'Black Girl Missing,' a crime drama film starring Garcelle Beauvais, Iyana Halley, Linda Park, and Cleo Fraser, is a part of Lifetime's 'Ripped from the Headlines' lineup. She starts out angry about her daughter Lauren and her desire to leave college, only to discover that she has actually gone missing.
Cheryl calls her 15-year-old daughter Marley for assistance in finding Lauren, and soon discovers the Black and Missing Foundation has not given enough public attention nor proper law enforcement resources. The Delmar Washington directorial includes several common themes, such as missing person cases and the prejudice against Black people.
Is a Black Girl Missing a True Story?
'Black Girl Missing' isn't based on a true story. However, it is "inspired by actual stories of missing women of color" and underscores the tragic truth about the justice system as shown in the film's title card. Kale Futterman has previously written screenplays for 'Samir,' 'Ginny & Georgia,' and the short film 'Lark.'
Although the film does not focus on any specific event that actually occurred in real life, it is an amalgamation of different stories that are far too common than we realize. For instance, the Black and Missing Foundation, established in 2008, is an organization that helps black people find their missing loved ones. Moreover, the prejudice toward Black people depicted throughout the film, when it comes to press attention, reporting, and police neglect, is also a very real and prevalent topic.
Garcelle Beauvais, who plays Cheryl in 'Black Girl Missing,' was asked to elaborate on the evident discrimination faced by black missing person cases. "In the film, it's the cops not calling back, not doing enough, and saying that she's 18 and an adult."
"I think she'd be white and 18," Garcelle said. "He doesn't just throw the missing person of color away as a ransom." The film also discusses the experiences of Black girls.
Garcelle was asked why it was important to include these topics in the film when she was growing up. We would just say, "Oh, you're crazy," and "Go sit down." This is why 'Black Girl Missing' is so important. It isn't based on one particular true story.
