Garcelle Beauvais to star in new Lifetime movie 'Black Girl Missing'

Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Actress and real housewife Garcelle Beauvais is putting her star power behind a critical issue by executive producing and starring in Black Girl Missing.

In the movie, Beauvais plays Cheryl, a mother who realizes her college-age daughter Lauren is not just ignoring her after an argument, she's gone missing. While trying to get help from the authorities, she finds out that her daughter's case is being treated very differently from that of another missing woman, who is White.

Iyana Halley, Linda Park and Taylor Mosby co-star.

The Lifetime movie is inspired by real-life stories of missing Black women and their families impacted by the disparity in how Black and White women are treated when they are missing. The Gabby Petito case is a recent example of the national spotlight that is cast when a White girl or woman is missing but there are many others.

Derrica and Natalie Wilson, founders of Black and Missing, a nonprofit national organization that advocates for missing Black men, women and children, are consultants on the movie. They also shared their expertise for the special Beyond the Headlines: Black Girl Missing, which will explore the real-life stories of women and families the movie showcases.

Beauvais will film a new PSA for the organization in conjunction with the film.

Black Girl Missing is part of Lifetime's Stop the Violence Against Women campaign. It airs on Lifetime on March 4 at 8 p.m. EST.