Stories are evidence.
Evidence drives change.
We started The Missing Seat because too much gets left out when the same voices keep telling the story. We look for who wasn't heard, what the evidence actually shows, who gained, who paid the price, and what we can do with that information.
StoriesWhat happened, and whose story is missing?
EvidenceWhat do the records, history, law and data actually show?
ActionWhat can be done, who has the power to do it, and what happens next?
TogetherFind the resources, organizations, communities and people already working on it.
Our mission
Why the missing seat?
Because too often, decisions are made without the people most affected. We're here to change that.
Learn more →Featured editorial
Trump and Black America: What Helped, What Hurt, and What Will Last?
A serious ledger gives credit where the evidence shows real benefit, records what was removed, and asks whether the Black-white gap actually got smaller.
Read now →From our resources
Dig into the facts.
Primary sources, reports and organizations to help you understand the bigger picture.
Explore resources →About The Missing Seat
The story changes when we ask who wasn't in the room.
The Missing Seat is an independent public-interest editorial platform built around a simple question: Who is missing?
We look beyond the loudest argument and examine the record, the people affected, who benefited, who carried the burden and what happened afterward.
We aren't interested in outrage for its own sake. We want readers to understand what happened well enough to decide what deserves their attention and what they can actually do next.
Why the chair?
Because power has a seating chart.
Decisions get made in government, schools, boardrooms, hospitals and neighborhoods. The people affected by those decisions aren't always represented when they are made.
Our chair is a reminder to ask who isn't there, whose evidence isn't being heard and who will live with the consequences.
Topics
Follow the issue, not the algorithm.
Democracy & GovernmentRace & Equal HumanityMissing HistoryJustice & LawChildren & FamiliesGlobal Voices
Featured Editorials
From The Missing Seat
Dear World: Before You Tell Me How Great America Is, Tell the Whole Story
Read the story →“Black-on-Black Crime”: Naming the Violence Without Hiding Its History
Read the story →What Can We Do to Make Justice Happen?
Read the story →Take Your Seat
Attention matters when it changes what happens next.
When you see something you didn't see before, help somebody else see it too. Ask the uncomfortable question. Pay attention to who isn't in the room. You're here now. That's where responsibility begins.
Ally = Action.