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Chappaqua Historian’sTale of Modern Day SlaveryAims to Break through “Blissful Oblivion”BY MICHAEL KOHNWhen one thinks of slaveryin the United States today,the image of the modern wageslavecomes to mind. In hisstunning book, “The Slave NextDoor,” Ron Soodalter, with coauthorKevin Bales, tells a farmore disturbing tale of presentdayslavery in America. Yes, itexists, and in numbers whichare shocking.Although most people thinkthat slavery was abolished bythe 13th Amendment to theConstitution, according toSoodalter, “there has never been one single day on ourshores when we haven’t had slavery.” Sexual coercionand exploitation is the largest component of thistragedy, but domestic and agricultural workers, especiallythose from foreign countries, are highly susceptible tobeing caught in the web of slavery.Whereas slavery was once legal and a symbol of one’sstatus, today it is a hidden crime which crosses allracial, ethnic and gender boundaries. Soodalter saysthat “we live in a state of blissful oblivion.” “To theextent we are aware,” he continues, “we think of it interms of sexual exploitation.” Unfortunately, slavery iseverywhere, in every state of the union, and exists whereverthere is an opportunity—in construction, factories,on farms and even in your neighbor’s home. “SouthFlorida is ground zero for slavery.” Guest workers whocome to pick crops are often brutalized by companieswho contract them out as field hands, stripped of theirvisas and forced to live in squalid labor camps. In fact,the woeful lack of oversight of the Guest WorkerProgram in this country is a major factor in the proliferationof this problem.Soodalter lives in Chappaqua with his wife, Jane, anddaughters, Jesse and Melora. A historian, folklorist andlecturer, he became interested in the subject after writing“Hanging Captain Gordon: The Life and trial of anAmerican Slaver Trader.” The last chapter of that bookwas an expose of modern slavery. He contacted hisfriend Kevin Bales, president of an organization inWashington, D. C. called “Free the Slaves,” and this bookis the result of their detailed research.Together with discussing the nature of the problem,Soodalter also recounts many horrific personal tales ofpeople who have been enslaved in this country. Hehopes that the outrage you should feel by what you readwill lead to greater awareness of this problem andencourage you to take action by demanding changesfrom our political leaders.Slavery in America is extremely brutal. Physical andpsychological means are used to subjugate thousands ofvictims. If you suspect a case of slavery, you can contactthe authorities, “Free The Slaves,” www.freetheslaves.net orRon Soodalter, who can provide assistance. Contact himat ron@ronsoodalter.com or call 238-8506. Or meet Ron ata Chappaqua Library book signing, November 10, 7:30 pm.For more info, go to www.ronsoodalter.com.MICHAEL KOHN is an IC contributing editor.Excerpt from Ron Soodalter’s“Homegrown Slaves”Not all slavery in America involves undocumentedimmigrants. Some victims are born and raised in theUnited States, and find themselves pressed into slaveryby deception or sheer violence. In January 2003, aterrified seventeen-year-old girl ran into a store in asuburban mall in Detroit and grabbed a securityguard. She pleaded with him for help, as a group ofmen and women burst into the store pursuing her.Seeing that the girl was shaking and bruised, theguard stood up to the thugs and threw them out ofthe store. Once he had her safe, he called the police,and the girl told her story.The teenager explained to authorities that a man anda woman had abducted her months before while shewas waiting at a bus stop in downtown Cleveland,Ohio. Her captors drove her to Detroit, where she washeld in a house with other female captives and forcedto have sex with male visitors. The captives were neverleft alone, but were escorted around the house, even tothe bathroom. An older woman kept the younger onesin line by threatening and sometimes beating them.Each day the girls were given a new assignment. Somewould go to malls in the metro Detroit area to sell jewelryand trinkets; others would be forced to dance andstrip for private parties and to perform sex acts.The girls’ captors “did that punishment-reward thing,”a police investigator said. “They would get their nailsand hair done. If they stepped out of line, they got beatdown. Some of the senior women acted as enforcers.”One day, on a trip to the mall with several others, thegirl managed to escape. After the security guardContinued on next page20 Inside Chappaqua November 2009