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A new public art installation in greater Northside Houston is aimed at raising awareness of and providing resources to victims and witnesses of human trafficking.
Part of UP Art Studio s Mini Murals program, with funding through the city of Houston, the murals highly colorful and visible from the street are painted on traffic control cabinets by local artists. They include the phone number for the National Human Trafficking Hotline, alongside uplifting images of birds, flowers and butterflies.
“Art can improve awareness, inspire change and encourage healing,” read a statement from Debbie McNulty, director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “Through the artwork of Houston-area artists, we aim to provide a resource for individuals most vulnerable to human trafficking within a community very much impacted by this tragic issue.”
Globally, January 11 marks the official day of recognition of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
Blue is the colour ascribed to the support and acknowledgement
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January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and Jan. 11 is recognized as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. In connection with the designations, ECPAT-USA, an organization seeking to end the commercial and sexual exploitation of children, released an update of its Unpacking Human Trafficking report, first released in May 2019, that highlights progress on that initiative related to the U.S. lodging industry.
The report details trafficking laws in all 50 states, including those that have required lodging facilities to display signage calling attention to the problem of human trafficking and those that have enacted legislation mandating training on the issue for hospitality workers. Additionally, some states have enacted laws addressing the criminal and civil liability of lodging facilities for incidents of human trafficking that occur on their properties.
You might see more people wearing blue than usual on Monday. Monday is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. According to Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey, human trafficking is the second biggest crime in the world, after the illegal drug trade. He says it’s not just happening in third world countries, but also the U.S. and even here in Alabama..
Learn about human trafficking and how you can be part of the solution during a Zoom meeting, hosted by non-profit, The Potter s Hands Foundation, on Monday at noon.