“How much lower can you get than slavery?”

It’s a question posed by Grand Valley State University senior Luke Booth as he reflects on what sparked his interest to participate in A21’s Walk for Freedom, an event aiming to raise awareness and funds to end human trafficking and slavery.

“It breaks my heart when people don’t have a choice to get out of the situation,” Booth said. “That’s essentially slavery, whether it’s sex trafficking or child soldiering… when people don’t have the freedom to leave, that’s heartbreaking.”

The Walk for Freedom, which took place in downtown Grand Rapids on Saturday, Oct. 20, is a global effort initiated by A21, an organization founded in 2008 by Australian native Christine Caine. Those involved with the organization call themselves “abolitionists of the 21st Century” and seek to abolish slavery everywhere. 

According to statistics on A21’s website, the human trafficking industry is growing faster than any other criminal industry in the world. Of the millions of slaves globally, only one percent are ever rescued. 

In 2012, the National Human Trafficking hotline had 69 trafficking cases reported for the state of Michigan. By 2017, that number had risen to 305. For Grand Rapids resident Annastesia Debose, the reality of trafficking happening so close to home prompted her to participate in the Walk for Freedom. 

“Sex trafficking is really high here,” Debose said. “It’s too close to home for comfort.”

2018 marks the fifth global Walk for Freedom, and the third year Grand Rapids has participated in the event. Kaitlyn Geers has been in charge of coordinating all three of the city’s walks.

“I like to host because a lot of people are passionate about this issue of eradicating human trafficking, but don’t necessarily have the resources,” Geers said. “This is a day where people can come out in their community and give two hours of the time and make an impact. That’s why I love it.”

The Grand Rapids Walk for Freedom began at Ah-Nab-Awen Park. After check-in at 10 a.m., walk coordinators led a brief prayer and recited the Freedom Declaration that announced, “we’re here together in strength and numbers. We have the power to change the statistics… While human trafficking is destroying lives, we know that freedom will have the final word.”

Afterward, participants, most of which were attired in black shirts emblazoned with the caption “Abolish slavery with every step,” formed a single-file line and began to proceed on a route through the park and into downtown Grand Rapids. Although the walk was silent, participants had the option of using earbuds to listen to a podcast by A21. Others held signs that bore messages including “2 million children are exploited into the sex trade each year” and “There are more slaves today than ever before.”

Participants in the Walk for Freedom encompassed a large range of ages. Jill Olsen, a worker for Women at Risk International, chose to walk with her 10-year-old daughter. 

“It’s important to instill human consciousness in children,” Olsen said. “I think that’s our best shot at creating a less polluted world.”

With Michigan locations in Rockford and Wyoming, Women at Risk International sells handmade jewelry to provide jobs to those who have been rescued, or those who are currently considered at risk for being trafficked.

Booth said that he hoped the walk would help more people realize what is going on, both in the world and locally. 

“Slavery is prevalent in the States, and a lot of people don’t realize this,” Booth said. “I hope that the walk helps more people become aware of the atrocity that is happening.”