Each year, human trafficking brings in around $150.2 billion. This is more than the amount of money Google, Amazon and eBay bring in combined. Every 30 seconds another person becomes a victim to human trafficking. Human trafficking is a real issue in our world. However, many people are working hard to combat human trafficking in many different ways, such as the END IT movement.

The END IT movement was created to shine a light a modern-day slavery. People around the world participate by writing a red ‘X’ on their hand. The red ‘X’ is a symbol to send the message “END IT.” This movement has different people bringing awareness everywhere. From popular celebrities to students in a high school in S.D.

Recently, I had accepted the role to become the student leader at LHS for the non-profit organization called T.A.S.T. (Teens Against Sex Trafficking.) By taking on this role, I lead my own group made up of LHS students. As a group, we talk about and organize different ways for us as students to bring attention to the topic of human trafficking and educate students in our school. Together we came to the idea of participating in the END IT movement and encouraging students around us to join us. We made posters, wore red Xs, and encouraged our fellow students join us in the fight against human trafficking.

As I have grown up I have been surrounded by the topic of human trafficking. Having a mom, who is in the fight against human trafficking with her own non-profit organization, I hear many different stories about human trafficking situations. Stories from our very own community and schools in Sioux Falls. To know that human trafficking is happening and surrounding all of us in this city and everywhere else is a scary thought, but the thought that no one is doing anything to fight against human trafficking is also very scary. By being apart of the END IT movement, people are being attention and awareness to this social injustice. It is important that people are educating themselves on the social injustice. There are many signs to identify a human trafficking situation but without educating and awareness, people will not be able to spot it. As a community, let’s stop reading statistics and start changing them.

If you are a student at LHS and want to join the fight, direct message @LHSTAST on Instagram. Go to the END IT movement’s website ENDITmovement.com to learn more information.

Another story on the END IT movement, https://lhsstatesman.com/3045/news/shining-a-light-on-slavery/.