Hassani Campbell's foster parents have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Several people have contacted me asking for my thoughts on Michael Vick’s return to the NFL. Since I take Saturday’s off from the Internets, I read through this requests this morning and pondered them while drinking my Sunday morning coffee. And then I looked at the most recent post to this blog about a missing child names Hassani Campbell and…well, I’ve decided to take the road less traveled today.
Hassani Campbell is still missing.
Hassani’s story has not caught the imagination of the media.
In not covering this story, the press...who postured a while back about why they don’t cover missing children of color worth a shit...has once again demonstrated that they don't cover missing children of color worth a shit.
It’s not that I don’t value the Michael Vick story. I have three rescue dawgs in my home that are living examples of society's cruel disregard of animals…I live in a state that is shamefully successful in maintaining a thriving puppy mill industry…and I know that the return of Vick to the NFL runs the risk of diminishing the horror of his actions even as it has the potential of jump starting a discussion of animal cruelty in communities where dog fighting still happens.
But Hassani Campbell is still missing.
The Vick story is just going to have to wait.
Hassani Campbell was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt and gray pants.
He is 5 years old.
Hassani, who has cerebral palsy, has braces on his legs but they may not be noticeable.
Hassani Campbell is still missing.
Hassani Campbell is still missing.
Hassani Campbell is still missing...
…and, Lawd have mercy, the whole world isn’t watching.
If you have any information about this case…any information at all…please call the Oakland Police: 510-238-3641.
44 comments:
Apparently, it made the atrocious Nancy Grace's show, and CNN has a little link on their front page. Some coverage.
Thank you. Would that we were all wise enough to refuse to be distracted from the truly important stuff by gossip and conflict.
You are my hero today. I'll hold this little boy in my heart and prayers for the rest of the day.
Oh, how can this NOT be headline news? I live far away,but please bring this little one HOME!
Your right! This is way more important to bring a child home. He remains in my prayers & thoughts. Thank you.
Good choice for a post Shark Fu. This child's parents need to be drawn and quartered for leaving him alone in a fucking car first off.
What kind of fracking idiot leaves a five year old alone in the car??
I will pray for Hassani. He has such a sweet face.
You know the fact is, someone should not have taken this child, even if the parents left him in the car. That is the issue. Someone took him, how completely sad. Someone is so far away from compassion and their humanity that they did this horrible thing. I hope they have not harmed this child and I am going to keep him in my thoughts and send them really positive energy. May the universe help us all.
Peace,
Anon
His profile is featured on America's Most Wanted, under missing children files.
http://www.amw.com/missing_children/brief.cfm?id=67565
This happens because the media makes VERY CLEAR which children are considered "our" children and which aren't. My heart bleeds for Hassani and his loved ones. I have lost my own kids a couple of times in a crowd for a little while and know what a nightmare of horror it is. I can't begin to imagine what having a child missing for days ... or for ever ... feels like.
Examiner.com had a story, posted 8/16, about how the FBI was searching Hassani Campbell's house, and SFist.com has posted a blurb about the OPD offering a reward leading to his return. But local coverage has been *awful*. The one really good local current events blog I know of (OaklandFocus) has been hacked.
Hassani Campbell's foster dad was on Nancy Grace's show the other evening for a few minutes. The show is preoccuped with the disappearance of two white women and has not provided any update whatsoever regarding this young child of color. Morever, Nancy Grace is annoying. She does not allow guests that she does not agree with to articulate their opinion at all. This is downright rude.
As far as Hassani is concerned, I do not believe that this child was abducted by anyone at all at the back of the shoe store where his foster mother (aunt) worked.
I do not believe that the foster father is telling the truth at all.
And it appears that murdering children has now become a national pasttime when parents do not want them.
I agree with the last comment. My gut tells me that the foster dad is not telling the truth and most likely he has done something to this poor little boy. The truth will come out and if you dont pay here on earth, you will still pay.
If you want to hear more about this kid, call your local news station.
Hassani is STILL missing!! This story has touched my heart so deeply!! I am so amazed (although in this day and age NOTHING should amaze me) that Hassani's story hasn't received the proper media attention that it deserves!!
Hassani is STILL missing!!! This little angel was disadvantaged from the start, then for what ever reason, abandoned by his parents, now this..............
We should give this story the attention that it deserves!! Hassani is STILL missing!!
Hassani.... My prayers and love go out to you, sweet baby!! Im sorry for the pain you endured..... I pray and I KNOW that you are under God's protection and love!! May you return to us safely!!
With Everlasting Hope,
Livingston, New Jersey
Sometimes the children who get the most press are the ones whose parents have taken a lot of videos of them. These are TV-ready, and if the kids are cute... But I do agree black and latino children are definitely not given the same coverage. I live in the Bay Area and Hassani's disappearance/kidnapping has been covered on TV and in the Chronicle & Examiner. The first thing I check each morning is whether there is any news of this child. He's captured my heart. The PD seem to be NOT treating it as a stranger kidnapping, and the media is telling us there are fewer than usual leads to follow.
Great blog! Its August 25th and I am very upset to find no coverage of Hassani now in the news. I guess it doesn't make them money. In the Hassani case too many unanswered questions, not enough facts. Overall, too many missing children are forgotten. I am sick of meaningless shallow news. I appreciate real people like you speaking up for what's important!
I can tell you that many people on the WWW are upset that there isn't much media coverage regarding Hassani, including myself. In reaction to the lack of news coverage, many bloggers are posting about the case.
Hassani's foster father has failed his polygraph test; his foster mother refuses to take one. Police dogs were unable to pick up Hassani's scent in the parking lot of the shoe store, where Hassani was supposedly last seen (by his foster father).
PLEASE get the word out! If I was closer, I'd search for him myself!
Well, is is beginning to look like his foster parents are involved...his father failed a polygraph...and the entire story seems like a far cry from the truth!
I just hope they find him alive.
The foster parents of Hassani have been arrested. The case has been ruled a homicide. I live in Oakland, CA and the case got a lot of media attention here in the Bay Area. I don't think it went national because most people (me included) from the very beginning, thought the foster parents killed little Hassani. I'm a black woman and I would be the first to say if the case wasn't covered properly. However that was not the case. It is believed that what ever happened to Hassani, happened weeks before he was reported missing. That would explain no leads, no sightings, nothing. I pray that his little body is recovered, so that he's given a proper burial.
The lack of coverage isn't explained by the suspicions placed on the foster parents. I point to the Madeleine McCann case, where the parents were suspected from the beginning yet extensive coverage was given.
No sightings...no leads...nothing, yet the coverage continued and the nation was aware that a child was missing in Europe.
I happen to think Hassani Campbell's case...the case of a child missing in Oakland...deserved more than some local coverage and being completely ignored by the big three networks.
I have been following the case from the northeast. I learned about the case from the Nancy Grace show. Louis Ross appeared on the show.
A lot of questions about Campbell and Ross remain unanswered. First, how were they able to afford a home in a fairly tony area of Fremont, California on a block where homes range anywhere from $500,000-$700,000? According to reports, Ross was unemployed and I don't know how much money Campbell could have been earning in a show store.
Ross seems to have a very shady background. How did he come to meet Campbell? It is also reported that they meet "online" about two years ago. If so, it seems quite fast and odd that he would become a so-called "foster parent" to these children. Who actually had legal custody of Hassani? Campbell was related to the child. He was his aunt. Why was Ross doing all of the talking to the media? And how come they could not afford a babysitter?
I never believed that Hassani was left at the back door of the show store in the first place. It does not make sense.
So, the question is: What does Campbell know? And when did she know it? Is she afraid to talk?
Why did Ross have a sword under his bed?
There is a moral to this: relationships simply cannot be forged on love. Folks are going to have to start getting criminal, credit, and even psychological background checks on people they are involved with--especially when there are children in the house.
Hassani's story was on Nancy Grace just last night. I am glad the step dad was arrested. He is obviously not very attached to the child (his own words) and now I think there is about to be a break in the case. I pray that someone discovers the childs body in time to keep the monster who killed him in jail!!(as he is probably dead) That is an opinion. So saddddd. I cannot fathom the disappearance or death of a beautiful child like Hassani. God will bring justice for this little boy.
There are other suspects or persons of interest in this case. Hassani's birth mother, Shemika seems a little fishy to me. After all she and the real father abused these kids and must be considered a key suspect!. And in an interview she never looks directly at the camera or at the interviewer. At the end she sounds very fatalistic.
I don't remember ever seeing an AMBER Alert issued for this little boy. Why is that? Even if the police don't believe the story of the foster parents, bottom line is you use due diligence. When an alert is issued, I look closely at each and every child I see.
I can't sand that Bitch Nancy Grace!!! She's disgusting as well as her peers, with her bug eyed ass...moving on.. Yes, Hassani is still missing and t sees that the media has put him aside to talk mostly abot a fuckin serial rapist/killer who was sentenced to 50yrs and should not ahave been let ou in th first damm place, so get rid of his azz and th judge and parole officer who let him go! Im not and neve did buy Hassani's foster parents/aunt stories from thegate, but im not the judge here but that's my opinion. Ithink it's a damm shame that they wont focus more on this baby BECAUSE he's STILL MISSING and we need to recover or find him and bring him home, but not to the people who claim they cared for im because, you don't walk with a five yr old who has cerebral palsey, braces on his ankles BEHIND YOU!!! and then all of a sudden he's gone..bullshyt!! I don't believe he was even n the car to begin with. The media is full of shyt and the cover stories that sometimes peopl don't want to hear or they wear a story in the ground ad it's usually some silly shyt. Now we have this 5yr old baby MISSING and they don't give a flying fuck...Nancy Grace is one of the most watched news shows in the country and you mean to tell me that cracker bitch got nerve to not speak on Hassani again...she ate OJ'S ass up!! i just don't get it, i don't even hear anything about him on BET...smh...Hassani will always be in my heart an i pray that he's with some family members or something and they playing some stupid ass game, and he's safe...it's in GOD'S hands now.
I pray the little boy is alright, It is a scary thing to be left alone by those who are suppose to protect a child in their care. The few extra minutes it would have taken to keep the child along side his/her caretaker are nothing compared to his precious live.
I am going to contact Soledad Obrien on CNN about this! If anyone that can make something of this situation, it is her. She has shown throughout the years the plight of "Black in America", Katrina and other national Black issues in an eloquent light that does not get the white-rightwing media over the edge! We all need to write her at CNN and ask her to intervene on behalf of the community of Oakland and bring some light to this, even Oprah if needed too!!! Come on people let's get up and do something today! EMAIL/CALL/WRITE Soledad on CNN today!
I live in the bay area, and I have been following this story since day 1. My heart has been hopeful, but now I have my doubts that he is even alive. There is no way someone "took him" out of the car, and that he just decided to "walk away". The S.O.B foster father stories do not add up, and through further research, Hassani hasn't been seen in a week prior to my understanding? However the case, I pray that we get some closure to this case, and it doesn't get "swept" under the rug like most missing cases in the bay area.
I would give my life for that adorable baby, never in my life have i been soo touched my his sweet angel face, i would get three jobs if i could have him for my son, i cant keeping breathing unless he is found. AND ANOTHER THING, IN THE VID., HIS FOSTER FATHER BOUGHT A FRIG,,,,, AND TWO AND TWO!
I,M MAD AS HELL THAT SOO LOW LIFE COULD HARM SUCH A BABY. I LOVE YOU MY SWEET BABY ANGEL.
anisha c.
Hassani Campbells case is on the channel 2 news everytime it is on. The Sandra Cantu case got a lot of media attention as well and she was Mexican. To say it is not getting media attention because he is "of color" is the most ignorant thing I have ever heard. I am white, but I watch the news EVERYDAY to see what new is turning up with him. It is getting media attention. Maybe you should get off the computer and watch the news
Everyone, I live in SF, I had to look up Hassani's name today on the internet, because I have seen any NEWS on him covered lately. I am totally not surprised to learn they arrested his foster father. From day one, he was looking down when speaking of Hassani and using PAST TENSE sentences like "Hassani was a good boy" "Hassani loved his family, " etc. Didn't anyone notice this??????Hello. And yes, children of color are valued less. I still pray for a little boy who lived in Savannah GA and last year he came home from school (he was 6) and had some lemonade at his grandma's and went outside and was raped and murdered by a middle age white couple a few doors down. Does anyone know his name? I can still see his beautiful little face. I pray every day for him, and his family. I'm sick of all these killings. These are dark times indeed.
I live in the bay area and am horrified at the lack of media coverage for this story. I too am trying to find an explanation - one problem may be that he has absolutely no advocates - no crying mother/father - he is a throw away foster child. There is noone that can keep the media involved and keep the investigation going.
I saw that they found bloody clothes in the Oakland hills that may belong to him (on a ticker on the bottom of the local news) but can find only one story on this and none with a resolution of whether they were his or not. I plan on writing to the local news stations and newspapers. It is wrong!
Thank you for posting this. I have been trying to find more information on Hassani's disappearance past mid-August, and it's virtually non-existent even here in the Bay Area. The even sadder thing is that because Hassani was lost in a more affluent, rich white neighborhood (where his aunt/foster mother worked, while the family lived in another city), this case has actually even gotten more press than it would have gotten if hassani had gotten lost in east oakland. the number of other missing kids who never get talked about in the news is heart-breaking.
For some reason the minute I heard this story almost 2 months ago this little boy has not left my heart...I've cried for him, prayed for him he has burried himself so deep in my heart...It may be because he reminds me so much of my own little boy..The coverage of this story sickens me...just sickens me..not a day goes by that I don't google that precious name in hopes that he is found that either he is alive and he can feel the safety of a hug or if he his not that his perfect little self may be laid to rest...Each google search day after day only produces less and less information on this little prince..The abduction of any child is heart wrenching, but I can think of 2 very high profile cases of missing children where if someone so much as has a sip of coffee it's breaking news...Why not for this precious little boy? He is beautiful and perfect...I pray he experienced no pain or fear, WHY IS THERE NO HUNT FOR HIM??!!!! I am so angry!!! What is it that I can do here in Michigan to get this out in the media...he needs to be found, his life is worth so much more than just disappearing...if anyone knows please... I want to help
I live in the SF Bay area and I'm extremely outraged that this has had NO COVERAGE AT ALL over the past month or so. There is a story almost every day about Jaycee Dugard (and the dirtbags that kidnapped her) - nothing about Hassani.
has there been any more news on Hassani? It's Dec. 18th today and I was thinking of him; it being Christmas and all. I'll say a little prayer for the sweet boy.
I've been thinking of him too. No new news that I can find...but I'll check again.
I think about this little boy all the time. I was working in the area that he went missing from and was questioned by detectives and thought of any harm coming to this child really haunts me. I am so sad to see that there have been no developments in his case. I truly believe that who ever harmed this child will face God and get what they deserve. Until justice is served for Hassani he will remain in my prayers.
i have been searching all over the internet for information on this lil boy..... this makes me sooo upset ... i think about him all the time even have had dreams of him. this is just terrible it might be bold to say but if it was a lil white boy . he woulda been found. i absoultely think "white woman syndrome" needs to stop in the media really there are tons of minorities in cases needed of media attention ... such a pity
Two years later little Hassani Campbell is STILL missing and apparently nobody cares STILL.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/08/10/two-years-later-still-no-sign-of-hassani-campbell/
IS IT JUST ME DOESNT HASSANI AND LOUIS LOOK ALIKE? MAYBE HE KILLED THAT POOR BABY TO HIDE SOMETHING. THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT THE FIGHT WAS ABOUT BETWEEN HIM AND JENNIFER....
I thnk Hasani is going to be featured tonight on T.V. One's: "Find Our Missing". Please watch for it! Maybe someone will come forward. Please still pray for Hasani!
This story saddens me. I firmly believe that the foster parents have something to do with this. They followed the same routine on a daily basis, but all of a sudden; he changed it up that particular day. The aunt/foster mother wouldn't take a polygraph and then they broke their engagement and moved away to separate states. Something just isn't right. I pray for justice for all missing children. For anybody with kids, please keep an eye on them because people are getting crazy around here. God bless you all and God bless the missing.
Whatever happened to Hassani? I still pray for him; he is not forgotten.
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