ifill, is defined by researchers as the heavier spotlight White women and girls receive when they go missing compared to anyone outside of those demographics.
While cases of missing White women receive more focus, people of color are disappearing at disproportionate rates. According to 2022 FBI data, Black people make up 31% of missing person reports but only 13% of the US population. In contrast, White people account for 54% of missing person reports and 75% of the US population.
“I did a deep dive into it,” Petito told CNN. “I looked at popular missing persons cases and the ones that hit the mainstream all looked the same.”
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Petito is on a mission to change that.
He has spent the last three years advocating for missing Black and brown people through the Gabby Petito Foundation, a nonprofit that strives to raise awareness of missing people and prevent domestic violence.
The foundation partners with families of missing Black and brown people, as well as groups dedicated to raising awareness of these cases, such as the Black & Missing Foundation.
Petito has become a strong advocate in the search for Daniel, Robinson said.
The fathers communicate regularly and have spoken at Crimecon — a gathering of true crime experts and fans — sharing their stories. Petito has also attended virtual events held in honor of Daniel.
“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.”
Petito is currently working on a television series called “Faces of the Missing,” which will highlight dozens of unsolved missing persons cases he says have received little media coverage.
“We are going to do all demographics,” Petito said. “But we want to keep it consistent with the way people are represented from a proportionate perspective.
“There’s a lot of work that can be done and a lot of families that can be helped, regardless of their color,” he added.
Petito also wants the series to combat the police classification of “runaway” for people who are reported missing, he said. Black families and advocates have previously told CNN authorities often suggest their missing loved ones ran away from home.
“Unless you speak to the person specifically, they cannot be labeled a runaway,” Petito said. “Any label other than ‘missing’ is wrong.”
Derrica Wilson, co-founder of Black & Missing, said she applauds Petito for using his platform to advocate for more media attention on missing people of color.
Petito’s foundation, she said, has become an ally of Black & Missing. Wilson and Petito have spoken on panels and podcasts together. In 2023, Wilson said the Gabby Petito Foundation donated $15,000 to her organization.
Wilson said joining forces with other foundations only helps increase the chances of all families reuniting with their missing loved ones.
“We’ve always said that missing persons isn’t a Black issue, it’s not a White issue, it’s a human rights issue,” Wilson said. “Regardless of race, gender and ZIP code everyone who is missing matters.”