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“Finding Tamika was not just a statement about her body and her death and the dismal, horrible thing that happened to her. But it was about whether we were looking at Black girls and women at all. And when they are alive, who are they?” 

—Podcast Producer Erika Alexander

The 2023 duPont-winning Audible Original “Finding Tamika” follows the life and death of Tamika Huston, a young Black woman from Spartanburg, North Carolina. When Tamika went missing in 2004, national mass media paid scant attention. Now, her case has become a rallying cry for the Black girls and women who go missing every day.

Erika Alexander shares Tamika’s story not only to expose the entrenched system that ignored her, but also to challenge the way the media represents the lives of Black girls and women.

Erika is an actress, writer, and producer. With “Finding Tamika,” she became a narrative podcaster as well. She shares what she learned while creating this series, from the joy of hearing people’s intimate stories to the anxiety of a fledgling reporter making sure she’s getting it right.

Listen to Erika’s moving reaction to learning she had won a duPont Award in this episode of the On Assignment Podcast. Erika Alexander also shares her goal and vision for the series with the J-School’s duPont Awards Director Lisa R. Cohen. 

Listen to “Finding Tamika” on Audible.