Tens of thousands of Black women and Black men are missing and no one is doing anything about it, said the Jacksonville, Fla. section of the National Council of Negro
Women. Organ sales are also on the rise, they added.
Recently, I attended a webinar, “Crisis in Human Trafficking During the Pandemic,”
hosted by the women’s organization. The webinar’s purpose was to alert families of the
rise in the trafficking of Black youth and collegiates during COVID-19 and provide them
with information about human trafficking red flags.
During January, we are observing “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention
Month.” It is a time to recommit ourselves to doing everything possible to eradicate
human trafficking, help those who have been victimized, and protect children at risk of
being trafficked.
In Dec. 2019, I wrote that in 2020, we must have a conversation about the disturbingly
disproportionate number of Black women and girls across the United States that have
gone missing. I also mentioned that some of their bodies had been found with missing
organs.
But then COVID-19 hit, devastating the lives of many families and our economy. The
global pandemic required us in 2020 to redirect our efforts and resources to handling
unprecedented challenges.
At the same time, though, human trafficking increased 40 percent, said Thamecia
Bullard, one of the webinar presenters and an expert in the financial crimes industry.
Social distancing and the closures of institutions didn’t decrease the number of human
trafficking victims. The human trafficking industry, Bullard stated, remains a multi-billion dollar, large-scaled operation.
One reason is that young people are online more because of school closures and other
institutions. Many of them are alone most of the time rather than with their friends,
adhering to social distancing.
Also, families are facing financial hardship from job loss during COVID-19 and may be
distracted.
As a society, we should care about anyone forced into inhumane conditions like human
trafficking. However, data shows the media and law enforcement continue to dismiss
the Black community’s cases, leaving their families behind to find answers and their
loved ones.
Kruzshander Scott, a seasoned investigator in human trafficking, pointed out that
children have been trafficked by an intimate partner at 30.4 percent during the
pandemic, while social media contact is 28.4 percent. Perpetrators lure children through social media and gift card exchange, Paypal, and Cash app.
She also said during her webinar presentation that many Black boys and Black girls are
being forced into either sex trafficking, labor trafficking, or both. Some are victims of
organ trafficking. In South Africa, for example, a heart or lung sells for $290,000 each.
Here’s something else. Recent studies reveal that as many as half of the sex trafficking
victims and survivors are male.
Human traffickers include cancer surgeons, family, church members, and
grandmothers. Some business owners conduct human trafficking right out of their legal
businesses, Scott explained.
Absolutely, our state and local governments, community leaders, and each of us must
pay attention to what’s going on in our country concerning human trafficking.
During the pandemic, I received an email from an African American young woman who
saw my 2019 article about human trafficking. She agreed the conversation about
missing Black women and girls has stopped.
A reporter from Europe’s Sky News media requested information about missing Black
women and girls after reading my article.
No doubt, we are still facing significant challenges in 2021. However, we must address
with persistent urgency the thousands of missing young Black Americans in our country
being lured into human trafficking.
The Vacaville author is a social issues advocate. E-mail: damitchell@earthlink.net
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