Rockford March For Freedom organizers hope silent walk speaks volumes
Organizers of an upcoming event designed to raise awareness to the perils of human trafficking say their toughest challenge often is their first — getting people to believe that human trafficking happens everywhere.
Some people find it hard to believe that the crime of force, fraud and coercion takes places in communities like Rockford, they said. They find it even harder to believe who is sometimes behind it.
"I've seen cases where a parent is substance-use dependent," said Megan Vold, program manager and community educator for Rockford Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation. "So, they'll turn their child out to someone and let that person do what they want. Then that person gives the parent whatever substance they were looking for. It's very sad and very frustrating, but it's happening."
Thousands of people around the world will walk silently through their communities Oct. 14 to raise awareness to the evils of human trafficking both here, across the United States and abroad.
A21, a Fort Worth, Texas-based organization whose sole mission is to abolish slavery in all of its forms, is hosting its annual Walk For Freedom that day, tying together the efforts of more than 500 cities.
In Rockford, Vold, Brittany Kemper of Roscoe and others plan to participate in the city's first March For Freedom, a local event focusing on human trafficking issues specific to the Rockford area.
Vold, Kemper and others plan to do a similar silent walk, but they want their education and awareness to be more about problems that plague the Rockford area and how people can help.
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Human trafficking happens here
The Polaris Project — named after the north star, which guided slaves to freedom — is a not-for-profit, non-government organization that equates human trafficking as "modern-day slavery" by using force, fraud or coercion to get another person to provide labor or sex.
Void said the number one misconception about human trafficking is that it does not happen here.
"The truth is that it can happen anywhere, and it is happening here and in the surrounding towns," she said.
Another misconception she said is human trafficking involves movement of people.
"People might think, 'Well, that person is from Rockford, and they have lived in Rockford their whole life. So, how can they be trafficked?
"Unfortunately, we see many cases of familial trafficking, a youth or young adult being trafficked by their parent or some other relative out of their own home."
According to wisevoter.com, a website devoted to "amplifying democracy," Illinois ranks as the eighth worst state in the country for human trafficking.
In 2021, there were 243 reported cases of human trafficking in Illinois, impacting 355 victims. Of these cases, 177 were sex trafficking cases and 27 were labor trafficking cases.
Inspired by a movie
Kemper is the organizer of this year's March For Freedom.
She said she became aware of human trafficking after she, her husband and a couple of friends watched "Sound of Freedom."
The movie is based on the true story of a former U.S. Department for Homeland Security agent who rescued a young boy and his sister from human traffickers in Colombia.
"I left completely heartbroken over what I just saw, and I had a desire to do something," Kemper said.
She went online and reached out to A21. There, she learned about silent walks and the group's worldwide efforts.
Check-in for Rockford's March For Freedom is 9 a.m. at Breakthrough Church, 415 N. Church St. in Rockford. The march begins at 10 a.m. All are welcome.
Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreeen
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: March For Freedom to bring awareness to human trafficking in Rockford
