Community Corner

Abolitionists Enlist Help in Fight Against Slavery

Young people lead, attend Not For Sale walk

The Not For Sale Connecticut Chapter held its first annual Freedom Walk Sunday in hopes of educating and inspiring locals to fight against modern slavery.

The event brought local historians from the , Harriet Beecher Stowe Center and together with Not For Sale members and teens from St. Mary Star of the Sea’s youth groups. The combined group of volunteers led about 180 people in an educational experience about modern and historical slavery at sites along the Freedom Trail in the village.

“You learn in school that slavery was abolished in the 1800s but you don’t learn the fact that there are more people enslaved now than at any other point in history and most of them are children. It’s kind of upsetting and disgusting,” said Julia Plourde, 17, who is active both at St. Mary Star of the Sea and in Not For Sale.

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Lea Lavoie, 18, also of St. Mary’s, has worked to raise awareness of the issue before.

“I just loved being able to spread the word to people who didn’t know it was going on,” Lavoie said. “I want to do as much as possible.”

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Nate Mitchell, 21, said the walk opened his eyes to the truth in comments about slave-trade products.

“You always heard people say ‘little kids made those shoes.’ We would joke around in school. Then Karen showed me some videos and I saw it was really true,” he said.

That’s the lesson Barbara Karsky, co-owner of BK & Co in West Hartford said she learned one day while lacing up her shoes to go on a walk with her son.

“He said, ‘I’m not going to walk with you if you wear those shoes,’ ” she said. Now she knows she can use her money to support companies with fair-trade practices and organizations that support victims rescued from slavery.

“This is a way you can make a difference,” she said. “Once you know that a certain kind of chocolate or shoe is not good, you’re never going to be able to go back and buy that.”

Forced labor in producing goods is not the only thing to look out for, Julia Baldini, program coordinator at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, told walk participants. Sex trafficking is a crime both children and adults are being forced into – even in Connecticut. As recently as last month three men were indicted in Connecticut for forcing 14- and 17-year-olds into prostitution.

Baldini said it’s important to keep talking about slavery and to bring the discussion into the community. While law enforcement officials are well meaning, she said there’s not enough training or resources to deal with the problem and, as a result, advocacy groups are doing much of the work.

Across the street from the Austin Williams house, Wendy Burki, who coordinates the Amistad tours for the Farmington Historical Society, talked about the resources Farmington residents shared with Mendi tribesmen from the Amistad. In addition to the Mendi dormitory, the freed slaves were given an education, clothing and 10 to 15 acres of farmland in the Meadows to grow food.

“Can you share what you have with someone who needs comfort?” Burki asked.

In the Riverside Cemetery was another stop along the tour: Foone’s grave. The Mendi, who was also aboard the Amistad slave ship, died at 19 years old.

“It makes me sad,” said Natalie Goodman, 9, of learning about slavery. But, “I’m very interested in history.”

Mom Beth Goodman said the event was a good opportunity to teach her daughter about what’s going on in the world.

“If we can help people and understand what’s going on in the world instead of what’s more comfortable, I think it’s important,” she said. “Other kids are living it; our kids can know about it.”

What Can You Do?

Be an educated consumer: To find out if popular companies use forced or child labor, visit free2work.org. Mobile apps are available on the site. Also look for the fair trade symbol while shopping.

Look for the signs and report them: Behavioral and physical clues can identify a trafficking victim. HumanTrafficking.org gives a list.

Donate: Not For Sale and other abolitionists groups depend on donations. Not For Sale Connecticut is specifically raising money for the chapter’s activities and to support a Cambodian woman who rescues children from the child sex trade.

Not For Sale Connecticut's next event will be a Free2Wash car wash at in Unionville April 9 at 10 a.m.

See a video of the event done by CTcaresMedia.


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