Local A21 chapter marches through midtown to raise awareness

This article is brought to you by Alexandra Daniels Durham for Kokomo School Board.

A long line of people dressed in black wound through Kokomo’s “Silk Stocking” district just west of downtown. Some held signs. Others passed out literature. Some walked with tape across their mouths. To some, the display may have felt unsettling or even frightening.

The reality of what the walkers were demonstrating against is far more terrifying. The walk was conducted by the local chapter of A21, an organization devoted to stopping human trafficking.

“This is for awareness,” said Shenandoah Elizabeth, lead organizer of the walk, which took place on Oct. 19. “We wear black for the ones that aren't seen. We walk in silence for the ones that are not heard. We will pass out information to educate our community against human trafficking so they will know what to look for.

“When you see something that doesn't sit well with you, just stop and report it. You will have access to human trafficking phone numbers, which is your best way to report something.”

The march began at Fresh Start Ministries, Elizabeth’s home church, and traveled in a loop that included Sycamore Street and Philips Street; a path along two thoroughfares that guaranteed the march would be seen.

Being seen is a key element in the fight against human trafficking. More importantly, it is about knowing what to look for, Elizabeth said. She encouraged people educate themselves on the signs of human trafficking, and then to report it.

“The local police department cares, but if you're just saying it looks suspicious, it's not enough information for them to go on,” said Elizabeth. “Call the Human Trafficking Hotline. Human trafficking is happening in Kokomo. I hate to tell you, that's what it is. “

Elizabeth said her interest in fighting human trafficking arose when she and her husband saw a little girl with a man, and something didn’t look right to them. She didn’t know what to say or what to do about it, and for three years she obsessed over what might have happened to the little girl.

“I would check photos of missing kids over and over, looking for her face,” said Elizabeth. “I was so certain that's what I saw. I knew I had to do something.”

Out of that concern arose the A21 walk in Kokomo. Several organizations were a part of the event, including Shine 99, Kokomo Urban Outreach, and One Church. It was more than a walk, as there was a raffle, and gifts were given away at the staging area. And there was food and a guest speaker following the walk.

Most importantly, there was information to be taken and shared.

“We have enough literature out there to educate over 500 people today,” said Elizabeth. “That's just literature that we hand out. That's not the fact that we're walking with signs that have literature on it for people to take pictures of and go to the A21 website and get educated about human trafficking.

“Human Trafficking looks different all over the world. Sometimes, we think it's the scary white van in the neighborhood. It is that, but it also is not that. It's more like, ‘Hey, kid, you want to be famous?’ Or, ‘Hey, beautiful, you’re model material,’ and that modeling job turns into a nightmare.”

Elizabeth stated that 2,100 children are reported missing each day in the U.S. She said an additional 500,000 children go missing but are not reported.

“They may be illegal aliens,” said Elizabeth. “They may be typical runaways, and their parents think they're going to come home. They may be in the system and literally got lost in the system. These people that are not reported are still missing, and they're missing for good, unless somehow someone sees them, recognizes the strange behaviors, and reports it.”

Elizabeth recounted a story she heard from the A21 organization that 70 victims of human trafficking were discovered in Greece last year. All of them were pregnant.

“They were being used just to bring babies onto the earth,” said Elizabeth. “The youngest one was 14. The oldest one was 40. People are trafficked and some of them, sadly, eventually get sold and become organ donors.

“We live in a frightening world, but we can make a difference, one person at a time, by becoming educated, by handing out the information, by knowing the trafficking phone numbers, and by not being afraid to call it in.

“We have hope that with one step and one person and one line and one handout, we will save the one person. We can make a difference. This walk can truly make a difference.”

Information about human trafficking and the A21 organization can be found at https://www.a21.org/. The website also has multiple options for reporting suspected trafficking. To report suspected trafficking involving a minor, call 1-800-THE-LOST. To report other cases of suspected trafficking, call 1-888-373-7888 or text a message to 233-733.