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Letters | As Black Lives Matter protests pull down racist symbols, remember the slavery still around us
- There are more slaves today than at any other time in human history, with about half of the 40 million people caught up modern-day slavery globally found in the Asia-Pacific
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Why you can trust SCMP
It is nearly impossible to open up a newspaper these days and not see an article that addresses the issue of slavery.
Companies that once used racially stereotyped images to sell rice, cream of wheat and pancake mix are rebranding. Statues commemorating leaders who supported slavery are being pulled down. Flags that memorialised a legacy of slavery are being retired. Organisations ranging from sports teams to government agencies to corporations are acknowledging the fact that slavery was a terrible practice that oppressed millions.
There are even companies apologising for supporting slavery in their business efforts centuries ago. The thousands of people who have taken part in the Black Lives Matter marches have raised awareness of the impact that slavery has had on so many communities.
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Slavery represents one of the most reprehensible practices. On so many levels, it breaks countless ethical and moral codes of conduct. Understanding the pain and suffering that so many people experienced is a way to educate and heal cultures that have never completely come to terms with this terrible reality.
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‘Anti-blackness is something deeply rooted in my community,’ says student Eileen Huang
‘Anti-blackness is something deeply rooted in my community,’ says student Eileen Huang
But as a person who has spent over 35 years addressing issues related to human trafficking and modern slavery, I can’t help but wonder why it is so hard to get the world to understand that slavery is not just a thing of the past. It continues on to this day.
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