Missing New York teenager Mishell DiAmonde Green has been found and reunited with her family just hours after she was featured on ABC’s "The View" last week. An anonymous viewer who recognized 16-year-old Mishell from the segment immediately called the Black and Missing Foundation to report her location, which led to her being found at a shelter called Safe Horizon for victims of violence in New York City.
Green disappeared on September 8, 2011, while heading to an after-school program called "The Door" in the Soho area of New York. Although Green has not yet disclosed what happened to her after she went missing, her family said, "Mishell is safe and out of harm's way." In a statement, Green’s family added, "We thank all who lifted your hearts and voices in prayer, who posted reports, who told about her disappearance, who called us with suggestions, and who were there." They also expressed gratitude to "The View" saying, "Thank you to 'The View' for providing a platform that gave Mishell’s story the media attention needed for her recovery."
The "The View" segment featuring Green aired on February 24. It was the second in a series of segments titled "'The View' on Crime: Missing Black Children." During the segment, Mishell’s mother, Janell Johnson-Dash, described the events following her daughter’s disappearance. "This was her first time going out alone where we weren’t going to pick her up, so I trusted her with a set of keys because I trust her, and a 10 p.m. curfew. You’re 16, you can do this. She said, 'Ma, I promise I’ll be home on time.' She gave my husband a hug and a kiss, and we never saw her again," Johnson-Dash recounted on "The View."
Johnson-Dash mentioned that her daughter is typically early, not late. When Mishell was still missing the next morning, she called the police. "They told us, 'Don’t worry about it, this type of stuff happens all the time with teenagers. We’re pretty sure she’ll show up.' And my immediate response was, 'You don’t know my baby. This is completely out of character. There’s no way in the world that she would just stay out,'" recalled Johnson-Dash.
She contacted the police around 10 a.m., and they arrived at her house after 1 p.m. Despite Green having no history of running away, the police classified the case as a runaway. "It took us three days to get assigned a detective," stated Johnson-Dash.
Johnson-Dash said she requested video footage from "The Door" of the day her daughter went missing, but the organization refused to release any information. "I grew up right here next to Lincoln Center, which is predominantly Caucasian area. I went to all-white schools. If I would have made this report from my old address next to Lincoln Center versus where I live in the Bronx, it would have been treated totally differently," said Johnson-Dash.
According to FBI figures, nearly 40 percent of all missing persons are people of color, yet critics argue that most media attention is reserved for white women. "This reunion proves how vital national media coverage is in finding missing persons," said Derrica Wilson, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Black and Missing Foundation, Inc., who also appeared on the "The View" segment. "As an advocate for missing persons of color, it is our mission to help bridge the gap in the disparity of coverage of our missing persons."
Green’s family and Wilson are scheduled to appear live on Monday, February 27, exclusively on "The View," where they will discuss the recovery of Mishell Green.