July 27, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
Representatives of the DeKalb County Health Commission including the DeKalb Prevention Coalition, DeKalb County Health Department, Coordinated School Health and others gathered Tuesday to mark the last week of July as Human Trafficking Awareness Week.
They did so by pouring red sand into cracks of sidewalks “to show how human trafficking survivors have fallen into the cracks of society.”
‘’Human trafficking is a hidden crime in our state and across the country because victims rarely come forward to receive help or services,’’ said Tennessee Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado, MD, FACP.
‘’It’s up to all of us to bring an end to the exploitation of vulnerable individuals. The Red Sand Project reminds us how crucial it is for communities, both urban and rural, to engage in awareness and education activities that support survivors of human trafficking and strengthen our prevention efforts.”
The Red Sand Project is an interactive art exhibition where community members, individually or collectively, pour red sand into the cracks of sidewalks to show how the survivors of human trafficking fall through the cracks of society.
Communities across Tennessee will use Red Sand Project events also as opportunities to create art installations, pouring natural, non-toxic red sand into sidewalk cracks, and to host human trafficking educational events and provide information about resources.
Tennessee’s local health departments, tn.gov/health/health-program
areas/localdepartments, will have information about Red Sand Project events in their communities. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development also will have Red Sand Project event information available at their Welcome Centers across the state, tnvacation.com/welcome-centers.
Contact the Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-855-558-6484, if you know someone who needs help to escape trafficking. The National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373- 7888, or text 233722, can also provide information on local community resources.
For more information on human trafficking visit humantraffickinghotline.org.