Shining a Light on the Vulnerable and Marginalized

Contact: Linda Wallace, 215-751-8082, liswallace@ccp.edu
Annette John-Hall, 215-751-8021, anhall@ccp.edu


See all the Red Sand in Sidewalk Cracks Around the Nation? It's Coming to Philly. Find out What it Means


“Our fight against human trafficking is one of the great human rights causes of our time, and the United States will continue to lead it — in partnership with you.” – President Barack Obama

Over recent years, human trafficking has emerged as the cruelest form of exploitation and oppression among the poor and powerless. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that 14,500-17,500 individuals are trafficked into the United States every year. Last year in Philadelphia, a federal jury convicted two Ukrainian brothers for luring scores of their countrymen into Port Richmond and using them as work slaves. And just last month, 15 sex traffickers and their associates were arrested in Philadelphia as part of a nationwide takedown. The city-wide operation shined a light into the darkest corners of society that prey on the most vulnerable and marginalized populations in our communities.

Community College of Philadelphia is committed to raising awareness about human trafficking in all forms. On Tuesday, Nov. 22, the College’s Fox Rothschild Center for Law and Society will co-sponsor a Human Trafficking Red Sand Event, a part of a Red Sand Project installation, created by New York-based artist Molly Gochman. Red Sand Project is a global activist art piece created to illuminate the travesty of modern-day slavery. Red Sand Project Manager Lizzie Horne also based in New York, will join the event as a key speaker.

Beginning at 10:45 a.m., faculty, students, and staff from the College, along with a coalition of community partners, including the Red Sand Project, The Salvation Army, the Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition, the Nationalities Service Center, and the Philadelphia Housing Authority, will assemble at the corner of Broad and Spring Garden streets. At 11 a.m., participants will pour red sand in the cracks of the sidewalk as they walk from Spring Garden Street to City Hall. The sand will serve as a stark reminder that Philadelphians cannot merely pass by or walk over those who are being exploited. The walkers will carry signs in support of human trafficking awareness and prevention.

The event will culminate with a noon press conference on the northeast apron of City Hall, where Ellyn Jo Waller, First Lady of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church; Philadelphia First Judicial District Judge Lori Dumas Community College of Philadelphia President Donald Guy Generals; Director of Fox Rothschild Center for Law and Society, Kathleen Smith will speak about the importance of exposing and fighting back against human trafficking, which ranks second only to drug dealing as the largest criminal industry in the world. Several city council members are also expected to attend including Councilman Curtis Jones of the Fourth District, and Councilwoman Cherelle Parker of the Ninth District.

In addition to the walk, the conference will include a day filled with events and discussions around the global issue of human trafficking.

Beginning at 1 p.m. the College will host the 1st annual Fox Rothschild Center for Law and Society Conference on Human Trafficking, with panel discussions and a screening exploring the various aspects of trafficking. Panels include: "Voices of Human Trafficking" from 2:40 to 4:10 p.m., featuring an officer from the Philadelphia Police Department's Special Victims Unit; a Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition advocacy panel from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., moderated by Dr. Ellyn Jo Waller, First Lady of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church and co-sponsored by the church's "She's My Sister" ministry. "Very Young Girls," a documentary on Human Trafficking, will be screened from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by a discussion moderated by Dr. Claudia Curry, director of the College's Women's Outreach and Advocacy Center.

“We hope to make this an annual event,” said Kathleen M. Smith, director of Fox Rothschild Center for Law and Society. “Human trafficking affects so many, yet most of us think of it as rare and somehow far away from us and our communities. In offering a day focused on the many facets of human trafficking, we hope to give voice to the voiceless of the many who have been trafficked and bring their faces into focus.”

 

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Community College of Philadelphia is the largest public institution of higher education in Philadelphia and the sixth largest in Pennsylvania. The College enrolls approximately 34,000 students annually and offers day, evening, and weekend classes, as well as classes online. Visit the College at www.ccp.edu. Follow us on Twitter. Like us on Facebook.