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Slavery Still in the Shadows

Slavery Still in the Shadows

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 … Continued