A California woman explained the Ebony Alert for missing Black children to a coworker, who asked ‘why does it always have to be something different?’

A California woman says an emergency alert for a missing Black child turned into an uncomfortable conversation at work when a coworker questioned why the alert existed at all. The coworker reportedly asked, “Why does it always have to be something different?” according to The Nerd Stash, before suggesting that other groups should get their own alerts too.

Butta (@sheabutterpro) shared the story in a TikTok video that has drawn tens of thousands of views. She says she received an Ebony Alert while at work, and her coworker, whom she describes as white, asked, “What’s an Ebony Alert?” Butta explained that it is an alert for a missing Black child, which led the coworker to ask why a regular Amber Alert would not be used instead.

The TikToker says she told her coworker that “black children go missing at a disproportionate rate,” which is why the system exists. The coworker reportedly kept pushing, saying that if that were the case, “there should be a Hispanic Alert and there should be an Asian Alert.” Butta says she simply responded, “I don’t know, I’m black. We have an Ebony Alert for our children when they go missing.”

Viewers say the conversation sounded exhausting, and many had never heard of the alert

California became the first state to launch an Ebony Alert when its law took effect in 2024. The system covers missing Black youth, including young Black women, between the ages of 12 and 25. It is modeled after the Amber Alert, as information about a missing person is shared through highway signs, television, radio and social media.

In her caption, Butta wrote that while the alert only applies to California, residents of the state should at least be informed about it. Rather than getting upset over different notification systems, she argued, people should focus on the fact that any of them are necessary in the first place, pointing to what she described as systemic racism in the country.

The most liked comment on the video urged Butta to report the coworker to HR, describing the exchange as a hostile workplace issue. Another viewer praised her patience, writing that she “Explained eloquently,” while others, however, said they would not have bothered explaining anything at all. “Exhausting,” one person wrote, with several others sharing that same reaction in the thread.

Many commenters admitted the video was the first time they had heard of an Ebony Alert. One person thanked Butta for breaking down the law, while another clarified that the alert is currently only available in California and is not something people can sign up for. A viewer from Arizona added that they learned about that state’s Turquoise Alert only after moving there.

A few commenters, however, took the coworker’s argument in a different direction, as one said they would have told her that Hispanic and Asian alerts sound perfectly fine. Another viewer joked that the conversation would have ended much faster if Butta had just made something up. Conversations about race at work have spilled into public view before, as seen when the only Black guests were removed from a coworker’s wedding.

The coworker has not been identified, and Butta has not said whether she reported the conversation to her employer or whether the two have discussed it since the video was posted.

Attack of the Fanboy was unable to independently verify the coworker’s side of the story, as this account originates solely from Butta’s TikTok video.