Tawney Bevacqua is Free the Slaves’ outreach coordinator. She is also the face of the ‘Artists Against Slavery’ blog—a sub-section of the FTSblog—in which she explores how artists and creative professionals are using their talents to help end slavery.
Thousands of people are brought into the U.S. every year to be used as slaves. Thousands more U.S. citizens are enslaved within our borders. Even though it’s all around us and we are connected to it through the products we use every day, modern-day slavery is a hidden crime, and we can sometimes feel helpless against it. But there are actions you can take now to help eradicate slavery. Raising awareness is an important step you can take. It’s still not universally recognized that real slavery exists today. Experience tells us that when people find out about slavery, they are inspired to work to eradicate it. Raising funds to help reputable anti-slavery organizations like Free the Slaves is also an important action. Donations help us continue our work.
Here is a list of three concrete things you can do to help bring an end to modern-day slavery:
JOIN OUR FREEDOM PROJECT:
Show your love of Free the Slaves—and express your desire to eradicate slavery in your lifetime. Download the posters of support here and here, take a photo of yourself holding them up, and post it on our Facebook wall. Keep an eye out: your photo might become our next Facebook profile picture! Find out more here.
WORK OUT SLAVERY:
Do you study karate, dance, or yoga? Do you take spin classes? Ask your instructor to hold a donation class. Use the opportunity to pass out information about modern-day slavery—this double-sided one pager (PDF) is a great introduction to slavery and the work of FTS.
If you are in the San Diego area, you can take part in a donation yoga class next week. The class is taking place Monday, March 28 at Core Power Yoga in Mission Valley. Go here to download the flier!
MOVIE NIGHT:
Free the Slaves is the producer of the largest, free, library of films and documentaries on modern-day slavery. Invite friends over for a movie night—with a message. You can access many of our films on Youtube, Vimeo, and our website. Or, buy the films on DVD here. The films can spark discussion, educate, and spread the word.
And watch this space every week for more on how you can use your creative spark to help end slavery.
