On October 11th, the Mason community took part in an international art project to raise awareness about human trafficking. Led by graduate student Emily Fussner from the Mason’s School of Art, students and faculty gathered outside of the Fenwick Library and filled sidewalk cracks with bright red sand. The sidewalks and sand were then photographed and shared across social media using the hashtag #RedSandProject.
The Red Sand Project (redsandproject.org) was created by Molly Gochman of New York City in order to fight modern day slavery. The sand itself, visually striking and directly underfoot, is meant to bring awareness to those who have been marginalized and often “fall through the cracks” of society and fall prey to human trafficking. Those who face discrimination, poverty, a lack of education, and political insecurity are often more vulnerable to being trafficked. This project highlights immigrants, refugees, and girls as being particularly vulnerable.
With an estimated 21-36 million people enslaved worldwide (freetheslaves.net), efforts must be made to acknowledge and end human trafficking. Although awareness of the issues is only the first step to eradicate human trafficking, it is nonetheless a vital one, and activism-based artwork is a great way to get others involved and educated.
To view more photos from the event, click here.
October 18, 2017
