May, 1995 - 17 year old Dan Fedick does a 45 minute presentation in the 1st person as President Lincoln. It was probably the most nerve racking day of my life. 45 minutes.. Yes I said 45 minutes with a fake beard (Hey.. I was only 17) and the full costume. 45 minutes and 2 days later I find out that all that work I had been putting into the year end presentation would end in a "C." Why did I get a C? Well, I'm sure my timidity for speaking in front of large crowds (15 kids) had something to do with it. The teacher told me the reason for the "C" had to do with my broken small toe that had me in a blue stability cast. I couldn't receive the full "A" because it wasn't realistic enough. Thanks Mr. Gillespie. Awesome... At that time I assumed slavery was 17 year old children having to do a 45 minute presentations.
Summer 2004, - 12 year old Zach Hunter - a fellow classmate of my brother at CFC in Ashburn, VA starts a campaign with the International Justice Mission. "Loose Change to Loosen Chains." 12 year old Zach was studying the same subject. Slavery in the 1800's in his classroom and tells his mother that if he was alive then he would have been an abolitionist. His mother (who at the time worked at IJM) looked at him and said "Zach, you can be now. There is still a problem with slavery.....Today." This moved in Zach's heart and so he did. Since then he has been known as the modern day abolitionist. Now 17, he has been around the country speaking and writing books for the last 5 years. He just released his 3rd book called "Lose your cool." This kid has an amazing heart and I saw it in him 5 years ago when I met him and his mother just as my son Jaron was born.
Doma International starts a project called "Project Greenlight." Their initiative is to take their city and move the underground red light district and turn Columbus into a green light district through intervention and education to the community. Check out Dan Clark and Julie Clark's blogs to find out what they are doing.
There is common day slavery. It has nothing to do with homework assignments. It has to do with real people enslaved today. Thank you President Lincoln.
Thank you for all of those modern day abolitionists!! You are working towards a new freedom for people stuck in darkness in a tangible way and your doing it now.
To find out more:
Also, check out the Rockumentary called "Call+Response."
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