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Modern Slavery

Nightline Daily - September 21, 2004

Slavery describes something that most Americans assume happened in this country over a century ago, or exists today only in far away, third-world countries. But here in the U.S.? Today? Tonight, Nightline introduces you to a young man, now a Dallas area high school senior, who got caught in a situation that experts say can fairly be called slavery. It's a story of perseverance and survival through a hardship that still exists here, but is largely out of view.

It started out as a well intended mission. A group of children from a poor African country were recruited to come to the U.S. To sing in a boy's choir. The recruiter promised to pay them, educate them, and also to build new schools in their native land. And by many measures, it was a huge success. Audiences were moved by their beautiful voices to donate money to the cause.

But somewhere along the way, something changed. And the boys did not get paid. Or educated. And the schools in their homeland were not built.

Tonight, Nightline's John Donvan will introduce you to one of the boys in that choir, a young man named Given Kachepa. He was an orphaned child who dreamed of coming to the U.S. And making a difference, not just for his own life, but also for his homeland. But once here, his dream changed dramatically. If it were not for a few good samaritans who started asking questions and an alert law enforcement official, Given might still be a slave here in the U.S.

The word slavery conjures images of shackles and chains. But sometimes those shackles and chains are fear, intimidation and hopelessness. A slave is defined by experts as someone who is coerced into working for no compensation and is not free to leave. A new study by UC Berkeley and the Washington-based organization Free the Slaves, being released later this week, estimates conservatively that some 10,000 people in at least 90 cities across the country are, on any given day, working in conditions that meet the definition of slavery. They tend to be domestic workers, farm laborers, and prostitutes -- all industries that are, by and large, unregulated and filled with immigrants, both legal and illegal..

Sara Just and the Nightline Staff
Nightline Offices ABC News Washington Bureau.

Slavery Modern

Wow, what a creepy story. I think people around the world should be more aware that slavery is something that exist nowdays and there is nothing being done about it, hundreds and hundreds of children are being held as slaves in different countries around the world....I have seen documentaries about them and I cried every time I see those children doing the worst of the hard-labor jobs. What is the world doing to stopped such a thing????!!!!!

Modern Slavery History & Civil Business Politics

FEDS SAY HOMELESS LURED TO FLORIDA LABOR CAMP

Federal agents raided a migrant farm labor camp where homeless men and women were kept in what labor officials called a version of modern-day slavery.
Ref. Source

Slavery Modern

Those are some bad stories of slavery here in the U.S. I wish it weren't true, but it is and I hope something more is done for people like those.

Slavery Modern

'Anti-slavery laws' before Lords

Peers are to consider proposed new laws for England and Wales to deal with what campaigners are calling modern-day slavery. Ref. Source 8

Modern Slavery

Human trafficking happens more often than we know and like the example above children are one of the big targets because they are easy to manipulate. Watch out parents, guard your little ones.