Why Are We Still Asking This Question?

Why Are We Still Asking This Question?

Every time a young Black man disappears, I find myself asking the same question:

Why are we still here?

I watched the story about Nolan Xavier Wells, and my heart immediately sank. Like so many others, I followed the reports, hoping that somehow the story would end differently.

Instead, I was left with more questions than answers.

As a Dominican woman, I understand that our history is deeply rooted in African ancestry. I also have nephews who are young men of color. Because of that, stories like this never feel distant. They feel personal.

When I hear that a young man went out to celebrate the Fourth of July with friends and never came home, I don’t just think about one family.

I think about every mother.

Every aunt.

Every sister.

Every person who has ever hugged a young Black man goodbye and quietly prayed it wouldn’t be the last time.

If the public reports are accurate, there are still many unanswered questions surrounding what happened that day. Those questions deserve thorough investigation and honest answers.

Families deserve clarity.

Communities deserve transparency.

And every missing person deserves urgency.

What hurts almost as much as the uncertainty is the feeling so many people of color know too well—that when the missing person is a young Black man, it can feel like his life doesn’t receive the same attention, urgency, or protection it should.

Whether that perception proves true in every case or not, it is a pain that many communities continue to carry.

This isn’t about assuming guilt before the facts are known.

It’s about asking for accountability.

It’s about expecting every lead to be followed, every question to be answered, and every family to be treated with dignity and respect.

No family should have to wonder what happened to someone they love.

No parent should have to wait for answers that seem impossible to find.

No community should become numb to these stories because they happen too often.

I don’t know what happened to Nolan Xavier Wells.

Neither do most of us.

But I do know this:

His life matters.

His family deserves the truth.

And until that truth is known, asking difficult questions isn’t wrong.

It’s part of demanding justice.

My prayers are with everyone who loves him.

I hope the investigation brings answers.

I hope accountability follows wherever the evidence leads.

And I hope we reach a day when saying goodbye to a young Black man doesn’t carry the quiet fear that it could be the last time.

Until then…

I’ll keep asking why.

Ms. Butterfly Genesis