#EndItMovement

END IT is a Coalition of the leading organizations in the world in the fight for FREEDOM. Each of our amazing 16 Coalition Partners is doing work, on the ground, every day, to bring AWARENESS, PREVENTION, RESCUE, and RESTORATION.

CALL TO ACTION:

Join us and other Freedom Fighters from around the world this THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND, as we SHINE A LIGHT ON SLAVERY together! Draw a RED X on your hand, take a selfie and post it on social media using #enditmovement. This simple action opens the door to conversations and allows us to tell more people that slavery still exists.

KEY POINTS:

• END IT is an awareness campaign that launched in 2013.
• Our goal is to SHINE A LIGHT ON SLAVERY by letting the world know that slavery still exists. With an estimated 20 – 45.8” million men, women and children trapped in various forms of slavery around the world, including the U.S. (bonded labor, forced labor, and sex trafficking), there is more slave in the world today than at any other time in history.
• To us, awareness is doing the work, but awareness is only the beginning. Awareness must lead to ACTION. Once you’re aware, you can’t not do something.
• We want to encourage people to get involved in this fight for freedom in whatever way they can, be it donation money changing purchasing habits, helping raise awareness, getting companies to change policies or deciding to go work in this field. We all have a voice and we all have influence, so we can a;; do something. In order to tell the world, we need everyone to tell their world.

KEY STATS:

• There are an estimated 27 million people trapped in slavery around the world today.
• Slavery generates an estimated $150.2 billion per year in profits. That’s more than Google + Amazon + eBay combined.
• Slavery is illegal in every country in the world, yet still exists in 167 countries, accounting for 87% of nations across the globe.
• The average cost of a slave today is $90. The average cost of a slave in 1850, in the American South, is equivalent to $40,000 today.
• 55% of forced labor victims are women and girls.
• Nearly 1 in 5 victims of slavery is a child The average age a teen enters the sex trade in the U.S. is 12 – 14 years old.
• 29,868 human trafficking cases in the U.S. identified on the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

G to the #ENDITMOVEMENT site for more information.

Oprah’s Amazing Speech

Avalyn Walton

The Golden Globes have passed, and there has been a surprising amount of buzz around Oprah’s speech, as you may expect since Oprah is the first black woman to accept the Cecil B. DeMille award in the history of the Golden Globes. Men and women of all colors were moved by what she said during her acceptance speech, and some have surprisingly gone far enough to say she should run for president.

It is only natural to be curious what exactly she said that got her this much attention. To see for yourself, you can watch it in its entirety here; Oprah’s Golden Globes Speech.

Oprah used her speech as an opportunity to speak out about the rights of women, and about how the sexual abuse and harassment not only in Hollywood but in the world, is beyond toxic. She obviously believes that the harassment and assault discussed lately is disgusting, and a lot of people are happy to hear someone finally talking about it.

🇺🇸 Hate Has No Home Here 🇺🇸

Gavin Mercado

Equality: It’s the foundation of America and arguably the most important virtue in the world. Whether it is gay rights, religious freedom, race, or even polygamy, we’ll fight for it with everything in us. Lately, there’s been an uproar from the general public concerning the treatment and senseless killing of Muslims, LGBT people, and people of color.

Some teachers, such as Ms. Walters and Mrs. Redmond, are showing their American pride by taping Hate Has No Home Here posters on their walls.  Poster or no, all of Stacey’s teachers want their students to feel safe in their classrooms.

Ms. Walters says, “No one should ever feel that being different makes them less than anyone else. We are all different in so many ways. Those who think it is ok to target a student for abuse due to any aspect of who they are, are just wrong.”

Boy Scouts are Allowing Girls to Join, and Many are Against (Poll)

Avalyn Walton

Over the years, Boy Scouts has been a place where little boys get introduced to nature and how to survive in it. It gives rowdy young boys a place to test their courage and strength. However more recently, girls have wanted the opportunity to join too. And believe it or not, everyone is not completely open to allowing girls to join.

Most people are aware that typically, boys join Boy Scouts and girls join Girl Scouts. The boys and girls are separated and stay separate. To some, it might not even make sense as to why a girl would want to be a Boy Scout when Girl Scouts are already available.

But Girls Scouts is completely different from Boy Scouts. Girl Scouts focuses more on crafts and being a good citizen. They do typically girly things, and though many girls find that appealing, some do not.  Whereas Boy Scouts are all about being outdoors and in nature while getting dirty and having rough and tumble fun. Some girls simply think they would prefer the Boy Scout experience.

Gender Equality

Jordyn Russell and Delaney Powell

Globally, one in three women experiences gender-based violence in her lifetime. One in three.

Although there is solid evidence proving gender inequality, it is still an issue many refuse to believe.

In a previous article, “Gender Rolls, the Worst Kind of Bread,” written on this topic, many interesting comments were prompted about sexism. The article featured a few of the school’s feminists. It also featured an anonymous contributor who had strong opinions on the subject.

The Hallmark Of Revolution

Kelsey Bisetti

Both men and women alike rise each day with a cause. Many will march for equality, they will chant for freedom, and they will fight to have their voices heard.

On January 21, many set out to stand with women. Participants joined in the Women’s Marches for many reasons. Some were asking for more women in Congress, others were protesting the discrimination in all of its form, some are just angry with Trump in general.

“When those in powerful positions make derogatory, and offensive remarks against certain groups of people – women, refugees, migrants, LGBTI, people with disabilities for example – the message it sends is that discrimination is acceptable. It is not, never has been and never will be,” says Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International UK.

Gender Roles are the Worst Kind of Bread

Delany Powell

The American Association for the Advancement of Science recently opened a study which showed that girls starting at the age of six are less likely to believe that people of their own gender are brilliant, which harkens back many studies from years and years ago.

Back in 2004, the AAAS did a study showing that children are not born with a sense of what is “socially acceptable” for their specific gender. They believe whatever they are told, whether that is to play with dolls or action figures, to wear dresses or pants.

The study and the article along with it say that we shouldn’t teach kids to be close-minded about these things, that kids should be raised to believe they can be whoever they feel is fit. Many students here at Stacey agree.