By Elijah Mckenzie

In 21st century America, the promises of freedom and liberty are guaranteed to every citizen. Slavery is recognized as a dark chapter in the nation’s history, but is no longer considered an issue challenging the world today. Unfortunately, slavery is not dead. Not in the United States, and not in Kentucky.

“Human trafficking is a polite word for human slavery,” said Theresa Hayden, a justice administration professor at the University of Louisville who taught a class on the issue of human trafficking in the fall of 2009. “Human trafficking flourishes in Louisville and Kentucky and is the invisible crime against human rights because it happens right in front of us and we are blind to it.”
Hayden also serves as a faculty mentor for the emerging Anti Human Trafficking recognized student organization at U of L, which aims at educating the community on the issue of human trafficking. Students who took Hayden’s class in the fall took the initiative to organize the RSO this spring to raise campus awareness of the issue.
“Human trafficking is more prevalent in Louisville than any of us would like to believe,” said Robin Valenzuela, a graduate student in anthropology and the president of the Anti Human Trafficking RSO. “We have several of the venues where human trafficking occurs. The problem is that awareness in Kentucky is extremely low.”
According to Valenzuela, some of the venues that serve as fronts for illegal trafficking operations are Asian massage parlors, particularly those on Poplar Level Road and Preston Highway. Advertisements for these illegitimate businesses occasionally appear in local publications, allowing readers to discover and locate places that offer so-called “ultimate relaxation” and other services.
“We dedicate a small portion of our meeting times to learn about a different trafficking venue,” said Valenzuela. “We also seek to take our awareness and put pressure on local law enforcement officials and especially on businesses that straddle the border between legal and illegal sex work.”
Gabrielle Maxedon, a senior justice administration major and the vice president of the Anti Human Trafficking RSO, traveled with Valenzuela to investigate a massage parlor on Poplar Level Road, a location believed to be a potential trafficking venue in the city.
“When we walked into the massage parlor, we didn’t immediately walk into it,” said Maxedon. “We were in a room with a set of stairs leading to one door. We climbed to the top of the stairs and found that the door had a peep hole and directly beside it was a camera facing us. We knocked and asked to speak to the owner, but the woman at the door told us to come back later. At that point, we asked if we could come in anyway, but she refused and shut the door in our faces.”
Maxedon said that afterwards she and Valenzuela went around to the rear of the building and discovered there was a back entrance. The only windows in the building were located in the back, but they had been blacked out.
“This is to keep the women from knowing what time of the day it is,” said Maxedon. “This puts the trafficker in more control and the women in more vulnerable positions.”
Kara Tofte, a senior majoring in social work, said that she personally feels safe from ever becoming a victim of human trafficking, but admits that there are common misconceptions about the issue.
“If you ask people what they believe human trafficking involves, most think of exploited children in developing countries,” said Tofte. “It happens in Louisville—I know it does. It happens more often than people think.”
According to the Human Trafficking in Kentucky report, published by Dr. TK Logan, a professor at the University of Kentucky, traffickers often target impoverished communities. People searching for opportunities to better their lives or the lives of their families are likely to end up in the hands of traffickers through false promises or misleading contracts.
Logan’s report said that in 2005 a Kentucky newspaper told the story of a woman from the Philippines who was brought to Kentucky to work as domestic help for a family. However, during her three years with this family, she worked 18 hours a day for the equivalent of 50 cents an hour. Her passport was confiscated and she was instructed not to speak to anyone outside the family.
This story is not an isolated incident. Victims of trafficking are most commonly international citizens, manipulated into slavery through lies, language barriers and threats of deportation.
In Kentucky, women and children are typically trafficked into prostitution, while men are brought as farm workers. Traffickers will constantly move the entrapped people from one area to another. In doing this, the trafficked person is isolated, kept far away from any possibility of escape.
Unfortunately, the average grocery-buying consumer can inadvertently contribute to the existence of trafficking.
“Many of the products we purchase are produced by slave labor in the form of human trafficking,” said Hayden. “Coffee and chocolate are common sources of humans being trafficked for labor. Unless the product is fair trade, you are probably supporting human trafficking, locally or from another country.”
This may come as a surprise to people who purchase coffee and other goods at common grocery stores, completely unaware that their money is potentially funding human trafficking.
“I knew human trafficking was a serious issue in the United States in general, but not here in our community,” said Virginia Washbish, a freshman marketing major. “With the Anti Human Trafficking RSO on campus, I hope to learn what I can do to personally change things.”
Knowledge is the first line of defense for students who want to help stop human trafficking, avoid supporting the traffickers, and eliminate the chance of becoming a victim themselves. The Anti Human Trafficking RSO promotes this type of needed awareness on campus.
Investigative work is carried out by students in the RSO who are motivated to eradicate human trafficking in the city. Other RSO events include attending conferences, watching documentaries and attending the local Louisville Human Trafficking Task Force meetings.
“To avoid being a victim or supporting the traffickers, the community must become more aware,” said Hayden. “Know if a business is legitimate or not. If you cannot just walk into a massage parlor without an appointment, you can bet it is a trafficking ring.”
Skye Selter, a freshman equine business major, sees the benefit of having an Anti Human Trafficking student organization at the university, as a means of getting educated and involved.
“I would like to see more information presented on campus,” said Selter. “I’d like to understand how people fall into the trap of trafficking and how I can defend myself from ever becoming a victim.”