VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) - Valdosta State University will unite to take a stand against slavery and human trafficking on Thursday.
The Shine a Light on Slavery Day event will run from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and include a special ceremony from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the steps of the Student Union.
Shine a Light on Slavery Day is a worldwide day of activism created by the End It Movement, a coalition of nonprofit organizations working to end slavery.
Sex trafficking is "not just in Europe or somewhere far away," said Rachel Dawkins, a public relations major from Tallahassee, and one of the event coordinators. "It’s also in Atlanta and in Valdosta; it’s in our own backyard. People need to know about it because it’s such a big thing. And we can stop it."
Students, faculty, staff, alumni, retirees and friends of the university are invited to visit the second floor of the Student Union to have a red "X" - the symbol of the anti-slavery movement - drawn on their hands.
A photo booth will be provided, and those who post a photo to social media and tag @vsu_studentlife and @enditmovement and use the hashtag #VStateinittoENDIT will receive a free T-shirt for becoming a “Freedom Fighter.”
The special ceremony from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. will include a moment of silence with red candles for victims of slavery and human trafficking.
Coordinators will explain the End It Movement and share testimonies from survivors. Staff from the VSU Counseling Center will also be present to discuss their services and schedule appointments for those interested.
More than 40 million men, women, and children worldwide suffer the exploitation of human trafficking and modern slavery today. One in five victims of slavery is a child under 18 years of age.
Contact Rachel Dawkins at rldawkins@valdosta.edu to learn more.
