Last night was pretty incredible.
A few people who were concerned about human trafficking that’s going on globally, as well as here in Chicago, raised awareness and got over 300 of us from Park to sell-out a screening of the film Call + Response.
CALL+RESPONSE is a first of its kind feature documentary film that reveals the world’s 27 million dirtiest secrets: there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. CALL+RESPONSE goes deep undercover where slavery is thriving from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of rural India to reveal that in 2007, Slave Traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined.
Luminaries on the issue such as Cornel West, Madeleine Albright, Daryl Hannah, Julia Ormond, Ashley Judd, Nicholas Kristof, and many other prominent political and cultural figures offer first hand account of this 21st century trade. Performances from Grammy-winning and critically acclaimed artists including Moby, Natasha Bedingfield, Cold War Kids, Matisyahu, Imogen Heap, Talib Kweli, Five For Fighting, Switchfoot, members of Nickel Creek and Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, Rocco Deluca move this chilling information into inspiration for stopping it.
Music is part of the movement against human slavery. Dr. Cornel West connects the music of the American slave fields to the popular music we listen to today, and offers this connection as a rallying cry for the modern abolitionist movement currently brewing.
The documentary is very unsettling. You see and hear things you don’t want to, but it brings to light the great need there is glocally for people to rise up and take a stand against the injustice that’s going on all around us.
The first time I was really exposed to all of this was a few years back at Catalyst when I heard Gary Haugen from International Justice Mission speak. And wouldn’t you know it… he’s in Call + Response, too.
Call + Response is making a limited appearance in theaters across the country. Check out and see if it’s in your neighborhood here.
On the Call + Response website, they present 33 ways to respond… check them out.
It was so cool to see how a few people inspired over 300 of us to see the movie last night… and this is just the beginning… Park is going to launch an anti-human trafficking initiative here in Chicago… I’ll keep you posted with what develops!
