A Monologue Slam: We Raised Awareness As They Brought Tears to Everyone's Eyes

On Saturday, October 19^th some of the most brave and awe-inspiring actors and poets engulfed a room full of curious spectators with their words and enactments of human trafficked survivors. Performance art as education, it was for me a dream come true. To actually sit in a room where someone from the front of the theatre to the back of the theatre came to be shaken to their core by such moving portrayals was an experience I will never forget.

From the commanding introduction of “America” by poet Tony Vozzo to 1^st place winner Denise Scott’s screaming outcries of “where were you?” in her portrayal of a brutalized prostituted child, the message of human trafficking continued to be brought to light as a worldwide issue. Not only did the perpetrator and victim played by Samuel LeSane, III really help shape the message of victim and victimizer but also the unfilled dreams of the kids in the hood who never realize their dreams received its voice through poet, Will Dennis. It brought chills to my spine and our audience to tears.

Every month, every week and sometimes every day it feels like the Collective Advocates is evolving in new and powerful ways as social advocates. We have been pushing through those social media doors and stretching out as far as Florida to find new advocates. As we grow, we continue to discover more possibilities into our future as leaders of a new social era.

At the close of the day we want to leave people feeling inspired by our work. We want people to know that advocating is possible even in the smallest ways. A little commitment and an honest desire to make lasting, positive change a reality is for me, one of the best things about living this life.

Asha…

MONOLOGUE SLAM: RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT DOMESTIC HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The Collective Advocates for Social Change & Development, Inc. is holding its 1st annual fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 from 3-5p.m. at Brooklyn Music School and Playhouse. It's located at 126 St. Felix St. in Brooklyn, NY.

It will be a very special afternoon showcase and competition of various talented performers.

Each year, 300,000 or more people are trafficked in the United States for sex and labor. Children as young as 5 years old are sold for sex. Newborn babies are sold in exchange for drugs and money. Minor children are prostituted and men and women from around the globe are forced or coerced into labor with little to no pay, no medical benefits, no days off and often, without seeing their families.

These practices are inhumane and many violate human rights laws.

Additionally, so many people a year in the United States go missing. 

Annually, 60% of African Americans and Latinos go missing; some even trafficked; yet their story often does not make it to the airways.

We want to do something about the lack of information that's available which leads people to believe that human trafficking is only an international problem. That's only partly true. It is also a huge domestic problem! 

This industry is the 2nd leading criminal industry behind the illegal sale of drugs and guns. And it has enslaved up to 27 million people; making $32 billion dollars a year for traffickers and its cohorts.

At our Monologue Slam, you will experience the transformation of performance artists and poets into some of the voices of the most challenged communities who have been affected by human trafficking. All works from the performers will be original pieces. And prizes will be given for the best performances!

There will also be a cocktail and networking hour. You can purchase your tickets now at: www.Eventbrite.com/event/8476229631.

If you would also like to make a donation, please feel free to at: www.TheCollectiveAdvocates.com.

We appreciate your support and hope to see you there!

The Collective Advocates

Black & Missing Foundation, Inc. Hosts: Hope Without Boundaries

Join The Collective Advocates for Social Change & Development, Inc this Sat with Black & Missing Foundation, Inc at 1st Annual 5K Run/Walk.

TCA will be on site to provide information and resources on domestic human trafficking. Visit our website for more ways to support our efforts: www.TheCollectiveAdvocates.com

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What Is Social Advocacy?

Founder Asha Tarry w/ TCA volunteers at the SMS Walk (2012)

Since TCA’s inception we have been getting asked, what is social advocacy? Now that we are a nonprofit social advocacy organization not much has changed. Social advocacy is acting on behalf of issues that relate to people and how people relate within society.
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Community Service Becomes Nonprofit Business

A year ago I started a blog, thecollectiveA.blogspot.com, with a couple of friends. It was a platform to create dialogue about complex social issues in our society. My vision was to get people talking online, outside and in the office about the insane things happening all around us that frankly we weren’t taking seriously--- everything from assaultive conflicts with city bus drivers to seniors who talked about and celebrities who actually did, commit suicide. But beyond that, I wanted to create a community; a nationwide community of thinkers and believers who feel strongly about changing the dialogue among ordinary people and create empowering strategies to bring everyone into conversation about things that impact society. 

Read more »

Domestic Human Trafficking

The Collective Advocates has been afforded the opportunity to work alongside some amazing social advocates and organizations this past year, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF being one of them.
In support of the work the End Trafficking Project is doing, to raise awareness about domestic human trafficking, The Collective Advocates is sharing the U.S. Fund for UNICEF's new PSA featuring UNICEF Ambassador/actress, Angie Harmon.

Human Trafficking Campaign

This year, The Collective Advocates for Social Change & Development, Inc., is creating a yearlong campaign to raise awareness on domestic human trafficking. We need your support in helping to create nationwide attention and discussion of this devastating social issue. 

As many people know, human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery, exists around the globe. But what most people don't know is that human trafficking also exists in a large part right here in the United States. Human beings as young as 12 years old are trafficked regularly into commercial sex trafficking, prostitution, domestic servitude and forced labor. Many people don't make it out of the modern slave trade psychologically or physically well, if they make it out at all. This is where you come in!

You can get involved in our campaign from anywhere in the United States. Simply complete an Advocate form through our website and we will be in touch to share the many ways you can help Take Action! TheCollectiveAdvocates.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+.

Presidential Proclamation -- National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, 2013

January is a month of symbolic anniversaries including the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and now, the 1st annual National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Our president has publicly acknowledged at the annual Clinton Global Initiative conference last September that slavery still exists. During that week POTUS  released an Executive Order that conveys the federal government's commitment to transparency in overseas relations to slave labor. Now, with his most recent proclamation he provides us his concerted efforts to eradicate modern-day slavery on every level.
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Blog Talk Radio

Guest: Youth spokesperson for New Breed Life Arts and Fairgirls Advocate Victoria Pannell

Segment: "Human Trafficking in the U.S."
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Friday #MentalHealth #MythBuster: PTSD Occurs Immediately After A Traumatic Event

#PTSD: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

#PTSD typically occurs within several days following a traumatic event, however PTSD can also arise years after a traumatic event has occured

#PTSD does not have a time limit on how long symptoms may last though they must persist for a duration of time to qualify as PTSD
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Women Of A Certain Class

238 East 50th Street, New York City, NY: this is the address of one of several apartment buildings in a few upper class New York City neighborhoods that maintained a prostitution ring for the past year. This location was seized last month by undercover detectives who had been investigating  a 42 y.r. man from Brooklyn, NY who arranged and maintained it. The ringleader, William Thomas, had kept two websites advertising sex with Asian women. The price for sex: $200. The men who bought services: wealthy businessmen from Wall St. The women who were using their bodies for sex were photographed in ads as sex objects who dressed in play clothes that portrayed them as maids and school girls.
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Not My Life

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#EndToModernSlavery

We marched. We lifted our voices. We collectively brought attention to #endmoderndayslavery yesterday.

Some of us traveled 4,5,12 hours, by bus even, to march on Washington for the long fight against modern day slavery also known as #humantrafficking.  However many hours or ways by which we arrived, we arrived in solidarity and it was an amazing day!

The Collective Advocates met some of the most fascinating people, heard personal stories of human trafficked survivors, like Brook Bello

(@BrookBello)

talk about the "pillaging of her insides by men who repeatedly raped" her small frame as a young girl in the sex trafficking industry, right here in the US. We felt the passion from 13 y.o. activist Victoria of FairGirls who spoke fervently about trying to help young girls escape the dangerous industry that ruins their spirits, bodies and souls.

And we met men; men who understand how important it is to have the presence and the support of our male counterparts to help change this despicable social ill. An ill that is compounded by multiple violations of language assaults on helpless, vulnerable people; violations of human dignity and respect; unwritten contracts between cops, businessmen, women, gangs, pedophiles and even relatives who sacrifice some of our world's most precious treasures, children.

TCA wants you to know that whether you are a victim or supporter of the sex industry in any way there are ways out! Go to our Connections page for more resources, like the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC).

If you want to become more active in this issue email us here or complete a Volunteers form and we will contact you immediately. Follow us on www.Facebook.com/TcaByAsha or on www.Twitter.com/@TheCollectiveA and RT our photos and videos from yesterday's event. Helping people to understand that this happens regularly in our own country is the beginning of a great start to raising awareness.

See our Flickr for our gallery of photos from The Stop Modern Slavery Walk.