Beyond the Headlines: Black Girl Missing is a true crime documentary that sheds light on the cases of two young black women, Phoenix Coldon and Unique Harris, who have gone missing. The film explores the families' desperate search for their loved ones and the challenges they face while trying to navigate a system that is often biased against people of color.
Phoenix Coldon, a 23-year-old aspiring musician from Missouri, went missing on December 18, 2011. Her car was found abandoned in front of a church with her wallet, identification, and other personal belongings still inside. Despite her family's pleas for help, the police initially classified her as a runaway, and it took them more than a week to launch a search for her. Five years after her disappearance, there is still no sign of Phoenix, and her family continues to fight for answers.
The second case featured in the documentary is that of Unique Harris, a 24-year-old mother of two from Virginia who disappeared on October 10, 2010. Despite a massive search effort and the involvement of the FBI, there is still no trace of Unique. Her family believes that her case was not taken seriously by law enforcement because of her race and socio-economic status, and they are determined to keep fighting for justice.
Throughout the film, we hear from the families of Phoenix and Unique, as well as from advocates from the Black and Missing Foundation, who work tirelessly to raise awareness about missing persons cases involving minorities. Despite the heartbreaking nature of the stories, Beyond the Headlines: Black Girl Missing ultimately serves as a call to action, urging viewers to get involved in the fight for justice for missing and marginalized individuals.