Deidra has been in two newspaper to date (SC “The Herald and South Florida Sun-Sentinel), Morehouse “Maroon Tiger”, Spotlight Student for her college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Top 100 Electronic Village Black Blogs, Top 100 Sistas Sites and also Vibe Magazine’s Top 100 Blogs list. Here are a few things bloggers are saying about her: 
 

“Stephen from CrimeSceneBlog had recently highlighted a new blog, and I'd popped over to see it. I've added the link in my recommended blogs, but I thought that a proper introduction was warranted in this case. 

It should come as no shock to anyone that if you are a blond woman 18-30 years old, and you come up missing... you have a good shot of making it to national news level, and a extremely better shot in making it compared to anyone else who might be missing. The Nancy Grace's of major media news outlets eat up missing white girl stories... which is great. If your missing loved one happens to fit into that category. If your loved one isn't... well don't expect (Insert any major media news program here) to be offering much help. 

While there is little we can do, other than complain, about the major networks- we can take steps to ensure that we aren't personally as one sided as them. One blogger has decided that for her, the time was right to step forward and start highlighting some of the missing persons cases that we otherwise might not hear about. 

Black and Missing, is exactly what you would expect to find- a blog dedicated to those that are missing and black. Personally, I think it was about time someone picked up this area of crime blogging- because it really does seem to need the attention. And perhaps, at some point- the other forms of media will see the need to cover these stories too.” 

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“I know I have had a lot going on lately surrounding my new release, but I wanted to stop and take a moment to remind everyone of my friend that has been missing since July 5, 2007. 

Monica Renee Bowie may have been a lot of things that they are saying in the news, but above and before all of that she was a daughter, friend, sister..she was a member of a family. A family that is torn up about her disappearance.  

Monica and I were best friends all through high school and we were roommates for a short time when we first decided to move to Atlanta. As people sometimes do, we grew apart, going in starkly different directions, but I ALWAYS considered her my best friend. I don't care what image others had of her, or to what capacity they knew her...She will always be: 

The girl who I would hear yelling my name in the halls because she wanted to cut class and get something eat. 

The girl who I spent summers with and laughed at her when she had to get up at the crack of dawn to go work at Dunkin Donuts. 

The girl whose entire family made me feel like we were from the same bloodline. 

Unfortunately...Monica isn't the only one. When I searched the net for information on my friend I found this website: 

http://blackandmissing.blogspot.com/ 

There are so many beautiful black women missing....and unfortunately the media has "blonde hair-blue eye" syndrome so their cases undoubtedly will go unsolved. As I looked at their pictures and read their stories, one thing stood out to me more than anything....their family and friends were going through the same thing I was....regardless of the circumstances surrounding their disappearance. A family had lost a member. Women that I have never heard of...seen a CNN report on or heard a late breaking news report about because their names aren't Natalee Holloway or Jessie Davis. 

This is not a bash on the white community or the white women who are missing, but instead I would like to shed a small beacon of light on those that OUR community at one time deemed important to us. 

Please..if for no other reason..take a look at this website and familiarize yourself with your black sisters. And please sign this petition rallying for fair coverage in the news of cases like this: http://www.petitiononline.com/media07/petition.html 

Don't wait until you have no other choice.....” 

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“What I believe about Dallas South, more than anything else, is that it allows me (us really) to portray images of African-Americans that we feel need to be portrayed.  I think we should demand accountability of the popular media, whether it be checking shock jocks, or questioning the lead stories of local newscasts. 

But in the end, it's up to us, not ABC, The Times, the Post or CBS, but us, to create or own media.  With that said, I would like to introduce you to a site that is filling a huge crater in media coverage: the plight of missing African-American women and girls.    

The blog is called Black and Missing but not Forgotten. It's publisher, Deidra, describes the site as …dedicated to all the missing black women in America. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr once said "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." If the media doesn't step up - who will? Let these ladies know that we did not forget about them. She describes herself as ""Just a concerned black female  " 

When visiting Black and Missing, you will see Slide galleries of missing women, as well as posts updating stories from around the country and world, of efforts to locate and identify others.  Deidra also posts updates her previous accounts once those who have been missing are found.” 

The national media has a sorry record of highlighting missing black women, while treating each white female life that is lost as a national tragedy.   Why should one garner more attention than another?  Is each one not equally as troubling?  

The efforts of Black and Missing but not Forgotten continues to prove that each of us is the leader that we've been looking for.” 

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“Deidre, “just a concerned Black woman,” has stepped up where mainstream media left off - by loving black women enough to notice when we disappear.  Many thanks to her for her work, and for her demonstration of what can be done, and must be done, for ourselves.  Stop by and support her today!” 

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“Tired of the lack of attention blacks receive in the media this blogger has dedicated a blog, Black and Missing But Not Forgotten, to profiling them. Thank you Deidra. Spread the word about her blog.

http://blackandmissing.blogspot.com/

Black women really are done with sitting on the sidelines. First it will be blogs and before you know it organizations dedicated to the welfare of black women in every facet of her life: from physical safety to image and self-esteem.”

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Why is it that we know every sip Lindsay Lohan takes after going to Al-Anon, we can access obituaries of a very-much-alive Britney Spears and even be subjected to pictures of her period blood, but we know virtually nothing about these young women who have gone missing -- one who has been missing for over a month? 

 The weblog gathering and disseminating the above information (of Chioma Gray), Black and Missing But Not Forgotten, focuses primarily on disseminating media articles and coverage about the murders, kidnappings, and disappearances of Black women across the United States.  

The larger media companies do not have the excuse of underreporting kidnapping and murder cases.  Surely the names of Chandra Levy, Lacey Peterson, and Maria Lauterbach (also known as the "pregnant Marine") have captured our attention on news and talk shows with up-to-the-minute coverage on the investigations. 

 But why is it when African-American women, Latinas, Native American women, and Asian-American women go missing, the world is silent? 

 With the advent of new media and citizen journalism, we can start holding media companies and law enforcement to task when it comes to finding our lost sisters and bringing them home to their loved ones. 

 So if you have the time, please click the links above and read the stories. 

 Digg the articles to promote the attention they receive by the world.  

Contact your local, regional, and national media outlets to ask why they aren't doing their part to find these women and so many others who disappear everyday.  (A short list of media outlets and contact information can be found here.)

 And keep your eyes open.  You may spot someone's loved one that the media have forgotten, or, even worse, ignored.

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Feministing Interview:
http://feministing.com/archives/007539.html#more

Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/14/14422/6439/631/476344