President Signs Frederick Douglass Act Into Law Underscores the Importance of Prevention

(December 28, 2018, Atlanta, GA) Today, President Trump signed the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act. This bill is the fifth reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 with previous versions passed in 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2013. The Frederick Douglass Act, however, is the first to highlight the increasing relevance of prevention in the fight to end human trafficking by including the strategy within the legislation’s title. “Unless we reduce the vulnerability of children to this crime, the number of new victims will continue to rise,” said Ashlie Bryant, Co-Founder, CEO & President 3Strands Global Foundation. “In this bill, human trafficking prevention education is recognized as a critical asset to our anti-trafficking efforts.” Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass and President of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives reflects, “If my great ancestor were here today, I believe he would be driven to lead the struggle against contemporary forms of slavery. My family sends a special thanks to Representative Christopher Smith from New Jersey, the U.S. Congress and the President for permitting the Douglass legacy to do just that.” Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives (FDFI) is an Abolitionist organization co-founded by direct descendants of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. Our mission: To Advance Freedom through Knowledge and Strategic Action. FDFI has been a leader in implementing human trafficking prevention education curricula in classrooms nationally since 2007. To learn more about human trafficking prevention education, go to www.PROTECTnow.org or go to www.FDFI.org.