Written by Melissa Holland and Laila Mickelwait Forty-eight years ago prostitution was legalized in Nevada and as a result, Nevada has developed into a breeding ground for sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. In fact, Nevada has the highest rate of prostitution in the country—its illegal sex trade is 63% higher than the next highest state. It…
DetailsArticle One: A Simple Breakdown of the Jeffrey Epstein Case By Shontell Brewer In a recent interview with Yasmin Vafa of Rights4Girls, interviewer Lisa Desjardins of PBS NewsHour posed a thought. “I’m wondering how much of this is in plain sight, the problem of child trafficking. How much of this is a cultural kind of…
DetailsBy Shontell Brewer Your Words Could Bring An End To Sex Trafficking, Or Perpetuate It One of the simplest ways we can prevent child sex trafficking is held in the power of our tongue. Every day, we can be listening deeper to the words we use and the misconceptions we perpetuate that we’ve brought…
DetailsAs the school year has come to an end, Awaken has said goodbye to six of our spring interns and welcomed four new summer interns! These students are a vital part of the Awaken team, and every semester it’s tough to say goodbye. Both staff and clients become close to them. During the spring semester,…
DetailsAwaken is excited to have guest blogger, Shontell Brewer, join us this month. Shontell is a speaker, teacher, and part of Awaken’s prevention team. To view more of her writings, listen to her podcast, or book her as a speaker for your next event, check out her website. I asked my 5thgraders if they’ve ever…
DetailsRebekah Charleston, a friend and ally of Awaken was once sex trafficked into Nevada’s legal brothels. Last week, Rebekah filed suit against Nevada seeking repeal of its prostitution laws on constitutional grounds, as well as relief for all individuals sexually exploited or trafficked as a result of legal prostitution in Nevada. For those who attended Awaken’s Banquet…
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