Seeing red sand filling the cracks of sidewalks in your city might make you feel a bit, uneasy because it has a strong resemblance of blood running through the streets. This sand, however, is part of a movement that everybody needs to take notice of, the "Red Sand Project".

The Red Sand Project was started by Molly Gochman in 2014 to bring attention to human trafficking. This blood colored sand is used to fill in the cracks of sidewalks to resemble the 40.3 million people who have slipped through the cracks and are now living as modern day slaves. Refugees, immigrants, LGBTQ+, people of color, indigenous people, people who suffer from disabilities, woman, and children are all at an advanced risk for being trafficked. The red sand makes pedestrians notice that they cannot merely "walk over" the most marginalized people in their community; those who have unfortunately fallen through the cracks.

Anybody and everybody can participate in this project by simply placing red sand in the cracks of the sidewalk in their hometown. If you would like a large amount of sand for a group, organization, or conference visit https://participate.redsandproject.org/act/ and select the package that fits your needs. Also on Red Sand Project's website, you will find ways to contact your local representative about the growing issue of human trafficking; as well as ways to start a conversation within your community about these issues. You may think that an act as devious as human trafficking could never happen in your community but we live in a world of uncertainty so everybody needs to be informed on the issue at hand, start the conversation today.

If you suspect human trafficking in your area please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center 888-373-7888