Let's Talk Human Rights

By Ahmi Moore, Mercy John, Sofia Zunt, and Aries Lex

Abolition Ohio: Visit to the Ohio Statehouse

On November 16, 2022, HRC and Abolition Ohio students traveled to Columbus to lobby at the statehouse for the passing of Senate Bill 183 and House Bill 319, both of which are crucial for progress and reform in the criminal and legal system for survivors of human trafficking. Multiple students describe this experience as “eye-opening” and “unforgettable.” Students had the chance to speak directly with senators and representatives and express their support for these bills. 

Under the current law in Ohio, victims of human trafficking have conviction records for the crimes they may have committed while being a victim of human trafficking. This taints their records permanently because of circumstances that were out of their control. Senate Bill 183 and House Bill 319 would provide victims with opportunities to erase their conviction records of offenses through a process for victims to apply for the erasure of records and a hearing. If an expungement order is granted, the records would be erased, and records would not be allowed to be used for any purpose, including criminal record checks. SB 183 and HB 319 would help change the system permanently and make arrests less frequent. In the long run, this legislation could make arresting victims stop completely. 

While present in the Statehouse, students listened to stories of survivors. Erin Grealis explains how “through the voices of survivors, we have seen firsthand how the current legislation affects the lives of victims.” Having a criminal record creates immense challenges when trying to obtain employment, housing, education, credit, custody, and loans, which are crucial for a survivor's ability to rebuild their life. This makes survivor’s reentry into society more difficult and potentially discourages them completely. Survivors deserve to rebuild their lives without additional challenges, and the opportunity to build a high-quality life and thrive. Aries felt that “hearing experiences from survivors of human trafficking put into perspective just how harmful the inability to clear one’s record and have a fresh start in life is.”

The passing of SB 183 and HB 319 is long overdue. Aidan Mornhinweg explains how “had these bills been passed years ago, survivors of human traffickings, such as Barbara Freeman, founder of the recent Freeman Project (a non-profit organization), wouldn’t have had to struggle so much in the job market or many personal parts of her life, had the stigma of certain criminal charges not been unfairly pressed upon her.” People with any kind of criminal record are typically stigmatized in society and usually do not get a chance to explain themselves when trying to get a job, housing, loan, etc.

Traveling to the Statehouse to advocate for SB 183 and HB 319 was a meaningful experience. Sarah Naughton expressed that “The only path to change is through the activism and lobbying that not only the HRC here at UD does, but with lawmakers listening to the people to give victims back their lives…”

Pittsburgh: How UN frameworks can be applied on a local level

As part of the HRC’s engagement with the U.S. Human Rights Cities Alliance, student interns - Mercy and Ahmi - traveled to the University of Pittsburgh to participate in a two-day discussion with Justin Hansford, Professor of Law at Howard University and Executive Director of the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center, and a member of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent about how human rights can be implemented on a local level. 

Following the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Prof. Hansford helped family members bring their appeal for justice to the UN’s Committee Against Torture in Genève, Switzerland. The UN recognized Michael Brown’s story as a violation of human rights - one that the United States government is responsible for. Ideally, the negative attention brought by this injustice - and those like it- will compel our leaders to confront domestic human rights violations including the abuse endured by the African American community.

Mercy: I found the trip to be engaging, eye opening, and transformative. On Friday, we went to the University of Pittsburgh where a conversation was hosted with Dr. Justin Hansford, Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Representative, on using the human rights framework for racial justice. Other panelists included Dr. Rashad William, Assistant Professor of Race and Social Justice in Public Policy at the University of Pittsburgh, Tiffany Williams Roberts, and Randall Taylor, Penn Plaza Support and Action Coalition and Pitt World History Center Community Fellow. The discussion was insightful as each panelist gave their statement on how the human rights framework can be applied to a local level through holding elected officials accountable and using the ‘naming and shaming’ tactic. Listening to what Professor Hansford said was even more fascinating seeing as the previous semester in Dr. Pruce’s class we had discussed him and his work with Michael Brown’s family on a global scale. It put the class material into perspective as I now met the individual I had studied.

Our journey continued Saturday as we participated in a more intimate conversation with local leaders and community partners to discuss a plethora of issues plaguing Pittsburgh’s Black community and devised solutions. I was a part of the education group that focuses on Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) and the issues surrounding education in the Black community. I found this group to be especially enriching as both of my parents are educators. It was interesting yet disturbing to hear how problems in PPS were similar to those in my parent’s school district. What I liked about Saturday was that they encouraged younger people to talk and provide suggestions in each group. While I was in a group with education professionals, my opinion and thoughts were frequently asked as the purpose of the small groups was to include the younger generation in the discussion. Specifically for education, I think often educators or adults in the field neglect to invite the opinions of students regarding problems that, at the end of the day, affect them. I brought this up in the discussion. There were several instances in high school when I would present issues to faculty or teachers and it would either be brushed off or they would promise to bring it up in the next faculty meeting. There needs to be inclusion of students and youth in the discussion of education because no one knows the student body better than the students themselves.

All in all, I enjoyed the experience. It was refreshing to go to another community, discuss its issues, and see how possible solutions that could be implemented there could also be implemented back home.

Ahmi: I found the trip to be eye opening and engaging. Our trip began with a talk hosted by the University of Pittsburgh surrounding human rights frameworks and how the present mode of these frameworks are applicable to racial justice. The panelists all gave nuanced accounts of how racial justice fits into human rights frameworks from a local to global level. Our journey then took us to a more intimate setting with locals, where we were able to engage in dialogue on issues ranging from education to the housing crisis. Overall, the events that we attended were enlightening, radical, and grave cross-cultural and inter-generational perspectives. From international experts to local Pittsburgh activists and high school students, I was able to experience how other people are attempting to cultivate a human rights city, and how some of their tactics could even be applied to our journey to making Dayton a Human Rights City. All in all, the trip to Pittsburgh was one for the books.

Columbus: LGBTQ experiences at Catholic Universities

The Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference (MBLGTACC) is America’s largest and longest continuously-held conference for queer and trans+ college students, HRC student intern Aries attended the 2022 30th conference in Columbus and reflects on his experiences.On Saturday, I attended a workshop on LGBTQ+ experiences at Catholic universities, and how to move forward with an intersectional, queer activism lens. This opened my eyes to how the University of Dayton (UD) is collaborating with the LGBTQ+ organizations on campus and how they can improve moving forward. Reinforcing my own experience, I learned there are many reasons why a queer student may attend a Catholic university, including familiarity, location, size, and aid. For me, I was raised Catholic and became friends with predominantly Catholic or Christian people, and the aid I received was incredibly beneficial. 

Hannah Reikowsky, Sexuality & Gender Inclusion Program Assistant at the College of Wooster, described her experience growing up in a Catholic household, attending Catholic and public schools during her childhood, and her time attending a Catholic university. Reikowsky spoke about four key factors she considered important for queer students who are facing resistance from university administrators or feeling unheard to get what they need. They are open dialogue, on-campus support/resources, preparation for after college, and the intersectionality of faith and being queer. Open dialogue means allowing students and faculty to speak from their point of view openly. I find that UD does this well, as we have multiple LGBTQ+ organizations and spaces. Having on-campus support/resources is huge for this community, and allows for full transparency between students and staff. My view is that UD also does this well for the same reason as open dialogue, as a lack of resources can cause a toxic environment that will impact a student’s education. Where I believe UD falls short is preparing queer students for life after college and the intersectionality of faith and being queer.

As a freshman, I haven’t had much, if any, experience with UD’s preparation of students for after graduation, particularly in the workplace. Most students are not involved in the discussion of gender history in the workplace and do have access to training regarding the topic. I would like to see UD speak about this, whether via a dialogue or a general discussion, as it would help prepare all students to enter today’s workforce after college. 

On the other hand, I have experienced the intersectionality of faith and being queer both on and off campus. I was raised Catholic, went through the public school system with predominantly Christian peers, and wasn’t aware of the LGBTQ+ community until 8th grade. I hadn’t questioned my gender or sexuality until then. I hadn’t known there were other options beyond being cisgender and straight, and the more research I did, the more I understood myself. How I felt and my experiences as a child made sense. I wasn’t cisgender or straight; I never had been. However, interacting with religious people kept me in the closet until senior year. I had heard and seen the ways most Christians react to queer people with views ranging from “being gay is not natural” to “you are welcome, but your way of life is not.” The existence of religiously motivated hate crimes against queer individuals and groups said plenty about their opinions, and having to risk losing everything –including my life– for the sake of just being myself terrified me. By senior year, I had left the church for unrelated reasons but these reactions since have kept me away. 

During my first semester on campus, I’ve learned that faith and queer sexuality can co-exist. You can be queer and still be religious, or have religious friends that accept you for being queer and not involved in religion. Your friends could be neither and still be allies. Attending this conference was an eye-opening experience, which reinforced my experience that the two can co-exist peacefully if done right. Reading President Spina’s statement regarding the incidents of LGBTQ flags being stolen from the South Ally House and the existence of several official queer clubs and student organizations on campus continues to prove this point. This support can be huge for people who experienced discrimination due to being queer. I believe it will just take time to have large-scale acceptance.

Ahmi' Moore is a junior human rights studies and english major from Xenia, Ohio. As a Human Rights Center student-intern, Ahmi' focuses on furthering anti-trafficking efforts, housing justice, and racial and gender inequality. Through this experience, she hopes to gain more knowledge that will serve her dream of starting her own nonprofit organization focused on advocacy for human trafficking victims and engaging in international NGO work . After graduating, Ahmí plans to attend graduate school to pursue a degree in International Affairs, Conflict Resolution, and Civil Society Development. 

Mercy is a junior double majoring in International Studies and Human Rights Studies with a concentration in Peace and Global Studies. She is from the Cincinnati area. Mercy is involved in the Dayton Civic Scholars cohort, MEC, and holds an executive board position within her sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. As an HRC student intern, she will engage students on campus to learn about and be involved in many human rights issues. Her interests lie in refugee resettlement, immigrant rights, community outreach, and more. Through this position, Mercy hopes to gain skills, real-world applications, and experiences for her future career in refugee resettlement and advocacy.

Sofia Zunt is a sophomore from Cleveland, Ohio. She is currently pursuing a degree in Sustainability with a concentration in Food Systems. From an early age, Sofia became interested in sustainability and human rights through school programs and history classes. She is passionate about climate justice, sustainability on campus, and food justice. As an intern for HRC, she will be starting out working with the Abolition Ohio team and is looking forward to working with other teams in the future. After graduation, Sofia hopes to pursue a career related to her love for cooking along with the sustainable development of food. 

Aries Lex is a freshman visual arts major from Buffalo, New York. He is involved in Spectrum, Christmas On Campus, and Green Dot. As a podcast, communications, and campus partnerships intern, he will work to educate and partner with other student organizations at UD to learn about and get involved in essential human rights issues. His interests lie within LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, community outreach, and so much more! Through this position, Aries hopes to gain human rights experience and research for his future career in visual arts with the artwork and flyers he creates for nonprofits, social movements, and more.