Dinner and Dialogue

If you have not heard, the Global Center for Women and Justice is a department on campus that raises awareness of many issues such as human trafficking. Throughout the year, they put on several events that allow students to learn more about such issues as well as provide them with ways they can help. 

A recent event that they coordinated was called Dinner and Dialogue which took place on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, located in the Price Room of the Waugh Student Center. This event was led by Matthew Holgate, Senior and Communications major with minors in Journalism and Digital Media, and Religion, and a certificate program in Anti-Human Trafficking. 

When asked why this event was created, Holgate responded with, 

“This event was created to honor and celebrate black history month, but also to address a population that is often targeted, the black community. The black & African American communities are populations that are often targeted by traffickers because of their social disparities which make these groups vulnerable to trafficking. I heard Kendra Tankersley-Davis speak the other day and I just felt called that I needed to have her speak about the commercial exploitation of children (C-SECTION). Kendra was a professor of mine and she is black, which is why I wanted to honor her and her work.” 

This event was formatted where students could enjoy dinner and listen to Kendra Tankersley-Davis, adjunct professor of Women and Justice studies, give a presentation on what human trafficking is and what CSEC looks like in black communities. Then the floor would be open for students to ask questions for Kendra to answer. 

When asked what types of questions were brought up at the event, Holgate responded, “A question asked was if “no human involved” was a term still currently used in the cases of the death of prostitutes or victims of trafficking and it was answered that it has evolved to not using terms like that anymore and overall the justice system has moved to decriminalizing prostitutes and viewing them as victims of possible trafficking.”

If you have not already attended an event hosted by the Global Center of Women and Justice, I highly suggest it. The work they are doing within Vanguard and around the world is amazing. They pour themselves into these events so students can learn, grow, and understand how they can help even from the Vanguard campus. 

To conclude, when asked what the importance of these events are Holgate said, “ To raise awareness and acknowledge. We as a society must understand the harsh history of trafficking to better our future communities. We have to acknowledge what we have done to all communities to build reconciliation for all ethnic communities. And then knowing what human trafficking is and how it happens will help potential victims of trafficking. You can become an advocate and an educator to ensure the people near you and around you do not fall into the hands of trafficking. It’s important that you become a resource.”

Keep a lookout for the future events that the Global Center of Women and Justice is planning and preparing for our student body. Take advantage of these opportunities and learn more about topics that affect our communities that are not discussed enough.