Juneteenth is a momentous day, commemorating American slave emancipation in 1865. It was made a national holiday in 2021, although many states observed it before that. As a ‘second Independence day’, Juneteenth is often celebrated with food and festivals, rodeos and reenactments, and voter registration drives.
In the century and a half since the first Juneteenth, slavery has become illegal in every country of the world. Many countries are part of international treaties dedicated to criminalizing and ferreting out slavery wherever it appears. But despite all that, it still happens in the shadows. Estimates vary widely, but there are tens of millions of people enslaved around the globe today.
Modern slavery can take many forms, and is not always about forced labor. People are trafficked for sex (both adults and children), for organ harvesting, or for experimentation. Some are used for crimes (such as smuggling or pickpocketing) or forced into marriage or the military (and again, victims can be both adults and children). Despite its illegality, some slavers have tacit support by their governments, and these are often the worst countries for victims (tier 3 countries, in the U.S. State Department’s nomenclature). This list changes from year to year, but routinely includes countries like Iran, Russia, China, and Turkmenistan.
Chains and shackles are not the typical types of restraints for modern slaves; control is just as likely to be financial or psychological. Victims are exploited through manipulation, fear, dependency, threats, or debt bondage. Traffickers utilize threats against victims’ families, and frequently employ fear or shame as psychological weapons. Modern slaves, particularly those in the first world, are often told by their captors that police are corrupt, or that seeking help will lead to deportation. Slavers also prey on the weakest and most exposed targets, who are the easiest to exploit. These are usually people with fewer resources and a vulnerable position in society. Homelessness, mental health problems, disabilities, addictions, unemployment, substantial debt or criminal history all make a person more susceptible to traffickers.
In a battle against a foe like this, knowledge is power, and learning an important tool. The library offers many resources for understanding the problem, including books like Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy by Kevin Bales, Modern Slavery: The Margins of Freedom by Julia O’Connell Davidson, Modern Slavery: A Comparative Study of the Definition of Trafficking in Persons by Dominika Borg Jansson, Slavery in International Law: Of Human Exploitation and Trafficking by Jean Allain, From Human Trafficking to Human Rights: Reframing Contemporary Slavery by Alison Brysk and Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, Understanding Global Slavery: A Reader by Kevin Bales, and Modern Slavery: A Documentary and Reference Guide by Laura J. Lederer, which are good general surveys. Other books explore aspects of the modern slavery problem – from type of slavery to region of the world to the use of technology by human traffickers. Some of these include Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery by Siddharth Kara, Human Trafficking: Trade for Sex, Labor, and Organs by Bandana Purkayastha, Sex Trafficking of Children Online: Modern Slavery in Cyberspace by Beatriz Susana Uitts, Slaves Among Us: The Hidden World of Human Trafficking by Monique Villa, Geography of Trafficking: From Drug Smuggling to Modern-Day Slavery by Fred M. Shelley, and Modern Slavery in African Land: Situations of Trafficking Women from Ethiopia to Sudan: Situations of Trafficking Women from Ethiopia to Sudan by Shewit Gebreegziabher. Databases like Slavery, Abolition, and Social Justice also offer perspective on the modern slavery situation, as well as information about historical injustices and slave trades, and their ongoing ramifications.
After learning about the problem, many people will want to contribute to the solution. Anti-slavery organizations like International Justice Mission, Anti-Slavery International, Faith Alliance Against Slavery Trafficking, Hope for Justice, and many more offer lots of ways to help. These organizations recruit advocates, volunteers, and donors to help free modern slaves, and provide for their needs after they are liberated (many former slaves are, in addition to being economically insecure; in psychological distress, traumatized, infected with STDs, overwhelmed with guilt, or physically scarred). Any help matters. The promise of Juneteenth should come to everyone still held in bondage.
If you need help researching slavery around the world, historic or modern, or researching Juneteenth, Ask Us! at iueref@iue.edu or click here:
