by Kim Merrikin
We’ve written about systemic oppression, inequity, and sex trafficking, and the marriage of racism and misogyny in the sex trade. We’ve written about the enormous demographic disparity we see between those who have been exploited and those who do the exploiting. And we believe that these are important pieces of information to share and understand as we seek to educate ourselves and others on racism in the sex trade. But we also know that no amount of history-telling or data-sharing quite paints the picture like words from people with lived experiences.
Around the time we issued our Black Lives Matter statement, we also reached out to some of our Black/African American clients and asked if they’d be comfortable sharing some of their experiences with us—so we can share them with you.
Below, you’ll find statements and quotes from the survivors who responded. Some responded to prompts, and some responded through conversations with REST staff members. We did a little spelling/grammar editing to ensure the clarity of the message. We did not edit phrasing or content in order to keep their real, raw words.
Question: How have you experienced racial discrimination in the sex trade?
Answer: A guy didn’t want to take a “date” with me because I was black. Made me feel upset, ashamed, and angry. Yes and no to police treating me differently because they would stop me but I wouldn’t get arrested. I have a police officer as a cousin, who taught me my rights. So I feel that since I know my rights, they don’t keep bothering me after stopping me.
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Question: How has your life been impacted by racial discrimination?
Answer: It made me more aware of different views of people. More cautious of my surroundings and having to behave and act differently, because some people take it out of context— especially if they aren’t brown like us. My aggression can be misunderstood and make other [races] feel uncomfortable but that’s not how I feel or mean.
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In one conversation between a REST staff member and a survivor, the survivor went into some detail regarding her experience as a biracial woman:
“Because I am bi-race, so I don't really get accepted from both sides. I kinda am dealing with the middle side but to a lot I think I'm still colored... Like, my black friends, like people would just run up to us and just say random crap, when we were doin' shit that we weren't supposed to do but. It was just like, people would just run up on to us and just violently say things and try to threaten us. And it was just weird, it was just weird.
Now it's kinda different, as I got older, I feel like my color's more, because all this stuff is goin' on right now. I've noticed that I'm, like, in the back. I don't know where to really stand. My friend and I was having a conversation with a friend about this, she's like, "But you're not all black." And then that was just like, c'mon but we're all color... and my friend, she's from Louisiana so her background is still different.”
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Question: What are some of the issues you face as a Black/African American individual in the sex trade, that people from other racial backgrounds don't seem to experience?
Answer: For one, money cuts. The way that people interact or come at you. Guys would imply that I’d do “everything” for just $20, like no!
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Question: What do you want squares (people outside of the sex trade) to know about your experience as a Black/African American person in the sex trade?
Answer: That I’m just as good as them. Although I’ve been a participant in the sex trade, I do have value and aspirations.
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In one conversation between a REST staff member and a survivor who was willing to talk about her experiences, she shared she wasn’t a good person to ask about this because she had never experienced racial discrimination. She repeatedly apologized for not doing a good enough job answering our questions.
“I have not been impacted. I haven’t felt like specifically, someone treated me differently where I felt like for sure it was racially motivated. They didn't call me a n***** so I can't say for sure."
Our staff member reassured her that whatever her story is, it’s worth telling. The conversation led to this survivor telling our staff member about how her four children were taken away by Child Protective Services, and the horrific trauma they’ve experienced as a result.
“I just want to be a mother again.” she added.
It’s worth noting here that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color) individuals are more likely to have experiences with Child Protective Services, both as children and parents. One 2015 study indicated that Black children accounted for 8% of the Washington State Child Welfare System’s out of home placements—yet Washington State’s population is just 4.4% Black or African American. A 2015 report from the University of Washington indicated that Black children are nearly twice as likely to be taken in by the state’s child welfare system, affirming a 2008 study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, a government organization.
So, while this mother and survivor may not have experienced blatant and overt racism, she was certainly more likely to lose custody of her children, based on the color of her skin.
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Our focus on Black survivors’ voices is not intended to discount others’ experiences—but to raise awareness that while we know that sex trafficking impacts people of all races, ethnicities, sexualities, gender identities, and socioeconomic backgrounds—we also know that there are certain factors that make an individual more vulnerable to traffickers and sexual exploitation. Some of these factors include childhood abuse, extreme poverty, and the color of one’s skin. If you want to learn more about the racial disparities we see in the sex trade, we recommend starting with the links in the first paragraph of this blog.