If you were on campus Friday, there is a good possibility that you saw the many students hanging out in the oval, playing games and music, or standing in the back of classrooms holding cardboard signs, but what was the standing all about? Students at Wesleyan made a commitment to stand for twenty-seven hours to raise awareness of the modern-day slave trade. This event was coordinated in conjunction with the organization International Justice Mission, or IJM, an organization that works to rescue victims of slavery and bring people to justice through local court systems.
IMJ organized the Stand for Freedom movement in schools, churches and communities all across the United States, with 72,000 individuals in participation. (This was more than twice their goal of 27,000 people!) The demonstrations lasted from March 5 through March 15, with 595 events in total. IMJ also collected money to support their organization. They collected $50,116 out of their goal of $270,000.
Even now, students who are surprised that slavery exists to the extent that it’s reached today are interested in helping IMJ eradicate slavery and free the 27 million people who are forced into bondage all around the world. Abigail Hensley, the Wesleyan freshman who coordinated the event on campus, was one student who pledged to take a stand.
“The statics I heard shocked me,” Hensley said. “I couldn’t believe that slavery still existed today, or that there are currently 27 million slaves. I knew I had to do something, and Standing for Freedom gave me the perfect opportunity.”
Students occupied their time in as many ways as they could while outside of the classroom. While inside the classroom, Carolyn Snyder, a participant of Stand for Freedom, found the troubles to be worth it.
“It was really hard to stand for 27 hours, and especially in class, because it was hard to take notes and stand,” Snyder said. “I knew I was doing the right thing though. It was nice to get involved and help raise awareness of this issue.”
Although the event is over, you can still give to this organization. Visit IJM’s webpage to make a contribution and Stand for Freedom today.