Black and Brown Bodies: Panel Discussion at Hunter College
On a brisk December evening, in Hunter College’s Roosevelt House, a panel meets to discuss a heavy subject that has personally affected many of those in attendance. Titled “Women of Color Against the Sex Trade,” tonight’s focus is on the laws, policies, and cultural trends that address sex trafficking. Advocates from around the world have gathered to contribute to the discussion, many of them survivors themselves.
The panel is broken up into two parts. The first outlines how survivors can rebuild their lives with tools and services they can turn to. In this portion, Vednita Carter, founder of Breaking Free offers her expertise. Trafficked as a teenager along with a caucasian friend, Carter discusses the differential treatment of black and white women in sex trafficking. Sharing the stage with Carter is Shandra Woworuntu, founder of Mentari, whose experience illuminates the struggle of Asian immigrants trafficked in the U.S. In an impassioned voice, Woworuntu exclaims, “This is a community fight, this is our fight ... I cannot do it alone.” The panel’s moderator, Yvonne Chen is the program manager for the Anti-Trafficking Initiative with Sanctuary for Families. She offers further insight into the plight of Asian immigrants, urging the audience to ask what it means to work through basic systems, such as housing and health insurance, as an immigrant with linguistic and cultural barriers. In the first portion of this panel, these women highlight the importance of a holistic approach in helping survivors reintegrate into society. It is not just housing, but employment, case management, and support that is needed in order for a survivor to regain their life.
The second panel delves into the intersection of race, colonialism, and patriarchy in sex trafficking. Nomonde Mihali Meji, advocacy manager for Embrace Dignity, offers her expertise on sex trafficking. Having lived in South Africa, Meji notes the effect of racial profiling in a formerly-colonized state. Accompanying her on the panel is Bridget Perrier, an advocate for Canadian indigenous victims of sex trafficking and co-founder of the lobbying group SexTrade 101. She comments on these girls’ struggle to get institutional aid both during and after their exploitation. Perrier’s remembers, “I was afraid to be an indigenous woman.” These women were joined by Melanie Thompson, the Youth Outreach Coordinator for the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and a student at Hunter College. From her experience, Thompson notes that white sex trafficking victims were able to access more “privileged” positions as escorts or webcam girls, while black victims were mainly on the street. The second half of the panel highlights the increased risk of violence for sex trafficking victims of color. These women must fight through multiple layers of oppression, racism, and patriarchy to escape their trafficking.
The words of these women from around the world are a solemn reminder that racism is alive and well, especially in the most insidious corners of our societies. The historical structures of patriarchy and colonialism affect the manifestations of sex trafficking, causing a disproportionate risk of violence to black and brown bodies.
The words of these women are also an empowering stand against these systems. Sitting before the panel speakers, each a strong survivor and advocate for victims of sex trafficking, one cannot help but feel in awe. The structures that serve to bring down women of all colors could not have a better adversary than women such as these.