“There is Slavery in America” - How People React (I)

I talk with people about human trafficking. One on one and larger audiences. When people first have their consciousness jarred by the reality of slavery in America, they respond in several ways. Here are the most common.

1. “I HAD NO IDEA!” I recently got this reaction from the father of a large family, including daughters and several young children. He was completely unaware. There are many - many, MANY - people who have no idea.

2. “THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA!” “I want to help with anti-trafficking, but I don’t want to go to Asia,” someone told me recently. (I recruit for ITeams‘ End Slavery program). These people haven’t heard John Walsh (America’s Most Wanted); he said that child sex trafficking is worse in the United States than in any other nation (short video & article).

3. “WE GOT RID OF SLAVERY IN THE 1800′S.” The trans-Atlantic slave trade of the 18th century was ruled illegal. In that form, and much of what came from it, we “got rid of slavery”. But many other forms have arisen. (Like sex slave trafficking, as in Cleveland’s suburbs or South Florida.)

Awareness is rising, but there are still just waaaaaaaaaaaay too many millions of people WHO DON’T KNOW that slavery exists in America. This is why AWARENESS is a huge part of Redbrown. Here’s a step toward greater awareness.

Part II shortly.

My Trip to the Twin Cities

Last week my Kia rental took me to Northwestern College (St. Paul, Minnesota) to recruit at their Missions Week. A delightful junior named Anastasia helped me set up my wares; she wants to teach English as a second language in Europe, likely among refugees. (We’re talking…)

International Village Drop-In Center

While in “The Cities”, I joined the monthly meeting of our (ITeams) Minneapolis team that serves refugees (team info). In this photo, team member John Trotter graces the doorway of the new International Village (partner) drop-in center, located in a Hmong neighborhood, near a Somali community. It opens October 15 and it NEEDS volunteers!!! And you can do it now and then for like a few hours a week if you want, John told me!!

As I returned to Northwestern and talked with students about trafficking, I recalled a comment made by my friend, Kaylee, a few days before: “Human trafficking is very much tied to the refugee crisis in our world.” (Kaylee Kolditz hosts Refugee Connect - both a resource site (http://refugeeconnect.yolasite.com/) and a facebook group.)

This overlap is natural - both people groups are negatively affected by force: refugees are forcibly displaced by famine, war, etc.; trafficking victims are coerced to perform a service. They are both highly vulnerable.

The UN’s Refugee Agency (UNHCR) speaks to this connection: “Not all victims of trafficking are refugees, but in their flight, refugees frequently have to rely on smugglers or traffickers, with both preying on their vulnerabilities. Other victims of trafficking may also become refugees because they are unable to return to their countries of origin for fear of being stigmatized…” See full document here: UN: Refugees & Trafficking

Tom Albinson’s strong International Association for Refugees (IAFR) has a helpful piece on Refugees & Trafficking (IAFR).

It’s a sobering reality that in many places where you have an IMMIGRATION issue you may also have a TRAFFICKING issue. It may make it more difficult to casually dismiss the immigration/refugee issue on merely legal grounds (”Send the illegals back to Mexico!”). There may be much more at stake.

Welcome to Redbrown!

On Wednesday, August 31, Derri Smith, the Director of International Teams‘ work in End Slavery, spent the day listening to human trafficking victims testify against their alleged trafficker (he was present). She returned to a ransacked home, stolen documents, etc. Her home may have been targeted.

What a violation - the stripping of the safety net we call home. (Hey, back off this lady many of us call hero!)

What a paradox! I mean, someone spends the day listening to crimes that were committed, in the presence of the criminal who committed them, and comes home to a completely different crime scene and no criminal.

And how inspiring!!!! This story links anti-slavery - the task - with anti-slavery - the dark side - in a way that rallies many of us to want to learn more, pray more, give more, agitate more; and maybe eat one less Pop Tart, be a little less churchy and prim and stuff, maybe whine a little less about sissy things that don’t matter. Because things like THIS really do matter.

Welcome to Redbrown.org, a site devoted to the abolishing of modern-day slavery. So much more to come.