Image via WikipediaTake action against an epidemic in your backyard.
Sitting in my seat in Hamilton 503, I visibly shuddered at the realities thrust at me as I watched the screen last Monday, Nov. 10. That night, InterVarsity Social Justice invited the student body and faculty alike to a free film screening of the rockumentary, “Call + Response.” I was dismayed by the shocking facts it presented. Call and response is a musical form in which two different people sing two different phrases. Typically the second phrase directly responds to the initial call. This was a common practice in the music of the trans-Atlantic slave trade of the past and is still commonly heard in music today. The film, featuring the musical talent of Imogen Heap, Natasha Bedingfield, and Justin Dillon, among others, melds this musical element and its historical connection to slavery with the plight of modern day human trafficking. Dr. Cornel West, a professor at Princeton University, provides the film’s motto, “Justice is what love looks like in public.” Where is the justice for all of the victims? Where is their love? I propose that Dr. West’s catchphrase become the mantra of Columbia University as we join the fight against modern day slavery.
All across the world, a modern slave trade in which lives are sold to others for sex and labor rages on. The slave trade industry earned more than Google, Nike, and Starbucks combined in 2009. We have the opportunity to stand against these crimes of slavery, yet many people have no idea of the immense number of lives horrendously altered by this slave industry. In “Call + Response,” director Justin Dillon describes a conversation with his Russian translator that occurred while he was on tour in Russia.
She told him of her dream to come to the West and of the job opportunities offered to get her here. Later, Dillon discovered that these job opportunities are just ploys to lure women into sex trafficking. Many people hear the phrase “human trafficking” and think, “Yeah, that’s sad, but it doesn’t happen in the United States.” Not so. Domestic trafficking occurs here in New York City and across the country. Girls Educational & Mentoring Service (GEMS), based here in the city, equips young girls and women with the ability to escape from domestic trafficking and sexual abuse. These girls come from our own city, and some may have grown up just a few blocks away. These victims are so close to us, yet we aren’t responding to their suffering.
It’s not hard to respond. The first step: educate yourself. There are groups on campus that already reach out to educate the rest of us who remain uninformed. They provide opportunities around campus to learn more about human trafficking and the modern abolitionist movement. Look at almost any bulletin board and you’ll find colorful flyers campaigning for your attention—most of them you probably ignore, but give them a chance and see what events are going on around campus. Often, you’ll find a movie screening or discussion related to the issue of modern slavery. Expect to be outraged and inspired by the hardships these victims face and expect to act upon your inspiration.
Around the city, the abolitionist movement is becoming stronger, and, as a major institution, Columbia needs to grow with the movement. Students are at Columbia because of the opportunities in their high schools and communities. We were given the freedom to study diligently and follow our dreams. Victims of human trafficking don’t have that freedom, nor do they have authority over their own bodies. As students, we can work to give them their freedom back.
We’ve heard the call, or more accurately the plea—now let’s take up the fight and cry out in response. I want to respond to the call, and I’m challenging Columbia University to respond with me.
The author is a Barnard College first-year. She is a member of InterVarsity Social Justice.
Source: Columbia SpectatorHeed the call against human trafficking
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