The Mahalia Project

Our greatest modern slavery is that of human trafficking. Over 30 million are enslaved to its various forms. It is alive and well, and very much so in the United States, though authorities in world systems have worked tirelessly to bury it. A hard truth, yet a harder one is this; modern day slavery will never end by rescue alone. There are deeper and subtle narratives underlying the motivations to global exploitation; and the key to eradicating them may very well lie in a place we have largely, as a global culture, left unconsidered. The bond and influence shared between Mahalia Jackson and Dr. King illustrates a powerful theme; that an immensely influential man’s most pivotal moment was influenced and released by the faith and boldness of a woman. The result was an unprecedented social and ideological shift in culture; founded in the bond and friendship of a man and woman, who united in one core belief; freedom was meant for all, and that freedom could only ever be achieved via an approach rooted in inclusiveness; non-violence; forgiveness; justice; and above all, love; a foundation that proves equally as dangerous as it is promising. It is a theme that we, as an organization, are standing upon; the core belief that men and women must unite in principles of love and forgiveness, or fall to agencies, influences, and practices of division and vengeance. There is no obscuring, erasing, or justifying the atrocities of human trafficking, exploitation, sexual assault, or the long and heartbreaking list of other deplorable realities that have come to attention in our world. Yet the social and media cultures of outrage, angst, and incitement of violence that we have built around these issues will not only fail to heal us; it will destroy us. Until we recognize and respond to both as captives, none can truly be free. To learn more about the Mahalia Project: