The American public despairs on a different level when victims are white. Whether confronting sexual harassment and assault, particularly of white women, or missing persons (remember “missing white woman syndrome”?), the need to turn our attention to the issues affecting people of color remains.

To that end, Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta recently publicized a $10,000 reward for details that lead to an arrest and indictment in connection with the disappearance of Timothy J. Cunningham, a Black man who is missing. Cunningham, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official and epidemiologist, has been missing for a couple of weeks.

As the New York Times reported, the researcher was feeling ill on Feb. 12 and left work before the end of that business day. According to multiple news reports, Cunningham’s loved ones have not heard from him since. Cunningham’s family is close-knit, and they explained that not communicating with him for this long is uncharacteristic for them.

“I’m kind of lost without him, to be quite honest,”  his sister, Tiara Cunningham, told the New York Times.

Terrell Cunningham, Timothy’s father, expressed concern about the last communications with his son.

“The tone and the numerous exchanges gave us reason to be concerned about Tim,” Terrell Cunningham, said. “And I don’t know if it’s an instinct you have because it’s your child, but it was not a normal conversation, and I was not comfortable.”