# data[].attributes.body
"The media shows a clear preference for covering true crime cases involving white (and often beautiful) women"

- A book list that emphasizes  missing and murdered people of color for a wide range of ages.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The true crime genre, though it's been around for a long time, has exploded in popularity recently. Especially with the rise of true crime podcasts like My Favorite Murder and Serial and True Crime Garage, among many, many others.

But it's no secret the genre has a major discrepancy in the cases that are covered. While there seem to be dozens of books about white serial killers and white victims, the market is lacking in books written by or about people of color.

The media's coverage of these cases reflects this divide, too. While not limited to the recent Gabby Petito case, the media shows a clear preference for covering true crime cases involving white (and often beautiful) women while those about missing and murdered Indigenous and Black women and men get little. This is certainty not the fault of the victims, nor is it a plea to stop covering these cases. But it is a problem. A lack of coverage means a lack of crowdsourcing, of resources, and of general awareness about the injustices committed against people of color.

If you're a true crime book lover, here are books about missing and murdered Black, Indigenous, and people of color to start diversifying your bookshelves. Most are nonfiction, but there are a few fiction options as well, if that's more your speed.

Nonfiction

By signing up you agree to our terms of use

Fiction

Missing Nimama by Melanie Florence and Francois Thisdale

For further reading on missing and murdered people of color, I suggest the website Our Black Girls that shares the under-represented cases of missing and murdered Black women and these five books about missing and murdered Indigenous women.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
9 Essential Books About Missing and Murdered People of Color

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The true crime genre, though it's been around for a long time, has exploded in popularity recently. Especially with the rise of true crime podcasts like My Favorite Murder and Serial and True Crime Garage, among many, many others. But it's no secret the genre has a major discrepancy in the cases that are covered.

# data[].attributes.body
"A show that reveals, the worst monsters are real"

- This case, "Is one of the most disturbing examples of what humanity can become"

- Michele Blair. The one who killed her two children, and made the other children help place them in a freezer where they were kept for months.

- Neighbor's interviewed. "I would have taken them and found something to do for all of us that was better than that."

- very bad relationship with the father of the kids, fathers also were not the best people (Both owed thousand's of dollars)

- "These children were covered in scars, a clear sign that their lives had been, up until now, a tortuous hell of extreme violence."

- "I meant to. I definitely meant to. and I do not feel ANY remorse for what I did to stoni."

- Claimed that all of her children were very dysfunctional. Her child Stoni raped the other two children and threatening them to hide the truth from Michelle.

- "I do not claim Stephen and Stoni as my children... they are demons Period".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Something is very wrong when two children can disappear from society for two years and not a single person notices or cares. This is the tale of how violence breeds violence and the most vulnerable among us are the ones who suffer because of it. The...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Something is very wrong when two children can disappear from society for two years and not a single person notices or cares. This is the tale of how violence breeds violence and the most vulnerable among us are the ones who suffer because of it. The...

# data[].attributes.body
- #MissingDCgirls is a hashtag that helped raise awareness of missing black and latinx teenagers within Washington DC

- The hashtag got taken out of context and gives society an inaccurate belief that there has been a surge in missing persons cases just now, but there has been for decades. The hashtag gives awareness to this ongoing problem.

- Important to show what was sparked by this real world case

"Of the 22 missing juveniles, 18 are under the age of 15, and all of them are black or Latinx."

- the numbers of missing children decreased significantly since 2001

- "Overall missing persons cases has dropped by more than 1,000 reported cases from 2012-2016"

- One study found that out of 173 Amber Alerts issued in 2010, 47 percent were for white children while only 30 percent were for black children.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
#MissingDCGirls: how a seldom-discussed social issue became a social media flashpoint

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Children of color go missing more often than white children, but their cases receive less news coverage.

# data[].attributes.body
Based off of a true story, Tiffany's friend was not in school for two weeks with a sprained ankle. “When your whole world is missing and you are missing your person, it plagues you.”
- Gentrification, When a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people, displacing current inhabitants in the process.
-"When black kids go missing, it’s like we’re not human, we get a paragraph on page five that’s it"

“Start asking questions”

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In her YA thriller Monday's Not Coming, author Tiffany D. Jackson spins a tale of murder, neglect, and systemic racism, all told through the lens of a middle school aged girl. When Claudia's best friend, Monday, goes missing, it feels like she's the only one who's noticed she's gone. Everyone tells her to mind her own business, to stop snooping around. But she knows something is wrong. When she finally finds someone to help her investigate Monday's disappearance, she unearths some painful, shocking secrets about her best friend's life.
Click here to buy.
Monday's story is fictional. Unfortunately, it's inspired by very real events: When black girls go missing throughout the country, they're disappearances are often ignored by police, the media, and even their own communities. This epidemic led to the creation of the hashtag #MissingDCGirls in 2017.

Tiffany D. Jackson knew she wanted to address this injustice in her new thriller - and she succeeded in drawing attention to the problem through the wrenching, painful story of Monday and Claudia's desperate search for her. I asked Jackson about what cases specifically inspired Monday's Not Coming and how she ensured that her writing did justice to the victims of these crimes and injustices - black girls.

Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson, $9, Amazon Bustle: Can you tell us about the true story that inspired Monday's Not Coming?
Monday's Not Coming is based on two real cases of missing children - one that took place in Washington, D.C and one that took place in Detroit. Hard to point to the cases without ruining the ending of the book but both cases involved children who had been missing for up to two years, yet no one noticed [they were missing] until their bodies were found.
What elements from the real story (or stories) did you incorporate into your novel?
I incorporated the way kids slip through the cracks in the system, the way there is no immediate sense of urgency when black teen girls go missing, and lifted parts of their tragic end. I also focused on the media bias when it comes to reporting about missing white children vs. missing children of color. Coincidentally, when I turned in the book to my editor, the hashtag #missinggirlsDC had just gone viral.

"I incorporated the way kids slip through the cracks in the system, the way there is no immediate sense of urgency when black teen girls go missing..."
Do you feel that authors have a special responsibility to the victims of the crimes when their books are inspired by events that happened to them or their families?
It's crucial for authors to not only respect the victims but also respect the families by doing solid research and making their stories appropriately different. Additionally, in all of my school talks and book chats, I make it a point to teach kids the difference between 'based on' vs. 'inspired by' so that readers are fully aware my books are not the carbon copy of someone's tragedy.
The conversation in true crime, horror, and thrillers has lately turned in the direction of the trope of the "dead girl" and how, too often, dead girls and women function as plot points for the emotional growth of male characters. Do you feel a need to subvert that trope? And if so, how do you so in your books?
At first, I honestly thought the conversation was a bit over-reaching. But then a friend referenced the way Hae Min Lee was treated in the Serial podcast, how it focused solely on proving Adnan Syed innocence and not on a beautiful life violently taken too soon. I realized, more often more than not, girls become nothing more props in a story. They're not the elephant in the room, they're merely pieces of living room furniture you can easily overlook, subsequently taking away their humanity and detaching us emotionally. Also, we never think about the victim's family or friends or the way their catastrophic loss plagues them, almost daily.

"I realized, more often more than not, girls become nothing more props in a story. They're not the elephant in the room, they're merely pieces of living room furniture you can easily overlook..."

I prefer to give my victims an unforgettably strong voice, either through their own words or through the people who loved them, allowing readers to know them inside and out, so they're not just a body on a page. In Monday's Not Coming, I used flashbacks to reveal how Monday and Claudia's friendship developed over time, so that when Monday is missing, you truly feel Claudia's loss more than you would have if you never knew Monday.
What are some books, movies, or podcasts based on a true story that you always recommend to friends?
Atlanta Monster is an in-depth look into the infamous Atlanta Child Murders, which occurred between 1979 and 1981 with over 25 victims. The podcasts speaks to the racial bias happening in Atlanta around that time and how it affected the community. Also and Sword and Scale. (Hint: Episode 67 of Sword and Scale is the Detroit case my book is based on.)
This interview has been edited for clarity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
This Book Puts The Spotlight On Missing Black Girls Who've Been Ignored By Police

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In her YA thriller Monday's Not Coming, author Tiffany D. Jackson spins a tale of murder, neglect, and systemic racism, all told through the lens of a middle school aged girl. When Claudia's best friend, Monday, goes missing, it feels like she's the...

# data[].attributes.body
- The actual case that was loosely inspired off of the book "Monday's not Coming".

-"a case that prompted intense scrutiny of the city’s child-welfare system."

- Sprouted change, those who sued agreed to donate part of the money to Safe Shores (non profit dedicated to needs of abused and neglected children).
The real case overall
- 2.6 million dollar lawsuit because of the deaths of four children, killed by their mother Banita Jacks.

- The children were found January 9th, 2008, in the jack's apartment building. Pathologists stated they have been dead for at least seven months.

- Oldest stabbed, other three had been beaten and strangled

- Then-Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) said they had not responded properly to a school social worker’s warnings about Jacks in 2007.

# data[].attributes.body
-Gabby Petito case blew up in August 22, it "put a renewed spotlight on the inequality coverage of missing people"

-Natalie and Derica have had a mission for 13 years to help bring coverage to people of color's missing case's

-"Missing white woman syndrome"

- The Wilson's established a thing called the Black missing foundation nonprofit in 2008. Mission "help us find us"

- "A game changer" helped find a missing child by spreading the news more, found a connection that saved her life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
how two maryland women work to raise awareness about missing black people - cnn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How two Maryland women work to raise awareness about missing Black people

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When the disappearance and death of Gabby Petito blew up social media and flooded TV screens in August, the case put a renewed spotlight on the inequity in coverage of missing people of color.

# data[].attributes.body
-When black girls go missing throughout the country, they're disappearances are often ignored by police, the media, and even their own communities. This epidemic led to the creation of the hashtag #MissingDCGirls in 2017.”

- The focus of media bias and how it impacts the awareness of the missing person. Coverage on black vs white children

-“I incorporated the way kids slip through the cracks in the system, the way there is no immediate sense of urgency when black teen girls go missing, and lifted parts of their tragic end.”

-"Girls become nothing more than props in a story.”

- What sparked the book (One reason). Tiffany wanted to give her victims the strong voice to tell their stories in any way they can, giving readers the emotions they once had. "Not just a body on a page"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Missing Children, Gentrification, & Mental Health: Tiffany D. Jackson on Monday’s Not Coming

# data[].attributes.body
After hearing the details within the actual case this book was based off of and the depth of each and every missing persons case was brutal. "Monday's not Coming" was the most heart shattering book I have ever read (and the first time I cried from a book). It brought me real awareness of the feeling of hopelessness that is endured when your loved ones go missing. We watch Claudia go through her bestfriend's disappearance once, looking for many answer's desperately. And end with learning that this was all PTSD, her reliving the time in eighth grade she actually found out she was missing. The relation to the real life case (Michelle Blair) was that in the end when she is out of her PTSD episode, she realizes that Monday was killed and stored in a freezer for months; just like two of Michelle's children. Researching the connection to both and really feeling the nonfiction aspect of this book  This case is angering and disheartening and I would not recommend listening to the podcast, it made me very disheartened. Overall, I think the analysis and depth I got the opportunity to take in this project was very helpful to my understanding of the objective of the entire assignment. I am glad I got to read because I normally hate it, but this book inspired me to give it another try, because of the importance of some novels theme's.

# data[].attributes.body
- "It's all about the way you look at it. You got to decide what something is or isn't. It may have been buzzing, but I just decided it's humming. Someone is just humming a song in my ear, a pretty song" (Jackson 368).
This is by far my favorite quote in the book. This is the moment where Claudia gets to relate with someone on the PTSD of the past, and reflect on ways to help overcome it. This line, said by a neighbor of Monday, was helpful to move forward. After this encounter, she gets back into the car with Micheal and plays her dad's album "With Monday humming along" (Jackson 368).

"No one ever tells you kissing is like an explosion of colors, bright and blinding." (263)
Although this quote may not seem important to the entire book, in my eyes it was huge. This is after an encounter with Claudia and her possible new love interest, Micheal. He helps Claudia overcome the pain of losing her best friend, and she knew she could always confide in him. This helped ease Claudi back into reality and find a new way to life before and after her episode

"Without Monday, there seemed to be an infinite amount of space inside our bubble. I could run in circles without bumping into myself" (193)

This ties into the entire focus of my project and how amazing of a job Tiffany Jackson did at showing how it feels to be away from your other half. It brings awareness to the true feelings and helps the current issue of missing people not being acknowledged. It also shows why 100% this book should be on the list that I showed in the "now" folder.