By MARISA LORANGER, Staff Reporter.
There are more slaves today than any other time in history. It is estimated that there are 27 million slaves worldwide according to Dr. Stacey Robertson.
Robertson lectured at Saginaw Valley State University as a part of the school’s Barstow Humanities Seminar series on March 17. Robertson is the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Central Washington University and co-director of Historian Against Slavery.
“I think global trafficking, in my opinion, is the most pressing issue,” said Robertson.
Robertson is so passionate about her work that she starts a timer at the beginning of every lecture to make sure she doesn’t go over 50 minutes.
“We can’t fight slavery without knowing the roots,” said Robertson.
In 1808, slave trade became illegal in the United States. In 1860, there was said to be 4 million slaves in the US. The law ended legal slavery but it didn’t end slavery. Slavery for punishment because of crime was still legal, and because of that the death rates were higher after it was illegal than before. Slaves weren’t property anymore. They became disposable because with every “crime” committed people received free labor.
Now in the US, it is estimated that there are 63,000 slaves lured with promises of education and jobs. The average age of girls forced into sex trafficking is 13.
“Use your skills to end slavery. If you write, write; if you are a law maker, make laws. If you are an educator, educate,” said Robertson.
Robertson has a dream of going to the grocery store and finding a “slave-free” aisle, where everything is made without the use of slaves, like stores have organic aisles. Maybe even a school built and operated with nothing but trade-free items, much like green schools.
Robertson thinks that decriminalizing prostitution and prosecuting the Johns (a prostitute’s client) would solve the problem of sex trafficking and slavery, like in Sweden. In Sweden, prostitutes when picked up by police are offered medical help, education, jobs and places to stay.
“We need to stop criminalizing [the] prostitutes. The people who are purchasing people and children are the criminals,” said Robertson.
People who get out of sex trafficking and prostitution have a hard time receiving student loans and apartments because they may have felonies on their record, making it more difficult to live a normal life after slavery.
Robertson asks that everyone take five actions to end slavery in the world. Educate yourself and others through books, hotlines, working with local schools and speaking to political representatives. Be a conscious consumer. Join or create a group through the FREE project– “a growing network of college students to bring an end to slavery worldwide.” Donate. Also, use your career and vocational skills to make a change.
“I’m a historian, a public speaker, that’s my skill, that’s what I bring to the movement,” said Robertson.
