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Human slavery is an institution that has taken many insidious forms throughout world history. American chattel slavery was abolished in 1865. France abolished slavery domestically in 1794. Russia abolished serfdom in 1861. In 2018, the US state of Colorado abolished slavery as a consequence of imprisonment. What we see from the history of slavery is that even when it is legally abolished, its practice can easily navigate to new legal and economic conditions.
Such is the case in our modern world. All People Free is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the mission of eliminating slavery in all of its forms. Right now, more than 20 million adults and children are enslaved in the brickyards of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. All People Free focuses their efforts on the country of Pakistan, where brickyard owners use housing debt, low wages, and generational debt as a means of keeping their workers enslaved. While the conditions in the brickyards are different than those associated with American chattel slavery, the human plight demonstrates that slavery persists today. So when was slavery abolished? It never was. Thankfully, you can get involved to help these people escape slavery. All People Free addresses the problem of modern slavery in three ways:
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