""Human trafficking prevention is an important reproductive justice issue and a shared community responsibility," said LJ, a 17-year-old high school senior."
""Our young people are advocating for policy and systems change to put an end to sex trafficking in Oakland and to make our community safer for all of us," she said."
""Sex trafficking is a public health issue, and in Oakland, it's a Black girl health issue," Mays said."
The town hall occurred at Dream Youth Clinic near Jack London Square with roughly 40 community members and local leaders, including Mayor Barbara Lee, Department of Violence Prevention Chief Holly Joshi, Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, and Councilmember Charlene Wang. Young people, predominantly Black girls and women, shared experiences with sex trafficking and proposed solutions centered on reproductive justice, policy change, and survivor-centered supports. Dream Youth Clinic founder Dr. Aisha Mays emphasized youth advocacy for systemic change. Alameda County records show Black people comprise 61% of trafficking victims, Latino 15%, white 12%, and over half of survivors had been foster youth. Commercial sexual exploitation remains widely underreported.
Read at The Oaklandside
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]