Shine a Light on Slavery Day

People today have a tendency to view slavery as a thing of the past. I mean, President Lincoln abolished slavery in 1862. Surely society has moved past this stage in time. Advancements in medicine, technology, and social norms are being made everyday. Yet slavery is a very real and present problem in our world. Why haven't we left slavery behind us?

Over 40 MILLION people are trapped in slavery today. A quarter of these victims are children.  Did you know that slavery is outlawed in countries all over the globe, but still persists in 87% of those nations? The slave industry brings in 150 BILLION dollars every year. 71% of the enslaved are women and girls. I believe that just ONE person in slavery is too many.

I was introduced to the movement by one of my favorite bands (for King & country). They had written a song, a book, and a movie all called by one name. "Priceless." The movie and book were inspired by true stories. If you haven't seen it yet, I strongly urge you to watch it. They opened my eyes to the Priceless Movement. That eventually let me to the END IT Movement and so much more.

Today is "Shine a Light on Slavery" day. We have an opportunity in today's world to raise our voices against the injustice of slavery. Many are still unaware that this is still a problem. Today, we have a plethora of platforms to raise awareness. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and so many others. Let's all "Shine a Light" with our social media and raise awareness of atrocity that is slavery. Awareness leads to action; action to freedom.

The best way I've seen it put into words is by the folks at the END IT Movement. "You can't take a stand against something you don't know exists. That's why as the END IT Movement, we focus our energy towards awakening the world to the fact that not only does slavery still exist, but that it's more prevalent now than any other time in history. It may seem like raising your voice isn't doing enough, but as each of us comes alongside each other, we become a mighty roar calling culture's attention to the scourge of human trafficking." Just, wow.

There are a few different organizations/movements that I follow on social media. Here are some of my favorites.

• END IT Movement
• PRICELESS - The Movie
• International Justice Mission

How can you help spread the word? How can you "Shine a Light on Slavery?" Raise your voice! Tell the world! Slavery in the modern world will never come to an end unless the whole world knows. The END IT Movement has a lot of resources and info on their website you need to check out. Use their digital toolkit to download graphics, phone backgrounds, and logos. Use your social media and show your support for the movement!

1.  Draw a red X on your hand
2. Take a picture
3. Post to social media using #enditmovement and tag the END IT Movement so people can learn more! 

END IT

Thanks so much for reading! I know this post was a lot more serious subject than a lot of my other content. I feel that it is critical to share important subjects like these. How is the world going to change if we dance around a subject? 

• Have you heard of the END IT Movement before? 
• Are you going to wear the red X?
• Have you listened to/read/seen Priceless?
• Do you think I should write more serious things like this on my blog?