A few weeks ago I went to see 12 YEARS A SLAVE - Academy Award winner for Best Picture of the Year. It was such a hard movie to watch, but easy to see why this movie would receive that prestigious award. It's a movie I think everyone should see. It is the true story of Solomon Northrup who was living as a "free" black man in New York state during the pre-Civil war era. He was well respected in his community and a master fiddle player. In 1841, lured by the promise of a job, he was abducted and sold into slavery for $650. He spent the next 12 years in captivity. He was beaten, abused and nearly hanged.
As I sat there watching the movie, tears streaming down my face, it occurred to me that slavery hasn't really changed all that much.
Solomon was
tricked by the opportunity of a job, drugged and awoke to find himself chained and held captive. Today, in the US many girls are lured by the false promise of a modeling job and abroad they are lured by the false promise of a job in the city as a maid or working at a hotel. They are often given drugs to force their compliance. Once they become hooked on the drugs it is used as a method of control. Their controller is now their supplier of the drugs they are hooked on. Though girls today are not usually held in chains, they are held captive by either drug addiction or threats of violence either to them or their family if they should try to leave.
Before Solomon left for his job opportunity he obtained his papers showing that he was a free man, but those papers were taken from him by his handlers. Without his "Free Papers", Solomon
had no identification and no way to prove who he really was or where he was from. He was informed that he would now go by the name of Platt. When he refused he was beaten and abused until he had no other choice, but to comply. The same thing happens still today. Passports, drivers licenses and other forms of identification are withheld from the victim so they have no where to go if they leave. Their pimp will often advertise them online under fake names that exude sexiness.
Solomon was
considered as property. He had no rights, no place to call his own. He was forced to work long hours of grueling work. He was told what to do to and beaten if he did not comply. He was told when he could eat and when he could sleep. He was given a quota for the pounds of cotton to be picked each day and punished with a whip if the quota was not met. For girls who are controlled today their life is very much the same. Their pimp controls their every move. They are given a quota for the amount of money they must earn each night and the consequences for not meeting this quota are extremely severe.
In pre-Civil war times, once a person was sold into slavery, their
escape or rescue was rare. The same is true today. Statistics say once a girl becomes trapped in the life that only 1% are ever rescued. But Solomon had an advocate who wrote letters on his behalf to inform his family and friends of his circumstances. Those letters eventually led to his rescue. Just like Solomon has someone to speak out for him, advocates are still needed today. People like you and I who can be a voice. To speak up for better laws that protect victims and stiffer penalties for the pimps and johns. To get involved in the education piece and prevent slavery before it happens. To take a stand for stronger families and support those in need.
The only thing that is vastly different is the amount of money paid for the control of a human being.
In the early 1800's the price of a slave in today's money would be approximately $40,000.
Today a slave sells for $90.
It's time for us to do something because the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Here is an interesting
NY Times Article on Solomon North published 1853.
