Historians Against Slavery would like to share this press release, submitted to us by Hilary Malson, with our supporters.

For Immediate Release: June 18, 2014
Contact: Hilary Malson
202-829-0436 x31228
hmalson at savingplaces dot org

Teenagers Fight Human Trafficking at Students Opposing Slavery Summit

High school students from eight countries will convene at President Lincoln’s Cottage June 23-27 for the second annual Students Opposing Slavery International Summit.

Washington, D.C. – Thirty teenagers from five states and eight countries will unite at President Lincoln’s Cottage, the "Cradle of the Emancipation Proclamation," for the second annual Students Opposing Slavery (SOS) International Summit. SOS, a youth engagement program at President Lincoln’s Cottage, is a student-led initiative dedicated to continuing Lincoln’s fight for freedom by raising awareness about human trafficking within a high-risk population – teenagers. At the Summit, this new generation of abolitionists will gain the resources and training to take action against modern slavery. The Summit is from June 23-27 at President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington, DC. More information is available at http://www.studentsopposingslavery.org/summit.

Representatives from international organizations fighting trafficking, including Polaris Project, MTV EXIT, International Justice Mission, Fair Girls, and Good Weave, will be joined at President Lincoln’s Cottage by government officials from the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Fairfax County Police Department, and the FBI for workshops throughout the week-long Summit. At the Cottage, where Lincoln developed the Emancipation Proclamation and galvanized a nation for the cause of freedom 152 years ago, Summit participants will learn about this global humanitarian crisis and develop campaigns to raise awareness about trafficking in their home communities. Participants of last year’s inaugural Summit launched seven SOS chapters at high schools across the nation, hosted film screenings and assemblies to educate their classmates about modern slavery, and raised thousands of dollars for anti-trafficking organizations.

"We are excited to bring students from around the world here for the second SOS International Summit," said Erin Carlson Mast, Executive Director of President Lincoln’s Cottage. "Lincoln’s ideas and policies on slavery and emancipation were challenged and nurtured in this place, making it the ideal setting for supporting these students as they take on the fight to end slavery, continuing the work that Lincoln started here over 150 years ago."

President Lincoln’s Cottage, the "Cradle of the Emancipation Proclamation," is located on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, DC. While living here for more than a quarter of his presidency, Abraham Lincoln bonded with soldiers and veterans, made crucial decisions about the Civil War, and, most notably, developed the Emancipation Proclamation his first summer in residence. His daily commute put him in regular contact with wounded soldiers and self-emancipated men, women, and children. Today, the site offers an intimate, never-before-seen view of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and private life, and new perspectives on the influential ideas Lincoln developed while living here. Hours of operation: The Robert H. Smith Visitor Education Center is open 9:30am-4:30pm Monday-Saturday and 10:30am-4:30pm Sunday. Cottage tours on the hour, 7 days a week. For more information on President Lincoln’s Cottage, visit http://www.lincolncottage.org/ or call 202-829-0436.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately-funded non-profit organization, works to save America’s historic places. President Lincoln’s Cottage is a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit: http://www.preservationnation.org.

To report a tip in the United States or connect with U.S. anti-trafficking services, community members can call The National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline at: 1-888-373-7888.

Hilary Malson
Marketing and Membership Coordinator
PRESIDENT LINCOLN’S COTTAGE
A Site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation