By Chase Longan

College of the Canyons Associated Student Government Director of Clubs & Organizations

Human trafficking is classified by the Department of Homeland Security as “modern-day slavery,” and has become a 32-billion-dollar global industry.

The International Justice Mission (IJM) reports that 40 million people around the world are currently victims, or five times the population of New York City. 55 percent of victims are women and girls, 26 percent are children, and 68 percent are forced into labor, according to The Polaris Project. This is not just in third-world countries. There were at least four reported cases of human trafficking involving children in Santa Clarita in 2016. This is a sensitive topic, and it may feel like an impossible challenge to conquer, but My Gen My Fight is working to empower students to be the change and put an end to this problem once and for all.

My Gen My Fight COC is a club on campus that aims to educate students and faculty about human trafficking and provide ways to help combat the issue. By raising awareness of human trafficking and its impact on our community, students are given the power to take action and bring about change. The club has hosted and attended many events this year, including an Art & Abolition presentation and a human trafficking summit.

Art & Abolition is a non-profit organization founded by Brittanie Richardson, who discussed her organization’s work in Kenya to rescue young girls from sexual abuse and empower them to feel whole and secure. The human trafficking summit hosted a panel of speakers from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, human trafficking survivors, and My Gen My Fight’s current leadership, president Nelly Mardiros and vice president Tyler Geike.

The club also participated in the Justice Benefit Concert, which raised funds for the ZOE Children’s Home LA, as well as the Every 98 Seconds Resource Fair, which educated attendees about sexual assault prevention education.

Breezy Thompson, the club’s founder and former president, described how she got the inspiration for this club.

“It all started with a speech approximately five years ago. I was in my first college class, Communications 105, and I was required to write a speech about a worldwide problem,” Thompson said.

The speech she gave on human trafficking became an opportunity to learn more about how this issue affects every part of the inhabited world. She knew she could go beyond just giving a speech to her classmates.

“I wanted to see hearts changed and action taken to end this epidemic,” Thompson said.

That speech was the catalyst that brought My Gen My Fight to COC. She soon went on a mission trip to Thailand with ZOE International, the nonprofit organization behind My Gen My Fight, and what she saw impacted her in ways she never could have imagined.

“There is nothing more incredible than seeing the faces of these children who have experienced such horrific circumstances looking up at me and having so much joy,” she said. “They had truly been on a journey of restoration and healing.”

Thompson is grateful for all the support her organization has received thus far, and hopes to keep expanding in the future.

“To all members and partners old, new, and future, I cannot thank you enough for your tireless efforts,” she said. “I promise that no matter how big or how small, or seemingly insignificant your anti-trafficking efforts may feel, your actions are truly a catalyst of change.”

She urges students to get involved in any way they can, expressing this warning: “human trafficking will continue to infiltrate our communities until the heart of man is changed and people begin to believe that change can indeed happen.”

Everyone can do something to help. If students came together with one common goal to create change, the ripple effect would make a huge impact on our community. My Gen My Fight is working hard to end human trafficking once and for all. What can you do to bring about change?

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.