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Street Art Brings Awareness to Child Trafficking Crisis

Every year, millions of children are victims of child trafficking. Street Art for Mankind wants you to know their stories.

Using Art To Show The Truth Of Child Trafficking

Street Art For Mankind's latest installation uses detailed murals to draw attention to the over 20 million victims of child trafficking worldwide — and especially to the ones in your own backyard. A street walk through the installation was commissioned by the nonprofit to use art to tell real stories of victims of child trafficking. Survivors say that art can lead towards action on the issue.

“I was trafficked to New York when I was 12 years old. I was on my way home from a movie theater with my two friends from sixth grade. And we ran into these two boys that we knew from my middle school that basically brought me back to their place and got me really drunk. And. Brought. They brought down an older man, who told me that I wasn't going to go anywhere and that I now belong to him. From there, he locked me in a closet in an abandoned house and put me in prostitution from that point forward. I could read to you stats and facts all day and you might get bored. But one thing that murals and paintings and performances can do is really capture your attention somebody can bring their artistic sense or their guilty pleasure of art and do that while at the same time educating themselves about trafficking and spreading awareness about it.”

10% of all child trafficking victims are subjected to child prostitution according to Ark of Hope For Children. Survivors like Thompson believe recognizing the intersectionality of problems like child trafficking is the only way to stop it.

Brut.

05/26/2019 12:00 PMupdated: 06/17/2019 2:59 PM
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16 comments

  • Laura O.
    02/10/2020 17:59

    Heartbreaking and Evil!

  • Janet W.
    02/10/2020 03:15

    I’m proud of you.

  • Darius T.
    02/09/2020 21:44

    Moral of the story. Don't be a hoe and goto boys houses. When you're married, cool.

  • OffBeat M.
    10/31/2019 20:02

    Crazy Piece!! New article up on our page following New Orleans street artist B-Mike. He has some real thought-provoking stuff

  • Elisa H.
    06/02/2019 00:03

    Smart women

  • Janie H.
    05/31/2019 20:26

    She lost me with her "isms".

  • Kathryn B.
    05/31/2019 13:31

    Millions 😭

  • Yvonne A.
    05/30/2019 16:46

    Omg thx

  • Kristina B.
    05/30/2019 11:56

    White girls are trafficked too.

  • Noreen P.
    05/30/2019 01:06

    Who are these men who provide a depraved market for children and adults to be enslaved? It is an outrage against everything decent. I find it unbearable.

  • Michelle L.
    05/28/2019 01:18

    She is incredibly brave and she’s amazing!!!

  • Meek M.
    05/27/2019 19:01

    Wow makes me want to cry

  • Brut
    05/27/2019 15:00

    This street art might look bright and happy, but take a closer look. One of New York's largest-ever murals brings attention to child labor.

  • Street A.
    05/27/2019 11:37

    Thank you Brut for covering and sharing this great video of Melanie and her mural 🙏❤

  • Ann K.
    05/27/2019 01:48

    Marvelous. Art and social activism go together.

  • Salema D.
    05/26/2019 18:49

    She is beautiful and I so glad she made it out so her voice can be used to fight against these terrible crimes and to save lives.