Tampa-Based Human Rights Activist Helps Protect Youth from Human Trafficking

Fighting human trafficking by helping at-risk youth increase their self-respect and awareness of human rights

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and Florida is the third-busiest hub for child sex trafficking in the United States. Just this month, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department saved 28 victims and arrested 123 people with human trafficking or trafficking-related charges. Tampa-based activist Christopher King, United for Human Rights Florida Executive Director and Founder of the nonprofit The Gentlemen’s Course works to protect youth from being trafficked. How he came to take on this mission is documented in an episode of Voices for Humanity on the Scientology Network. 

 

“Human trafficking is real,” says King. “We’re talking about kids being sold, traded—against their own will. No one should be a slave and no one has the right to enslave anyone. Human traffickers—they’re in the schools, they’re on social media. They’re getting the kids on their platform, so we might as well attack them on the same ground.”

King, a fashion designer, U.S. Marine veteran and the grandson of blues legend BB King, founded the nonprofit The Gentlemen’s Course after learning about Youth for Human Rights, the youth component of United for Human Rights. 

The Gentlemen’s Course teaches etiquette, human rights and human trafficking awareness to at-risk youth: How youth are lured into trafficking by promises of gifts, often by kids their own age. King uses the human rights education materials of Youth for Human Rights to help kids examine their attitudes toward others and build self-respect. He inspires them to create future goals and provides them with tools to achieve them.

Youth for Human Rights International materials help people of all ages understand the 30 rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Creating a world where human rights are known and protected starts with effective educational programs that reach across all cultural and geographic boundaries.

Inspired by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s words that “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream,” the Church of Scientology and Scientologists support Youth for Human Rights and make its educational materials available free of charge. 

Voices for Humanity is an original series featuring change-makers of all faiths, cultures, and nations as they extend help to their communities through Scientology-sponsored humanitarian programs.

Since launching with a special episode featuring Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige, Scientology Network has been viewed in 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages. Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church’s global media center in Los Angeles, the Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320 and can be streamed on Scientology.tv, mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.