Ep. 41 - Human Trafficking & the Black Body ft. Sophie Elizabeth James

BrownTown invites Sophie Elizabeth James to drop knowledge on the
state of human trafficking in the real world, in academia, and in
popular culture. The team breaks down dominant narrative tropes
and misconceptions, trauma care, carceral feminism, and the
human-trafficking research-funding-institutional model that
further upholds white supremacy at the stake of the Black, often
female, body.


Sophie shares how she came to formally study HT and the journey
that got her to the "raging Black feminist" point she is now.
With that, the gang takes to academia and the issues within both
the unrepresentative, non-contextual, and just plain old
statistics around HT (see Polaris Project) as well as the
privileged players who are conducting much of the research. As
BrownTown learns more about the world of HT in all its
complexities, nuances, and problems (from that fact that exists
to the institutions that are supposed to abolish it), the gang
contextualizes how all the -isms compound the trauma for those
already marginalized and how the Black body is, once again,
disregarded (see Cheryl Nelson-Butler's "The Racial Roots of
Human Trafficking" and 1910 "White Slavery Act"). From
problematic language in HT discourse to high-profile cases to
even labor trafficking and US visa policy, we see a
disproportionate relationship between victims that are more
visible and the bodies most affected.


Sophie and BrownTown eventually followed the money and discuss
the connections between the non-profit industrial complex,
funding anti-human trafficking work, and the dominant narrative,
frequently co-opting #MeToo for the gain of carceral feminists.
Sophie makes it clear that authenticity, true allyship, and
leaning into the discomfort that we all experience is necessary
for us to change these systems we so often antagonize. The team
take on a  serious topic in stride while enjoying each
others' company for the first time ending on the very important
conclusions that Netflix is cheaper than therapy (for now) and
David's grandma is the realest.


 


GUEST
Sophie James is a Master of Arts candidate in the department of
Sociology at the University of South Florida. In her academic
research, she examines trends in human trafficking and critically
analyzes how systems create and combat sexual exploitation,
specifically the onus that is placed on survivors to navigate aid
and resources. Her other research interests include gendered
violence, immigration, human rights discourse, and critical race
theory.


She is a research assistant on several evaluative projects based
in south Florida that monitor how well commercially sexually
exploited youth’s needs are met by anti-trafficking service
providers and the child welfare system. Her classical training in
academia and lived experiences as a trauma survivor guides her
commitment to advocate for equity so there are no barriers in a
survivor’s journey to healing. Follow Sophie on Instagram!


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CREDITS: Intro/outro music by Fiendsh. Audio
engineered by Genta Tamashiro featuring Justin G Zullo. Episode
art and Bourbon 'n BrownTown logo by Desirae Gladden.


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