Spreading Awareness about Human Trafficking

Gochman leading a Skype workshop on Unity Day

Gochman fills a sidewalk crack.

Molly Gochman ’96 read an article about human trafficking that cited alarming statistics: estimates say nearly 36 million people worldwide are currently living in some form of slavery, be it sex slavery or labor slavery, with 60,000 of them in the U.S. Children account for 26 percent of today’s slaves. Gochman is a New York-based activist and artist. She came up with the Red Sand Project to raise awareness about human trafficking. This participatory public artwork asks people to fill in cracks in local sidewalks with red sand. The red lines of sand are a metaphor for the millions of trafficked people who “fall through the cracks.” Gochman sends out Red Sand Project toolkits free for the asking, along with fact sheets about human trafficking.

More than 25,000 people from all 50 states and countries around the world have participated in the project, creating their own activist artworks.

Fountain Valley School Participates On Unity Day, Fountain Valley School’s annual diversity celebration, Gochman led two workshops via Skype. She educated students on human trafficking and fielded many questions. The students each had their own Red Sand Project toolkit and filled in sidewalk and pavement cracks throughout campus. A local Colorado Springs television station took interest and ran a story about Gochman and Fountain Valley School’s involvement in the project.

Students filled cracks throughout campus. The red sand has withstood snowfall, wind and rain. 39