Ohio is the nation’s seventh largest state by population, but it’s one of only seven states without a distinct anti-human trafficking law. This loophole has prevented police and prosecutors in the Buckeye state from going after trafficking perpetrators at a time when incidents of trafficking appear to be on the rise within the state (and in the rest of the nation).

That might change, if legislation now pending in the Ohio General Assembly passes. Toledo State Sen. Theresa Fedor, a Democrat, and State Sen. Tim Grindell from the Cleveland area (and a Republican), are jointly sponsoring a bill that would make human trafficking a second-degree felony.

The bi-partisan sponsorship is important because the Ohio Senate is firmly controlled by the GOP. But there’s also symbolic value in that Sen. Fedor, a long-time champion of strong anti-trafficking laws, has been joined by a leader from the Republican side of the aisle — an echo back to the bi-partisan effort to abolish slavery in the United States at the end of the Civil War.

People who are so inclined may contact their Ohio state senators and request that they support the legislation, known as Substitute SB235. Right now, the bill resides in Sen. Grindell’s committee; a public hearing is scheduled on Wednesday, March 17.

If you want to take action to help eliminate the modern-day slave trade in human beings, this is a good place to start.

Don’t know who your state senator is? Click on this link and find his or her name and contact information. Then email or send a statement of support for the legislation, using language similar to this:

Dear Senator (name):

I write to express my strong support for passage of Substitute SB 235, introduced jointly by Senators Fedor and Grindell. This bill would make trafficking in persons a second degree felony in Ohio. The bill currently is in the Senate’s Judiciary Committee on Criminal Justice.

As recent studies of Ohio law regarding trafficking by both Attorney General Cordray and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center have shown, human trafficking is present in the state, but the lack of a strong anti-trafficking statute in Ohio has made it difficult, if not impossible, to successfully prosecute traffickers.  SB235, we believe, will address this legal loophole and enable Ohio to join 42 other states that have strong, effective anti-trafficking laws on the books.

Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the legislation.

Sincerely,

[sign your name]

Students at the University of California-San Diego are aggressively protesting a series of racially charged campus incidents — including the display of a noose in the school’s main library– that has many observers questioning the school’s commitment to racial justice.  For a time, protesters took over UCSD’s Chancellor’s office.

Among those appealing for calm was Freedom Center CEO and President Don Murphy, who was at his alma mater for a speaking appearance.

The incident in California reflects just the kind of racial insensitivity that is explored in the Freedom Center’s current exhibition, Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America. It’s clear from new media accounts of the UCSD situation that the display of a noose, while considered innocuous by many, is for many others — especially African Americans — as a racially motivated hate crime.

What’s your opinion?  What should UCSD’s Administration do to address the incident?  Post your comments on the Freedom Blog.

Map of Ohio

A few weeks ago, Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray released a report demonstrating that there was human trafficking in the state, and he even had numbers to prove the point.

There were, the report said, 3,437 foreign born persons in Ohio who may be at-risk for both labor and/or sex trafficking, 783 of which are estimated to be trafficked into the labor or sex trade in Ohio.

Furthermore, Cordray’s report added, of American born youth in Ohio, 2,879 are at-risk for sex trafficking, and another 1,078 youth have been trafficked into the sex trade over the course of a year.

These are shocking numbers, even in a state with a population of 11 million.  The news media and bloggers soon were repeating these numbers all over the Internet as proof positive that Ohio — staid, old, Midwestern backbone of American values Ohio — was the epicenter of human trafficking in the United States.

Is that a fair description?  Is it even accurate?

Click here to read more »

L.A. Reid

Influential music executive and Cincinnati native Antonio “L.A.” Reid will be at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center on Sunday, February 21, to participate in a discussion on how his entrepreneurial success is connected to the African American rise from slavery to freedom.  His appearance, at 1:30 in the Harriet Tubman Theater, is free and open to the public.

Forgoing the typical speech format, Reid will engage in a discussion with 101.1 The WIZ’s Jade West, and then answer questions from the audience.  Seating is limited to 300, and reservations are required.  To RSVP send an e-mail to FreedomCenterRSVP@gmail.com.

Click here to read more »

The DCAF report, from which the previous entries in this series of blog posts was drawn, does not specifically assess U.S. law enforcement and criminal justice efforts to combat human trafficking.  But much of its observations about the status of anti-trafficking efforts worldwide apply to our country, both in terms of progress being made as well as nagging issues that are preventing a more effective response.

Click here to read more »