May 31, 2025
Invisible Woman: The Vanishing of Kierra Coles
"In this episode of No Tears For Black Girls, host Samantha Paul confronts the stark reality of how missing Black women are often overlooked in America’s media and criminal justice systems. Marking the debut of the new song “Invisible Woman” from the upcoming novella The Price of Silence by J.C. Reedburg, we revisit the 2018 disappearance of 26-year-old postal worker Kierra Coles. Three months pregnant and last seen on surveillance tape leaving her Chicago apartment, Kierra vanished without a trace, her personal belongings left behind and her case languishing for years.
Through conversations with Kierra’s mother, Karen Phillips, and analysis of law enforcement practices, we explore the systemic failures that led the Chicago Police Department to classify her case as low-risk and suspend active investigation after only one year. We examine the phenomenon known as “missing white woman syndrome,” supported by studies showing far greater media attention for white victims, and discuss the impact of this bias on families and communities. In October 2022, the FBI finally announced a $45,000 reward following relentless advocacy, but the question remains: why did it take four years of public pressure for this milestone to occur?
“Invisible Woman” by The Crown & Soul Collective—and the companion novella releasing this Juneteenth—shines a light on those whose disappearances are met with indifference. We encourage listeners to keep Kierra’s story alive by sharing her likeness, following “Find Kierra Coles” on social media, and contacting Chicago officials for case updates. Join us as we refuse to let another Black woman slip into silence."
CREDITS:
Created, Written, & Produced by John Reedburg
Hosted & Narrated by Samantha Paul
Production Company: John Reedburg Media
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
https://www.youtube.com/@NoTearsForBlacksGirls
facebook.com/notearsforblackgirls
instagram.com/notearsforblackgirls
tiktok.com/@notearsforblackgirls
1
00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,360
Welcome to No Tears for Black
Girls.
2
00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,360
I'm Samantha Paul, and today
we're exploring a case that
3
00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,920
embodies the painful reality of
how missing Black women are
4
00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,360
treated in America.
This episode accompanies the
5
00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,640
release of our new song
Invisible Woman from the
6
00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,080
soundtrack of the upcoming
novella The Price of Silence,
7
00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,640
written by JC Reedberg, creator
of this podcast.
8
00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:48,400
The book releases this
Juneteenth.
9
00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:54,240
In October 2018, a 26 year old
pregnant postal worker named
10
00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:58,520
Kiara Coles left her Chicago
apartment, was captured briefly
11
00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,600
on surveillance video, and then
simply vanished.
12
00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:04,920
She was three months pregnant
with her first child.
13
00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,640
Her purse, cell phone, and car
were left behind.
14
00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,920
Despite these suspicious
circumstances, the investigation
15
00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:16,280
quickly went cold.
Chiara's disappearance
16
00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,560
represents a devastating pattern
we see repeatedly with missing
17
00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,440
Black women.
The initial media coverage was
18
00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,800
minimal, the police
investigation lacked urgency,
19
00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,400
and as weeks turned to months
and then years, Chiara's family
20
00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,440
has been left to carry the
burden of keeping her name alive
21
00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:37,400
in the public consciousness.
What makes Chiara's case
22
00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:41,440
particularly troubling is how it
reveals the systemic issues
23
00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,720
within law enforcement's
response to missing Black women.
24
00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,920
Despite her status as a federal
employee, despite clear evidence
25
00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,560
of foul play, despite her
pregnancy, the case was
26
00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:57,360
classified as a non high risk
missing person case.
27
00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,040
The Chicago Police Department
suspended their active
28
00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,280
investigation after just one
year.
29
00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,080
Her mother, Karen Phillips, has
been relentless in her fight for
30
00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,520
justice.
It's like they just forgot about
31
00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,960
her, she told reporters on the
3rd anniversary of Kiara's
32
00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,640
disappearance.
If Kiara was a different color,
33
00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:22,120
would they have looked harder?
Would they have cared more?
34
00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,320
The statistics support her
suspicion.
35
00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,440
A 2021 study found that missing
white women received
36
00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,880
significantly more media
coverage than women of color.
37
00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,800
This missing white woman
syndrome means cases like
38
00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,680
Chiara's don't generate the
public pressure needed to keep
39
00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:45,120
investigations active.
This pattern of neglect is
40
00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:50,080
exactly what our song Invisible
Woman addresses, how Black women
41
00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:54,840
can disappear not once, but
twice, first physically, then
42
00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:58,160
from public consciousness and
institutional concern.
43
00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,560
In our novella The Price of
Silence, we explore how systems
44
00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,520
meant to protect women often
fail, Black women specifically.
45
00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,600
When Tasha discovers her police
officer husband's connection to
46
00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,400
trafficking and confronts him,
she finds herself trapped by the
47
00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,280
very institutions meant to
protect her.
48
00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,400
Like Kiara's family, she
discovers that some women's pain
49
00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:26,320
goes unnoticed, that some
women's absence creates barely a
50
00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,080
ripple in the system's designed
to maintain order.
51
00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:34,920
In October 2022, four years
after Kiara's disappearance, the
52
00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:39,600
FBI announced a $45,000 reward
for information leading to her
53
00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:42,920
whereabouts.
This came only after years of
54
00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:46,200
advocacy from her family and
community organizations.
55
00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,800
It shouldn't take four years and
constant pressure for a missing
56
00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,720
pregnant woman to receive this
level of attention.
57
00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:59,280
The song we're releasing today?
Invisible Woman honors Kiara
58
00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,480
Coles and countless other Black
women who have gone missing
59
00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,760
without receiving the attention
and resources their cases
60
00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,760
deserve.
For those listening who want to
61
00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,400
help, remember that keeping
Kiara's name and image in public
62
00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,760
awareness matters.
Share her story.
63
00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,519
Follow the fine Kiara Coles
social media accounts.
64
00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,440
Contact Chicago officials to ask
about the status of her case.
65
00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:28,960
Kiara was 5 feet 4 inches,
weighed 125 lbs with black hair
66
00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,080
and brown eyes.
She has a tattoo of a heart on
67
00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:36,520
her right hand and another that
says Lucky Libra on her back.
68
00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,440
She was last seen wearing her
postal worker uniform.
69
00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:43,720
Someone knows what happened to
Kiara Coles.
70
00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,680
Someone has information that
could bring her family closure,
71
00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,440
and until she is found, we will
continue to say her name and
72
00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,480
fight against the silence that
too often surrounds missing
73
00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:58,840
Black women.
Thank you for listening to No
74
00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,240
Tears for Black Girls.
I'm Samantha Paul and I'll see
75
00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,720
you next time.
Stay loved, stay blessed, and
76
00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:26,680
stay safe.
Walking home that day, security
77
00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,200
camera cut her.
Then she faded away.
78
00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:38,480
October chill in Chicago.
Leaves were turning brown.
79
00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:44,600
Another black woman missing,
barely made the evening rounds.
80
00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:51,440
Invisible.
They don't see your crown,
81
00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:58,040
Invisible Woman, they won't
search the ground.
82
00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:04,480
How many tears must fall before
they hear our sound?
83
00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:11,080
Invisible Woman, we won't let
you down.
84
00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:19,280
Three years of silence.
Family screaming her name while
85
00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:24,960
headlines chase white women.
The pattern stays the same.
86
00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:30,920
Her uniform's still hanging.
Her baby never born.
87
00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:38,880
The system keeps on moving like
no absence to one invisible.
88
00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,400
They don't see your crown
invisible.
89
00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:55,920
They won't search the ground.
How many tears must fire before
90
00:06:55,920 --> 00:07:03,160
they hear a sound?
Invisible Woman, we won't let
91
00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:11,800
you down Behind the blue wall.
Questions just appear behind the
92
00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:17,320
blue wall.
Evidence runs clear.
93
00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:26,880
But we keep speaking, we keep
seeking till invisible women
94
00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:34,960
finally appear.
Say her name Kiera calls.
95
00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:44,280
Say her name till she's fine,
say.
00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,360
Welcome to No Tears for Black
Girls.
2
00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,360
I'm Samantha Paul, and today
we're exploring a case that
3
00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,920
embodies the painful reality of
how missing Black women are
4
00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,360
treated in America.
This episode accompanies the
5
00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,640
release of our new song
Invisible Woman from the
6
00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,080
soundtrack of the upcoming
novella The Price of Silence,
7
00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,640
written by JC Reedberg, creator
of this podcast.
8
00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:48,400
The book releases this
Juneteenth.
9
00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:54,240
In October 2018, a 26 year old
pregnant postal worker named
10
00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:58,520
Kiara Coles left her Chicago
apartment, was captured briefly
11
00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,600
on surveillance video, and then
simply vanished.
12
00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:04,920
She was three months pregnant
with her first child.
13
00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,640
Her purse, cell phone, and car
were left behind.
14
00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,920
Despite these suspicious
circumstances, the investigation
15
00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:16,280
quickly went cold.
Chiara's disappearance
16
00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,560
represents a devastating pattern
we see repeatedly with missing
17
00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,440
Black women.
The initial media coverage was
18
00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,800
minimal, the police
investigation lacked urgency,
19
00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,400
and as weeks turned to months
and then years, Chiara's family
20
00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,440
has been left to carry the
burden of keeping her name alive
21
00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:37,400
in the public consciousness.
What makes Chiara's case
22
00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:41,440
particularly troubling is how it
reveals the systemic issues
23
00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,720
within law enforcement's
response to missing Black women.
24
00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,920
Despite her status as a federal
employee, despite clear evidence
25
00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,560
of foul play, despite her
pregnancy, the case was
26
00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:57,360
classified as a non high risk
missing person case.
27
00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,040
The Chicago Police Department
suspended their active
28
00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,280
investigation after just one
year.
29
00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,080
Her mother, Karen Phillips, has
been relentless in her fight for
30
00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,520
justice.
It's like they just forgot about
31
00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,960
her, she told reporters on the
3rd anniversary of Kiara's
32
00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,640
disappearance.
If Kiara was a different color,
33
00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:22,120
would they have looked harder?
Would they have cared more?
34
00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,320
The statistics support her
suspicion.
35
00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,440
A 2021 study found that missing
white women received
36
00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,880
significantly more media
coverage than women of color.
37
00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,800
This missing white woman
syndrome means cases like
38
00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,680
Chiara's don't generate the
public pressure needed to keep
39
00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:45,120
investigations active.
This pattern of neglect is
40
00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:50,080
exactly what our song Invisible
Woman addresses, how Black women
41
00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:54,840
can disappear not once, but
twice, first physically, then
42
00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:58,160
from public consciousness and
institutional concern.
43
00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,560
In our novella The Price of
Silence, we explore how systems
44
00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,520
meant to protect women often
fail, Black women specifically.
45
00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,600
When Tasha discovers her police
officer husband's connection to
46
00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,400
trafficking and confronts him,
she finds herself trapped by the
47
00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,280
very institutions meant to
protect her.
48
00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,400
Like Kiara's family, she
discovers that some women's pain
49
00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:26,320
goes unnoticed, that some
women's absence creates barely a
50
00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,080
ripple in the system's designed
to maintain order.
51
00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:34,920
In October 2022, four years
after Kiara's disappearance, the
52
00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:39,600
FBI announced a $45,000 reward
for information leading to her
53
00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:42,920
whereabouts.
This came only after years of
54
00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:46,200
advocacy from her family and
community organizations.
55
00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,800
It shouldn't take four years and
constant pressure for a missing
56
00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,720
pregnant woman to receive this
level of attention.
57
00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:59,280
The song we're releasing today?
Invisible Woman honors Kiara
58
00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,480
Coles and countless other Black
women who have gone missing
59
00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,760
without receiving the attention
and resources their cases
60
00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,760
deserve.
For those listening who want to
61
00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,400
help, remember that keeping
Kiara's name and image in public
62
00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,760
awareness matters.
Share her story.
63
00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,519
Follow the fine Kiara Coles
social media accounts.
64
00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,440
Contact Chicago officials to ask
about the status of her case.
65
00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:28,960
Kiara was 5 feet 4 inches,
weighed 125 lbs with black hair
66
00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,080
and brown eyes.
She has a tattoo of a heart on
67
00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:36,520
her right hand and another that
says Lucky Libra on her back.
68
00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,440
She was last seen wearing her
postal worker uniform.
69
00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:43,720
Someone knows what happened to
Kiara Coles.
70
00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,680
Someone has information that
could bring her family closure,
71
00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,440
and until she is found, we will
continue to say her name and
72
00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,480
fight against the silence that
too often surrounds missing
73
00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:58,840
Black women.
Thank you for listening to No
74
00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,240
Tears for Black Girls.
I'm Samantha Paul and I'll see
75
00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,720
you next time.
Stay loved, stay blessed, and
76
00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:26,680
stay safe.
Walking home that day, security
77
00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,200
camera cut her.
Then she faded away.
78
00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:38,480
October chill in Chicago.
Leaves were turning brown.
79
00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:44,600
Another black woman missing,
barely made the evening rounds.
80
00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:51,440
Invisible.
They don't see your crown,
81
00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:58,040
Invisible Woman, they won't
search the ground.
82
00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:04,480
How many tears must fall before
they hear our sound?
83
00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:11,080
Invisible Woman, we won't let
you down.
84
00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:19,280
Three years of silence.
Family screaming her name while
85
00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:24,960
headlines chase white women.
The pattern stays the same.
86
00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:30,920
Her uniform's still hanging.
Her baby never born.
87
00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:38,880
The system keeps on moving like
no absence to one invisible.
88
00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,400
They don't see your crown
invisible.
89
00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:55,920
They won't search the ground.
How many tears must fire before
90
00:06:55,920 --> 00:07:03,160
they hear a sound?
Invisible Woman, we won't let
91
00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:11,800
you down Behind the blue wall.
Questions just appear behind the
92
00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:17,320
blue wall.
Evidence runs clear.
93
00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:26,880
But we keep speaking, we keep
seeking till invisible women
94
00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:34,960
finally appear.
Say her name Kiera calls.
95
00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:44,280
Say her name till she's fine,
say.
