Author | Lydia Rice |
Disclaimer: While not graphic, some of the material included in this article may be sensitive to younger readers, as we are dealing with modern slavery.
On February 13th, we had you wear your red or white Scholars Guild t-shirt to take a stand for the End It movement.
For those of you who have never heard of it, the End It movement is dedicated to bring awareness to global slavery and call for the end of this inhumane practice.
Perhaps you’re still surprised that slavery is an issue. I know I never expected numbers of this magnitude.
However, there are approximately 30 million slaves in the world that would say that it is. In America alone, there are 60,000 slaves and according to an intensive study done by the Walk Free Foundation, that is on the lower end of the spectrum. In fact, this movement began in Atlanta at a Passion Conference, as even now Georgia is still passing legislation against child trafficking.
Just because you don’t walk through Georgia and hear the crack of a whip or see miles of plantations doesn’t mean that slavery doesn’t exist in the 21st century and neither has it softened to acclimate us in the modern age.
"Nothing happens just because we are aware of modern-day slavery, but nothing will EVER happen until we are."
-The End It Movement, in response to people claiming that writing a red x on your hand didn't really contribute to combating slavery.
Defining the very meaning of a slave, millions of people are captured and forced into a life of labor, prostitution, army, or even marriage. There, they are no longer people, but property. Many are children.
In that same study by Walk Free, there were 162 countries under investigation and every single one had slaves. In nearly every single country, slavery is illegal.
The country Mauritania is the worst example of this. A West African nation, which has tried to outlaw slavery three times, has about one out of every twenty-five people enslaved. This is around four percent of the population. Just a few years ago, it was around twenty percent. India and Hati experience similar high numbers.
Even in America, slavery is fairly rampant through trafficking and forced labor. Illegal immigrants are often captured to work in factories, drawn in by promises of a safe life with steady income.
According to Slavery Today, in 1850 a slave would cost around $40,000 dollars, adjusted for modern pricing.
In 2018, a slave costs $90 calculated by global averages.
As you can clearly see, The End It movement is critical. There are many ways to support the cause, which has adopted the color red. The most popular symbol is to draw a red X on the back of your hand, symbolizing that slavery is still a rampant issue, but an intolerable one.
Thank you for joining us on February 13th in support of the End It movement and in protest of slavery. Be sure to mark your calendars for February 22nd, the actual date of the End It movement.