Slavery Lives in Times Square

This week, tourists visiting Times Square in New York City got an unexpected message -- that slavery is alive and well in modern-day society. That's because the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST) launched a new public awareness campaign aimed at ensuring human trafficking gets on the national agenda this year. And with a Times Square billboard as part of the campaign, they're definitely thinking big.

The message of ATEST's campaign is simple: Slavery lives, but we can make it history. To do that, though, we first need to make sure human trafficking is properly recognized by the U.S. government. This year, the Obama Administration and Congress have the opportunity to make historic bipartisan progress towards ending slavery at home and abroad. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), the cornerstone of U.S. efforts to combat human trafficking in the United States and around the world, needs to be extended this year and current funding levels need to be protected. And grassroots support is needed to ensure the U.S.'s efforts to fight trafficking are protected.

That's why ATEST is taking action. They've launched a Change.org campaign that has already yielded over 2,000 signatures. They're also spreading their PSA, which is viewable below, across the Internet -- and, of course, across Times Square. By reaching millions of Americans, they hope to get the support they need to protect the TVPA and keep fighting trafficking.

You can support this effort by signing the petition asking Congress and President Obama to make human trafficking a priority, and by joining ATEST's action team. Right now, slavery is as much a part of America as New York City or Times Square. But it doesn't have to be, and if we work together to prevent and address slavery in America, it won't be.

Photo credit: ATEST