SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) – According to the US Department of State, sex trafficking in 2020 was a near $160 billion enterprise. And, Morningside students are determined to bring light to the ongoing issue.
Students gathered today starting at 12pm on October 19 and will be outside between Charles City Hall and Roadman Hall for 24 hours. This, in an effort to hand out flyers and bookmarks with information on sex trafficking to as many people on campus. T-shirts and stickers were sold to raise funds that would go towards the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking & Slavery.
And, the Morningside Associate Political Science Professor explains the importance of her students engaging with campus members to debunk common misconceptions about the local and global issue.
“I think some of the key things when it comes to the significance of this project is recognizing that anyone could be a victim of sex trafficking. So thinking about what that could look like and perhaps busting some of the myths that people associate about who potential victims could intend to be,” said Valerie Hennings, a professor at Morningside University.
One Morningside student explains why the issue of sex trafficking is somehting to be informed about here in Siouxland.
“My mother and grandmother have had interesting encounters at different places that you could shop in the Siouxland when they come up here. There’s been different people that have approached them or they’ve got a weird, you know, different things. If you feel like something’s weird or if somebody’s been tailing you in a store for 20 minutes, it is okay if you think something’s wrong,” said Morningside student Garrett Anderson.
As part of the students and faculties efforts, an expert panel as well as a viewing of a documentary that looks at trafficking, will be hosted throughout this week.