- 11 hours ago
Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide – including right here in the United States. This panel brings awareness to what human trafficking is, how to recognize it, and the role you can play to help combat this heinous crime.
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00:00Hello, hello, hello. My name is Brandy Bynum and I serve as the program manager
00:05for the Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign. For those of you
00:09who don't know who we are, we are a national public awareness campaign
00:13designed to combat human trafficking nationwide and I just want to thank you
00:18to Essence and everybody here because this is an important topic. When we teach
00:22and train on human trafficking we call it the crime in plain sight because it
00:27is happening right in front of us. It is an honor to be here with Shamir McKenzie
00:32who is the training manager for Polaris. Polaris is a non-governmental
00:36organization that operates the national human trafficking hotline. She is also an
00:41anti-human trafficking ambassador to Jamaica and finally if not enough the
00:46CEO of Sungate Foundation. So we are going to have a conversation today because the
00:52call to action really is to learn more about what human trafficking is, how
00:57to spot it, and then how to properly report. And so I have some questions for
01:01Shamir so I invite you to the room to just learn more about what human
01:05trafficking is. So before we jump into the questions, human trafficking is the use of
01:10force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of commercial sex act or labor. And so
01:17we want to make sure we know that because it is definitely gets confused in the
01:21media. So Shamir, my first question for you is what do people need to know about
01:27potential traffickers, how they groom individuals for commercial sex or labor
01:32exploitation, and what does grooming look like? Thank you so much for that
01:37question Brandi. Hello everyone and thank you to Essence and the Global Black
01:42Economic Forum for having us. When we're talking about human trafficking and how
01:48traffickers operate, they are very calculated. Human traffickers are master
01:54manipulators, so they target specific individuals, they assess their
02:01vulnerabilities, and they prey upon whatever that vulnerability is, right? So if
02:07it's someone that's looking for love, they're going to exploit that. If it's
02:12someone that's looking, that's homeless, that's looking for housing, they're going to
02:17exploit that. So whatever the that vulnerability is, they're going to
02:22exploit that. And that grooming process, traffickers don't jump out and say, hey, I'm
02:27the big bad trafficker, come with me, I'm gonna do these things. They are very
02:34charismatic, right? They get to know you. They get to know what that vulnerability is.
02:40They get you to trust them. And once you trust them, then they flip, right? So that
02:49grooming process is not as scary as we see in the movies where we're thinking, oh, this
02:54is a horrible person, I should know better. They get to know you, they befriend you, and
03:00get you to trust them. And then whatever that vulnerability is, they exploit that.
03:06Thank you, Shamir. And we also know that grooming doesn't just happen like with the
03:11snap of a finger, right? Like it can take a long time, weeks, months, maybe years,
03:16because like you said, traffickers really want to gain that trust of their potential
03:21victim. So my next question is, we know anyone can be a victim of human trafficking,
03:26any race, nationality, ethnicity, but some people face, are more at risk, right? So can we
03:33talk about what those vulnerabilities are, the risks that make individuals and communities
03:40more susceptible to human trafficking?
03:42Let me repeat what Brandy said. Anyone can be a victim of trafficking. Anyone can be a victim
03:51of trafficking. And I know some of you may say, well, I raised my kids with good Christian
03:56morals and principles, so my child can't be trafficked. But we all have vulnerabilities, right? And specific
04:03populations are more targeted, right? Our young people are more targeted, because your brain doesn't
04:10fully develop until you're about 24, 25 years old, right? Guess who also knows that? Traffickers.
04:17And so because they know our youth will not always make a rational decision, they target them,
04:23they prey on them, right? You have individuals from the LGBTQ community that are also specifically
04:30targeted. Individuals who may run away from home, and when we're talking about individuals who run away,
04:38it's important to understand that these individuals may be running from something that's happening in the
04:45home, or they may be running to something that where someone is dangling that carrot in front of them to
04:55make things a little bit more attractive, to entice them to go with them. We have individuals who may
05:02be a part of a disaster, a national disaster, or political unrest, where your back is against the
05:09wall, and these traffickers come, and they present an opportunity that seems too good to be true. And when
05:15your back is against the wall, and you need resources, and you don't have access to resources, this trafficker will
05:21come, and he will paint this picture as he is a god, and he can get you access to these resources,
05:29and you not knowing and not really thinking, because you're in a tight spot, and you're in a tight
05:34situation, you're going to believe this person. So there are a number of populations, immigrants,
05:44undocumented individuals in our country that don't know the laws of the land, right? Traffickers tend
05:51to exploit that, right? They pretend to be omnipotent, they're untouchable, they're everywhere,
05:59and so, and then they create this climate of fear also for their victims. So, but I'm going into
06:05another question, so let me hold that thought. Thank you, thank you Shamir for talking about those
06:10vulnerabilities that make some communities more vulnerable than others. Something when I'm doing a
06:15lot of trainings and teachings nationwide is that, why don't the victims just leave, right? Especially
06:22because there's a, there's this perception of freedom of movement when victims are in their
06:29exploitation situations. So can we talk about, for those who are people unfamiliar with human trafficking,
06:36what they often say that they can't just leave. What is your response to those people who asked that
06:43question? You know, I've been doing this work for 13 years, and I remember the first time someone
06:49asked me that question, why don't victims leave? And I remember getting offended, right? And I remember
06:57saying, well, if they had the resources and they knew how to, they would just leave. I thought it was
07:01a dumb question. But I, as I began to grow and learn, I understand that that is a really valid question
07:10when someone really doesn't understand the scope and the lay of the land of human trafficking.
07:16The number one reason victims don't leave is fear. And that fear takes several forms. It could be fear
07:23of retaliation from the trafficker, because when you are being enslaved and someone physically hurt you,
07:31and they tell you, if you don't obey my rules and regulations, what just happened to you can be worse.
07:39And if you should leave, that can be worse. You're going to believe that person, right? And so fear
07:46victims oftentimes don't know their, their location, right? So they don't know where to run to. They
07:52don't know what resources are available in their community, right? They don't trust people because
07:59here it is. I just trust someone that is now physically and psychologically abusing me.
08:04So that trust, if there was any trust that existed, this man done crushed that man or woman,
08:13because it's important to know that women are traffickers too. It's not just men, right? And it's
08:19also important to note that when we're talking about victims, boys are victims too. It's not just girls,
08:24girls, right? So victims don't leave because of fear. They don't believe that people will believe
08:32their story. Look at the society in which we're in right now, when we hear stories of people coming
08:39forward about their sexual abuse. And we have questions. Is it true? Did this really happen?
08:46Why are they coming forward now? And if as a society, we continue to ask those questions,
08:52when victims come forward. We are further harming and allowing this crime
09:00to go beneath surface. We should be willing to assist victims, believe them that what they
09:09have experienced is true and get them connected to some resources.
09:14Thank you, Shamir. So this goes to my next question, because we know that the trends and how
09:20traffickers are grooming their victims and reaching their victims changes over the years. And the
09:25federal government has been in the human trafficking space for a little over 20 years. So as an expert
09:31trainer and advocate, can you talk about how you've seen the sex trafficking trends evolve in recent years?
09:38So it was in the year 2000. Do y'all remember the year 2000? Y2K? The refrigerator was supposed to
09:45stop working all of that. That was the year that the United States recognized that human trafficking
09:51was a problem on U.S. soil. And they implemented the TVPA, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act,
09:58to address, define what human trafficking looks like in the United States. Now, many may think that this
10:05is a new crime. Human trafficking is not new, right? It is an old crime. And over the years,
10:13so we're talking about the year 2000 that we recognize, there has been a lot of education and
10:21training around trafficking. So we have seen where there used to be a lot of commercial sex and
10:28commercial sex is simply having sex in exchange for something of value.
10:33Right? So when we say commercial sex, that's what we're talking about. Having sex in exchange for
10:38something of value. That thing of value is not always money. Right? It's anything of value. Okay?
10:45And so we saw where commercial sex, there used to be a lot of commercial sex on the street.
10:51Right? You may have seen it in your neighborhoods, on your way to work, on your way to school.
10:54And traffickers have gotten creative because law enforcement was getting trained to go out and
11:03identify and respond to commercial sex on the street. So then they switched to going online.
11:10Right? Where there are posting ads online of individuals. And there is buyers. There are individuals
11:19who are, they want to purchase. Right? And so we see that trend that happened. We also saw a trend
11:27where, you know, in the beginning, while this continues to happen, I must say that we're doing a better job
11:34of addressing this where children used to be arrested for engaging in commercial sex. We now see a lot of
11:40states have begun to stop arresting children. We still do see adults getting arrested. Right? Because
11:48human trafficking is complex. And oftentimes, well, you may sit back and say, well, why are they getting
11:53arrested when they're being enslaved? But you have to understand the perspective of law enforcement.
11:58They are seeing a crime, what they know is a crime. And so they have to do that investigation
12:04to get to the root of the matter. And most of the times when I've trained prosecutors and law
12:10enforcement, they may have that initial arrest, but then they drop the charges or they'll let the
12:15victims go. So we have seen some trends like that. We've also seen where there are more resources that
12:21are available. In 2000, there wasn't a national human trafficking hotline. Right? In 2007, right, under
12:32the Department of Health and Human Services, Polaris Project, that was their former name,
12:38began to operate the national human trafficking hotline. You guys may have seen this number
12:45traveling here in the airport. It's on the highways. That number is 888-3737-888. It's a national hotline
12:55where victims can call and get access to resources, or they can report their situation. So those are some of
13:04the things that we've seen changed over the years. And we could go on and on and on about the trends,
13:11but those are just some of the ones that I want you guys to understand that there are more resources.
13:16We still need more resources. But those are just some of the ones that we've seen over the years.
13:23Thank you, Shamir. We have a lot of people in the audience and a lot of people watching us online.
13:29How can communities support and empower survivors of human trafficking? And the second part of my
13:36question is, what up-tassels can inhibit survivor healing in communities?
13:42I said this before, and I'm going to say it again. When a victim or a survivor comes forward,
13:51believe them. Oftentimes, as human beings, we are curious. What happened? Right? We want to know the
13:59story. But with you knowing the story, does that really make a difference? Because you know the
14:06story and this person is still hurting. So instead of asking, what happened to you? How about we ask,
14:14how can I help you? How can I get you connected to resources? Right? We have, many of you have,
14:23are born with many skills, gifts, and talents. So I hear people say all the time, I don't know
14:29what to do. I don't know how to help. I don't have any money. It takes more than money to respond to
14:36victims of trafficking. You're a great writer. Hey, help the survivor create a bio if they're, if that's what
14:43they want to do. Right? You're a person, maybe on your job. You're the communications director.
14:49I'm here speaking to you this morning. There are people that help me get to this place of,
14:54hey, Shamir, when you speak, you should talk more about these things. Don't talk, right? You can help.
14:59You can even help with resume, helping them develop their resumes. Right? Those are simple skills,
15:06gifts, gifts, and talents. Mentor victims and survivors, right? They're often victims and
15:13survivors. When they come out of being trafficked, they're dealing with shame and guilt. And you,
15:19as someone who's coming alongside them, being a mentor to say, listen, you may have had this awful
15:24situation, but you can go on to be something better than this. That support, that encouragement
15:31goes a long way. And the only reason why I am able to sit with you this morning on this stage,
15:36Brandy, is because of the support that I got when I left my trafficking situation. Right? And it's not
15:45just support from one person. There are so many different people that helped me along this journey
15:51while I can be with you this morning. So that support, instead of like pointing fingers and saying,
15:57oh, you were this or you were that. Let me help you get to that next level. Let me help you move from
16:03victim to survivor to leader or whatever it is that this person wants to be. Right? Let's do that.
16:11Thank you, Shamir. And we also talk about education, right? So I mentioned that we're the Blue Campaign
16:17and we're federally funded at the Department of Homeland Security. And we do trainings and education and
16:22awareness events across the country, right? We will come into your community and we will
16:27teach you about what human trafficking is, the indicators and how to properly support. We have
16:32a ton of free resources on our website, dhs.gov blue campaign. We have a booth here today. And so we
16:38are here to help wherever you are and whatever part of the US of A and the territories, we want you to
16:44make sure that you're educated and equipped to be able to identify a victim and properly support. So that
16:51leads me into my next question. When we talk about social media and online exploitation, we know that
16:59that is one of the big ways that traffickers are reaching their victims, right? I've talked to a lot
17:05of our victim assistance specialists and forensic interviewers, and we've seen a lot of young people
17:10getting groomed on social media, on online platforms and gaming. Can you talk about the role that social
17:18media and online platforms play in exposing youth to potential exploitation? So boom, the internet happened,
17:27right? Y'all remember the days of AOL dialing up, right? We're going on. And so the internet happened,
17:35but were we taught about being safe on the internet? Right? Do you remember back in the days of AOL,
17:43they had chat rooms and you went in the chat rooms and they said ASL. Y'all remember what ASL stands for?
17:49Age, sex, location. And we would just give people our information. We did not have any conversation
17:56about the harm where you give people your age, sex, and location on the internet. And guess what?
18:04Traffickers saw that. And traffickers began to capitalize on that. And so even though AOL isn't as
18:10prominent, we still have our social media. And when we talk about social media, guys, we know about five of
18:18the basic ones, right? Facebook. Our young people are not on Facebook, right? Facebook is in the age of
18:24dinosaurs, right? We have Instagram. They're not even on Instagram anymore, right? We have TikTok.
18:31And there's so many other social media platforms that our young people are on that adults aren't even
18:39aware of. And guess who also are on those social media platforms? Traffickers. Looking for the right
18:47time, we need to teach not only our young people, but ourselves about how we stay safe online, right?
18:56A lot of us, we are here even today. We're here at Essence and we want our friends to know we're at
19:01effing selfie, right? But do we know how many people? Do we know our followers on social media? Do we know
19:10all of our followers? Do we know if they have good intentions for us? Because you just posted that
19:16you're here and you may have someone who wants to harm you. They're like, oh, they're at Essence.
19:22Let me go find them at Essence, right? I hate back to school because doing back to school,
19:28I see people posting their children, like they're going back to school. They're at this school.
19:32They're at this place online. Now the trafficker knows where your kids go to school. So we need to
19:36teach our kids about being safe online and we need to teach our kids about not putting out certain
19:42information online, right? Keeping things private. Thank you, Shamir. Listen, y'all, we are at time,
19:50but I do want to leave you with this. We have a ton of free resources on our website. Please visit. We
19:57even ship some of them out for free. For all of my parents or adults that work with kids, about a year
20:03and a half ago, we worked on a toolkit called How to Talk to Youth About Human Trafficking. It is on
20:08our website right now. Please download it. It will equip you to have that conversation with your
20:12children. Again, thank you, Shamir. Thank you to Essence. And come see us at our booth. Thank you.
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