The Red Sand Project, launched in 2014, is an annual event designed to raise awareness of the problem of human trafficking. Bedford County Mayor Chad Graham participated in in an observance on Wednesday, July 26, with a proclamation recognizing July 23-29 as Human Trafficking Awareness Week. Red sand was poured by volunteers into sidewalk cracks on the west lawn of the courthouse.

While many people think of human trafficking based on images from pop culture of people being whisked away to or from foreign countries, human trafficking can be a local problem even in a community like Shelbyville, where people are manipulated into doing sex work. An estimated 40.3 million individuals live in slavery, whether in forced marriages, forced labor or sexual exploitation. The Red Sand Project uses red sand, placed in sidewalk cracks, as a way of drawing attention to the issue. Tennessee Department of Health, which includes Bedford County Health Department, promotes Red Sand Project observances statewide.

Contact the Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline at 855-558-6484, if you know someone who needs help to escape trafficking. The National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888, or text 233722, can also provide information on local community resources.

For more information on human trafficking visit https://humantraffickinghotline.org.