Fighting Human Trafficking during the Racial Reckoning

August was another unprecedented month in the timeline of sports this year. The NBA protest which followed in the footsteps of the Milwaukee Bucks’ refusal to play their scheduled game in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in their home state, has once again drawn worldwide attention to the ongoing racial injustices which plague the nation. Sport’s place in the racial reckoning continues to be at the forefront and encourage positive change in the community. The trend in protests and fight for equality has seen a rise in the community initiatives carried out this month to bring awareness to another injustice – human trafficking.

I hope that as the year progresses, we continue to band together in the fight against human trafficking, in the same way that we have for the injustices of 2020 thus far. As the second largest illegal activity in the world, the fight against human trafficking deserves more attention. At the end of this post, you will see the 28 places in the US where it was reported just in August 2020.

There were 79 individuals arrested, suspected, or charged with human trafficking activities in the United States in August, as well as 49 victims removed from being entrapped in trafficking, all of whom were minors. There were three new laws passed and 55 community initiatives.

Internationally in August, there were 14 individuals arrested, suspected, or charged with human trafficking activity, as well as 3 victims removed from being entrapped in trafficking, including two under the age of 18. There were no new laws passed, and five community initiatives.

We can all do more by coming together as a community and recognizing the scope of human trafficking. I ask you, my Facebook friends, to have honest and open discussions about human trafficking. 

Most importantly, if you know someone who is a victim or see a suspicious incident that may involve someone being trafficked, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline

1-888-373-7888.

Below, I have listed the 28 US cities where human trafficking was reported in August 2020:

Anderson, South Carolina
Atlanta, Georgia
Brentwood, California
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Columbia, South Carolina
Corbin, Kentucky
Denver, Colorado
Detroit, Michigan
Eek, Alaska
Flint, Michigan
Greenville, South Carolina
Jackson County, Florida
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kearns, Utah
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lee County, Alabama
Marianna, Florida
Martinez, California
Mason, Michigan
Mays Landing, New Jersey
Miami, Florida
Morris County, New Jersey
Oakland County, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Port Lucie, Florida
Salt Lake City, Utah
San Francisco, California
West Palm Beach, Florida

Richard Lapchick
Chair of DeVos Sport Business Management Program 
Director, Institute for Diversity and Ethics in SportPresident, The Institute for Sport and Social Justice
Co-Founder, Hope for Stanley Alliance
Co-Founder, Shut Out Trafficking