Finding Tamika

By: Erika Alexander, Kevin Hart, Charlamagne Tha God, Ben Arnon, Rebkah Howard, David Person, James T. Green, SBH Productions, Color Farm Media

Narrated by: Erika Alexander

Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

Black girls and women disappear every day, but not without a trace. Join actress and activist Erika Alexander in a neo-noir, true crime drama as she searches for Tamika Huston, a 24-year-old Black woman from Spartanburg, SC who went missing in 2004. Her case became a rallying cry for other missing Black women in America and led to a growing demand to expose a system that ignores missing girls and women of color.  

Kevin Hart and Charlamagne Tha God’s SBH productions present their debut Audible Original Finding Tamika. In it, host Erika Alexander summons a new generation to help raise the dead, expose a hidden past, and give a dark warning for our future. In Finding Tamika, what we’ll actually discover is the awful truth that a Black girl does not have to go missing for us not to see her. No matter the cost, though, we must look for Tamika, because until she is found, we are all lost. 

Please Note: This content is for mature audiences only. It contains adult language and themes. Discretion is advised.

©2022 SBH Productions, LLC (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC

Such a wonderful series.

I already knew about this case but the confirmation for me about my ancestors and the simple fact that energy never dies was the deep part. It’s still so much from this story I find myself mentally unpacking from Chris to her father. As a black women with so much pain from black men. It saddens me the pain that black men have caused us. Would this had of happened to her if her dad did right by her and protected her. Would she have been able to avoid the angel of death if she felt protection. My soul breaks with this story because even married with children this is a pain that never goes away.

Loved it! You can feel every spoken word.

This was my first time really using Audible. First time EVER hearing of this young lady story by way of Breakfast Club with Rebkah Howard and Erika Alexander 💞. Forever touched. Awareness is everything.

bravo!!!!

this is an excellent story about a families struggle to find their missing loved one. is black women are overlooked for.so many things it's a damn shame that we find the same treatment in this instance too. my heart goes out to Tamikas family and friends. the retelling of the story is heartbreaking. May GOD cover and protect them. Thank you for sharing this story and shining the light on our black and missing.

Layered, Engaging and Powerful beyond Measure!

This true depiction epitomized the art of storytelling. I cried, I pondered, and I even laughed. Erica took me on a journey with all of the others in a way that felt like I was actually present. I recommend this book to anyone who has a compassionate heart, loves mystery and is okay with broaching tough topics of real lives lived.

a captivating story

just a captivating story. I wish it wasn't real but appreciate the telling of the story of missing black girls. I pray the fact has peace and hope that there is equality in the search for missing black people.

Cynical conflation of two tragedies

Simply stated, this victim, a young Black woman named Tamika Antonette Huston deserved better than this dreck. Her story is tragic. And the woefully underreported epidemic of missing Black girls and women (as well as other women of color) is also tragic. But the handling of these topics are secondary to the presenter's ego and personal experience. It becomes clear early on that it's less about Tamika, and more about Ms. Alexander's (and her collaborators') working out their own grievances, all of which are understandable and reasonable. But it's also quite apparent they don't really care about Tamika, but use her story as merely a vehicle. And with the obsession on the "missing white woman" syndrome, while perfectly understandable, it's a bit unfortunate that they focus so much on her beauty and talent, missing the irony entirely. How pretty a young woman is, doesn't make her life any more or less precious.

In addition, the presentation possesses an inflated impression of its own philosophical prowess. The attempts to impart poetic wisdom fall flat and oftentimes tends to derail the story into tangents of the presenter's own spiritual journey, rethinking of death, and the supernatural. It may make for a decent memoir someday, but have the courage to publish it on its own merit and not hide behind a true crime story. It's not worth going into too much detail about the credulity of the farcical spiritualism. Cringingly bad, it insults the listeners' intelligence, and more importantly, is disrespectful to Tamika. She comes in dreams, she conveys messages, but she doesn't think to let you know what happened to her, or where she is? Pfft. Nor is it worth getting into the overwrought acting, the haunting despair of the poor presenter (remember this is supposed to be about Tamika).

Frankly, both of the stories mentioned at the top are worthy of the time spent. But this project doesn't do justice to either. Additionally, this effort was flawed from the start. From its grandiose self-absorption to its over-stylized presentation of sound effects and feeble jazz bed to its amateurish storytelling. It needed more care for its subject, more substance, and less flash and supernatural drivel.

Important Listen

This was a humbling, heartbreaking story. One of millions that have sadly gone untold and unheard, until now.
My only complaint was the last few episodes where there were several minutes of just instrumental music between speaking parts… just too long in my opinion.

I couldn’t listen to the Sound effects

The background sound effects and music to provide mood were intolerable. I had to stop listening.

Sad good listen

Enjoyed the narration. Very sad, but a story that needs to be told. Advocates for Tamika were intriguing and the spiritual aspect only added interest.

Beautiful Sparrow

I am so moved by Tamika’s story! It is heartbreaking to know that our stories fall by the waist side as if our family members don’t matter. Erika, the way that you told the story of Tamika was absolutely amazing, eloquent, and true to who she was. I felt the pain from the family and her best friend and I will continue to pray that they find peace knowing that she is still watching over them! Thank You for sharing Tamika’s story!

Buzzing

I only made it about 5 minutes in. There was a low buzzing that may or may not have been an intended effect, then it also started with a load of echo effects etc. Shame it wasn’t just narrated without all this distraction.

Needs an abridged version!

story was good and narration was good but so so much repetition and replayed quotes. Would have been great if it had been condensed to 3 episodes.

Sad

I found this to be a mediocre told audiobook. I have listened to many true crime stories but this one comes up short. Too many times throughout, the results or answers are given too soon thus it lacks in suspense. However it does bring up the important issue of inequality when dealing with black or white missing persons.

Heartbreaking

A heartbreaking true crime series. My only “gripe” if you will is in what I would call over-production. Most episodes have this noir-ish soundtrack that I found a bit extra.

Interesting story but the amount of music is just too much

I rarely write reviews but couldn’t help but comment on the amount of unnecessary music and pauses. The narration was spoiled and in the end I couldn’t finish listening. The length of each podcast would have been reduced considerably had the music not drones on and on and on.

cannot bare the horrendous background noises.

Don't know if a good performance or story. i cannot stand the noise to listen.

Women of Colour

I learnt a lot from this story and how some people are treated - shocking! It was so sad and made me realise that sometimes in life our path is guided by luck and that we need to appreciate what we have because it could be snatched away at any moment.

Important subject - self-indulgent production

This is an important story, and the subject matter surrounding it undoubtedly needs to be addressed and dealt with. Unfortunately, I felt the producers, and the narrator were overly self-indulgent in not only their production and performance of this work, but also in preparing the content. It seems as though more time was spent on preparing the musical score and interludes, than on the content and detail of the script. Details were glossed over, timelines scattered, and important information either skimmed, or thrown out there briefly with nothing to back it up.

I don't want to be too negative, as I know that the intention and sentiment was definitely in the right place, but unfortunately, so much potential was lost, due to misplaced focus. Tamika's aunt was involved in the production of this I believe, and I think her intimate knowledge of the whole situation, combined with her knowledge of the family's history and background, mean that so much important information was unintentionally/unconsciously left out, as she likely lacked the objectivity to realise that not everyone was approaching this story with that same awareness/knowledge.

I'm also interested to know whether the producers have offered the emotional help so clearly needed and yearned for by Tamika's best friend and former partner. Help which the narrator was keen to point out has been so clearly unforthcoming in the past.

If positive change in the future is the intended outcome for podcasts like these; and I sincerely hope that is the intention, as we need to go beyond 'awareness;' then far more thought needs to go into the production of such work, in order that change happens, rather than just a stirring of emotions.

A book about a murder and racism in society

This is similar to a podcast, with narration interrupted by music and interviews. The author repeats herself and the facts often and the use of ghostly music to emphasise the experience of ghostly visitations is too much. More to the point, shorter and more succint would have been much better. I finished listening early because it was too long for the content.

Inviable black girls

I lived in Duncan, SC at the time this happened. I worked in Spartanburg and I can honestly say I do not remember this happening. I don't recall anyone discussing it or gossiping about it where I worked (a large retail chain). And this brings out one of the points that black girls are sadly "invisable" amd treated inequal in the eyes of the media and law. The performance of the narration was hard to listen to because of the noir style of it and overly annoying and distracting music.