By Kai Ma
It was a typical day at Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, a pedestrian strip in Southern California known for its shops, dense foot traffic and stones-throw proximity to the Pacific Ocean. That is, until more than 130 people froze in their tracks.
For five minutes, people remained motionless — some standing, leaning to tie their shoes, or holding cell phones to their ears. As tourists and locals watched, both amused and perplexed, activist Charles Lee walked through the street with a baby stroller, acting as the group’s cue to thaw out. The formerly frozen bodies then handed flyers to the closest bystanders.
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The purpose? To raise awareness of the 800,000 slaves who are trafficked across international borders each year.
This freeze was led by JustOne (www.just4one.org), a progressive non-profit organization founded by Lee and Greg Russinger to address the issues of poverty, orphans and human trafficking. The headquarters are based in Portland, Ore., but Lee works out of Torrance, Calif., where he lives with his wife and two children.
As a $9.5 billion industry, human trafficking, also known as the modern practice of slavery, is tied with arms dealing as the second largest criminal enterprise in the world (the largest being drugs). An estimated 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year, according to the Department of State.
“[Slaves] are physically, sexually, and mentally broken down, and they end up in farms and brothels and businesses across the country,” says Lee, 36. “Girls are being trafficked from Vermont to New York City, and there was a huge trafficking bust in Kansas City. Even places like [Los Angeles’] Koreatown rely on people in forced servitude.”
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A freeze is not your typical demonstration or rally, which is exactly why it appealed to Lee. “Instead of us protesting, we wanted to bring creative awareness to these issues without being obnoxious,” he says. “It’s safe and fun, and draws attention.”
After its first freeze, JustOne facilitated another in June at Downtown Disney, an outdoor shopping complex in Anaheim, Calif. Future freezes are being scheduled in Glendale, Calif., Portland and Seattle.
These public standstills are the brainchild of Improv Everywhere, the New York City prank-oriented theatrical troupe that executed a widely-publicized freeze in Grand Central Station, one of the most bustling terminals in the country. Inspired, Lee asked the group if he could borrow their idea, but add a twist. “At the end of our freeze, everybody would have one, or a maximum of two flyers that direct people to a website that addresses a social issue,” says Lee. “I like the idea because you can’t really get arrested for freezing. We’ve started some great conversations, and I’m hoping that [onlookers] will remember that slavery still exists.”
To get involved in a project or to view videos of past freezes, visit www.thefreezeproject.com.
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Other JustOne Initiatives
A Trashcan Can Make a Difference
This collaborative redistribution project uses trashcans to collect new goods for those in need. After picking a local non-profit with a “wish list,” participants spend a month filling a trashcan with requested items, then personally deliver it to the organization.
Sex and Chocolate
Using film, story and dialogue, this campaign raises awareness of the slavery that exists within the sex industry and on cocoa farms.
The Laundry Love Project
At self-service laundry mats in 25 American cities, this project assists people living below the poverty line who need to clean their clothes. At the time of this writing, LLP has paid for 13,000 loads of laundry.
