Every day people are bought and sold. The days of the Middle Passage and slavery in the American South are over, but the international slave trade continues today; and in fact it’s grown stronger and stronger. Today 27 million men, women and children are held as slaves in hard labor work, the sex industry, or as soldiers. Each year, more than 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade. Greed and money drive slavery: According to the U.N., the total market value of human trafficking is over $32 billion. In 2007, slave traders earned more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined.

Some people assume that this social plague only affects other parts of the world: the third world or places where lack of education fuel poverty and ignorance. However an estimated 17,500 people from other countries are trafficked into the United States each year. Slavery in all parts of the world impacts our daily lives; enslaved people produce the food and clothing that form the foundation of our daily lives. This gaping misconception—that slavery doesn’t affect me—allows us to distance ourselves from the issue and silences the cries of exploited people around the world. Unfortunately, too many people are still unaware of the problem, and those who know often feel overwhelmed and paralyzed by the enormity of the problem.

Please click here to learn more about what you can do to fight human trafficking and empower survivors.