Mobile Exhibit Exposes Modern-Day Slavery

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Learn about the history and evolution of slavery in Florida’s fields at a special exhibit – developed by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers – on display today at the Church of the Pilgrims near Dupont Circle. “A century and a half after the Civil War, forms of slavery continue to exist in the world, including in the United States,” says Dr. Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor of History, Columbia University. “This Mobile Museum brings to light this modern tragedy and should inspire us to take action against it.” The exhibit features multimedia displays on chattel slavery, convict-lease, sharecropping and debt peonage and includes a cargo truck outfitted as replica of a vehicle used to enslave Florida tomato pickers in a brutal case prosecuted by the US Department of Justice (US vs. Navarrete, 2008). “Labor and human rights activists from all walks of life should visit this informative, interactive and truly inspiring exhibit,” adds DC Jobs with Justice. Click here for more information. - photo by Fritz Myer