Written by Tanya Terry, with photos courtesy of Cheryl Cole
Featured photo: Evan Foster (left) and Cheryl Cole (right), who is the CEO of James Moorehouse Inc., recently brought copies of a coloring and activity book they created together to promote human trafficking awareness to the Flint Farmer’s Market
According to Britannica, human trafficking, is a form of modern-day slavery involving the illegal transport of individuals by force or deception for the purpose of labor, sexual exploitation or other activities in which others benefit financially. It points out human trafficking is a global problem affecting people of all ages. It is estimated that approximately 1,000,000 people are trafficked each year globally and that between 20,000 and 50,000 are trafficked into the United States, which is one of the largest destinations for victims of the sex-trafficking trade.
Instances of human trafficking continue to be revealed, even within our own area.
The World Population Review website states there were 254 known human trafficking states in Michigan in 2023, with at least 506 human trafficking victims involved.
Evan Foster, a recent graduate of Job Corps-Flint who also has taught art classes at the center, has helped to create a coloring and activity book titled the “Human Trafficking Awareness Coloring Book,” aimed to increase human trafficking awareness, especially for children and young adults.
“It happens a lot and a lot of people don’t see it, and they kind of brush it off, especially young people,” said Foster. “It still goes on until this day.”
Foster told the Courier a movie on human trafficking called “Sound of Freedom” he saw at the Cinemark Flint West movie theatre last year touched and impacted him. In it, parents were connived into letting their daughters and sons get enrolled into a dance class or modeling, only for the parents to end up having their children kidnapped and sold as sex slaves, leading to a mission to rescue the children.
Foster and Cheryl Cole, who created the book with Evans, wanted to create a coloring and activity book young people would gravitate to and enjoy, as well as, most importantly, know what they need to watch out for.
“The book is about different subjects that show human trafficking,” said Foster. “It shows a guy leading a girl to his house with candy to show this can happen to anybody. People have been telling me we need to get the book more out there because it’s not being spoken of.”
Cole, who is the CEO of James Moorehouse Inc., said she actually met Evans when she approached the business community liaison at the Flint Genesee Job Corps Center, Verona Terry. She asked Terry if there were any students at the center with exceptional drawing ability. Terry recommended Cole connect with Evans.
The duo met monthly for about a year to create the book. Cole gave Foster guidance, and Foster drew the pictures.
“There is a page with a puppet on it, and I asked him what that means,” Cole started to explain to the Courier, speaking of Foster.
Cole continued: “He said traffickers treat their victims like they’re puppets on a string. So, it’s written in the book like that.”
Cole also said she was at Berston Fieldhouse one day and realized a lot of children did not know what human trafficking was. Cole said that the book is like “really Human Trafficking 101.”
Cole pointed out that, for example, the book gives the three areas that have to happen for a person to be convicted. On the page that gives this information, there is a picture of a judge holding a gavel, which Foster drew. It says the Trafficking Protection Act of 2000, or TVPA, states that one element from each of the three categories must be present to say it’s human trafficking.
Cole said the book was originally created for middle school and high school-aged students, but she noted many parents of elementary-aged students have been purchasing the book for their children as well.
There are also crossword puzzles at the end of the book to quiz readers on what they read and learned.
Foster and Cole have taken part in book signing events at New Creation Church, the Flint Farmer’s Market, Genesys hospital and medical center and the New McCree Theatre. They also hope to have a book signing event at Comma Bookstore and to have the book available in stores.
To obtain a copy of the Human Trafficking Awareness Coloring Book, also made possible by the Terry and Barb Kaiser Foundation, call 313-702-2131.
For information on future events by the organization, visit the James Moorehouse Inc. Facebook page.
