How many slaves work for you?

In 2006, Anne Farrow, Joel Lang and Jennifer Frank of The Hartford Courant published the book Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery. Based on a 2002 Courant and Northeast Magazine special titled "Complicity: How Connecticut Chained Itself to Slavery," the book

"reveals the cruel truth about the Triangle Trade of molasses, rum, and slaves that lucratively linked the North to the West Indies and Africa; discloses the reality of Northern empires built on profits from rum, cotton, and ivory–and run, in some cases, by abolitionists; and exposes the thousand-acre plantations that existed in towns such as Salem, Connecticut." 

Both pieces were based on the word "complicity," which they defined as "the fact or state of being an accomplice; partnership in wrongdoing;" their work was meant to explain the North's complicit involvement in slavery. Although 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, and the anniversaries of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments are on the horizon, slavery still exists today. In fact, according to many estimates and studies, there are more people enslaved today than at any other time in human history (for more information, visit www. FreeTheSlaves.net). But are we still as complicit?

The folks at SlaveryFootprint.org might argue that yes, we are indeed. Their online quiz "How many slaves work for you?" estimates that at least 27 million people are enslave worldwide and through questions about residence,  lifestyle, eating habits, leisure, and more, calculates and exposes how many slaves "work for you." Take the quiz and find out - you'll be shocked at how complicit we all are in modern day slavery.

The quiz concludes with ways you can help end slavery - it's proof that we do not have to be complicit and can help change this incredible injustice.

How many slaves work for you? How will you take action to help end modern day slavery? We encourage you to share your thoughts in the Comments section below.