Slavery. To many, this powerful word remains deeply rooted as an institution of the past - certainly non-existent in a modern 21st century. Yet, although the formal institution of slavery was abolished in the U.S. in 1865, there are still thousands of people enslaved in today in the form of human trafficking. The Global Slavery Index estimates that there are nearly 30 million people trapped as modern day slaves worldwide, though it is admittedly difficult to measure an exact count due to the covert nature of the crime. A common misconception is that human trafficking is only an issue in the developing world, but this is not the case. According to the U.S. Department of State, an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States per year. The Bay Area, particularly Oakland and San Francisco, are hot spots for this criminal activity ... right here in our own backyards.

Are you interested in learning more about this problem on the local, national, and international scale and what YOU can do to combat it? Do you want to get connected to people involved with this cause in the Bay Area and around the world, and learn about action steps you can take to be involved in the movement? Then this Decal is for you! Our Decal will feature weekly guest speakers from anti-trafficking organizations to share their expertise on various aspects of modern-day slavery and prevention. Classes will also include watching documentaries, and discussions on course content.