Human trafficking is topic of listen and learn session Jan. 30 in Adrian
ADRIAN — A presentation and discussion is scheduled to give community members an opportunity to meet with members of the Lenawee Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition.
The in-person “Listen and Learn Session About Human Trafficking” is scheduled for 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, at the Adrian District Library's community room. The library is in downtown Adrian at 143 E. Maumee St.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Human trafficking is a humanitarian crisis that is a form of modern-day slavery, a news release said. Human trafficking prevalent around the world, and cases are reported in all 50 states.
Attendees at Tuesday's gathering are invited to read, listen to, or watch human trafficking-related materials and come prepared to ask questions. Suggested materials include:
• Books: “The Slave Next Door” by Kevin Bales and Ron Soodalter, “The Slave Across the Street” by Theresa Flores, and “Renting Lacy” by Linda Smith and Cindy Coloma.
• Movies: A recent Detroit-based documentary, “Men Who Buy Sex: Everybody Pays,” that can be found on YouTube; the PBS Frontline 2021 documentary “Sex Trafficking in America,” which also is on YouTube; and the 2023 movie “Sound of Freedom.”
The discussion Tuesday will follow a brief presentation led by Sister Patricia McDonald, Laura Schultz Pipis and Amanda Davis Scott.
For additional information about human trafficking or local presentations, email the Lenawee Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition at LenaweeantiHTCoalition@gmail.com, visit their Facebook page, email Pipis at lpipis@unitedwayMLC.org or call 517-264-6821.
Human trafficking victims are trafficked for a variety of purposes, such as commercial sex, agricultural work or other forms of labor, the release said. The face of human trafficking can be rich, poor, men, women, adults, children, foreign national or U.S. citizen. The Polaris Project hosts the national Human Trafficking Hotline — call 888-373-7888, text 233733 or chat online at humantraffickinghotline.org/chat — and conducts extensive research on human trafficking. Their research shows there are 25 industries who utilize human trafficking in the United States. Human trafficking is a market-based economy that exists on principles of supply and demand. It is a high-profit enterprise with limited or low risks. Human trafficking is illegal under international, federal and Michigan state law. The federal Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and the Michigan Penal Code address underage minors and adults involved in all forms of human trafficking involving force, fraud or coercion, such as manipulation by traffickers or perpetrators.
"As a society, we are seeking to understand the nuances of trafficking," the release said. "It is a power and control issue, similar to domestic violence and sexual assault."
Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news, and high school and college sports content.
Because of the secretive nature of human trafficking, the release said, it is difficult to find an exact number of people who are trafficked in the United States. Because of the use of force, fraud, or coercion, there are cases that go unreported.
In Lenawee County, there has been an Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force for 20 years, formed initially through the Adrian Dominican Sisters, the release said. Their goal has been to promote education, awareness and advocacy of human trafficking. This leadership group is representative of Catherine Cobb Safe House, Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office, Adrian Police Department, United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties, Adrian Dominican Sisters, Siena Heights University instructors, the Child Advocacy Center, and area mental health professionals. As a group, these agencies address human trafficking from a legal, mental and physical health perspective.
Other resources on human trafficking include the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign, www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign, and the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, www.mhttf.org. The Catherine Cobb Safe House is also a resource on violence against women issues. It's phone number is 517-265-5352, and its website is www.fccsoflenawee.org.
— Contact reporter David Panian at dpanian@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian.
If you go
WHAT: Listen and Learn Session About Human Trafficking
WHEN: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30
WHERE: Adrian District Library's community room. The library is in downtown Adrian at 143 E. Maumee St.
WHO: Hosted by the Lenawee Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition
COST: Free
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Human trafficking is topic of listen and learn session Jan. 30
