Opinion: Justice for Jelani
posted by Ty Hamer-Yelverton | October 19, 2021 | In News, OpinionThere is a time to be silent and time to speak. It is about time for this contributor to speak up for those who have no voice (Proverbs 31:8). Let’s talk about the poor coverage in the mass media when Jelani Day was reported missing and later his body was found floating in the Illinois River.
Jelani Day was a 25-year-old graduate student at Illinois State University (ISU). Day graduated from Alabama A&M University and was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He was reported missing on August 24, 2021.
While the nation paid attention to the missing report of Gabby Petito, who was reported missing on September 17, 2021 and found within two days, Jelani only received social media coverage and some local coverage of his missing report, which was during the time of Gabby Petito’s missing report.
The amount of time in between was 24 days, which is outrageous.
Black News Channel (BNC) interviewed Jelani Day’s mother, Carmen Bolden Day. Day’s mother claims that the FBI’s resources and efforts into “finding Gabby” should be the same for finding Jelani.
I can say if it was not for Instagram, I would have never known about Jelani Day’s case. That should say a lot about the media and its coverage of Day, who was found dead last month, September 23, 2021.
In the words of Carmen Day, “Jelani matters. He may not matter to them, but Jelani matters to me.”
As a young black man who attends a HBCU, it was imperative for me to write this piece. Jelani deserved better. My heart and prayers go out to family during this difficult time.
Justice for Jelani Day!
Photo courtesy of Alan Levine
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