IN MY SHOES: Musician Turned Modern-Day Abolitionist Wants You To Help Him End Slavery
In June, The Stiletto urged black liberation theologians to "stop looking backwards at a past that the vast majority of white Americans and their ancestors living in other parts of the world had nothing at all to do with – not as slave owners, abolitionists, Confederate soldiers or Union soldiers – and to focus on where and how blacks and others are being enslaved today, and join forces with modern-day abolitionists to stamp out slavery for good worldwide."
A new documentary on human trafficking and modern day slavery, “Call + Response,” aims to make us all into abolitionists (watch the trailer). Here, highlights of a profile of the film's director recently published in The Washington Post:
Drawing on the spontaneous call-and-response tradition of African religion and music, director Justin Dillon says the film is a summons to audiences in hope that they will answer by starting a modern abolitionist movement. ...
“There are more slaves today than ever before in human history,” Dillon said in an interview. “n 2007, slave traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined.” ...
Often, he said, people who face the horror of human trafficking move from being oblivious to the paralysis of despair. The next thing to set in is apathy.
“It is a cycle of ‘I need to see it. I don't want to see it. I need to know about it. I don't want to know about it,’” Dillon said. “‘I'm indignant. I'm upset. But what am I supposed to do about it?’”
Dillon, a musician, said that was his reaction when he became aware of human trafficking while touring with a band in Russia. The women who translated for the musicians told of job offers in the United States and, thinking that their stories didn't add up, Dillon asked to see his translator's contract. They tried calling several times, he said, and when nobody picked up, he warned the translator that those job offers might be a trap.
“We were telling someone, ‘Run for your life,’ and she was like, ‘No, I'll take my chances,’” Dillon recalled. “That's what got me.”
When Dillon returned home, he contacted nonprofit agencies that combat human trafficking. “I said, 'I'm a musician. I'm not famous. I'd like to help. …”
One [fundraising] concert became several concerts, and they evolved into the film project, paid for with donations. Dillon said that all of the profits will go to projects such as buying a vehicle for a rehab camp that helps child soldiers. …
“We are closing the loop by allowing viewers to become participants in the solution,” he said. “We don't let people out of the theaters until they can already begin responding.”
Audience members may donate on the spot or request more information. Dillon said the film becomes a social contract, leaving viewers with this question about human slavery:
Now that you know, how will you respond?
The documentary opened October 10th in 18 cities. If you don’t live near one of those cities, click here to request that the distributors find a theater in your area.
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