On Thursday, February 6th, at 6:00 pm in the Campus Union Ballroom, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Gamma Phi Chapter along with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Delta Kappa Chapter at Alcorn State University (ASU) hosted a Human Trafficking Forum for “Pham Week”.
The Human Trafficking Forum discussed and addressed the problems of human trafficking in our society, and it gave students a plethora of information regarding the topic and added tips on how to be aware of situations occurring around them. One of the guest speakers for the forum was Cherish McCallum, a Clinical Social Worker and Trauma Therapist who is the Executive Director of Natchez Children’s Services. McCallum informed the audience about the intricacies of her job and gave insightful information on how to not be a victim of sex trafficking and how to help those that are in that situation.
Another guest speaker at the event was Ricky Purvis, a former Police Commander in the Jackson Police Department and former officer in the United States Navy. He discussed and demonstrated preventive measures on how to stay safe and be aware of your surroundings. Throughout the event, Purvis showed various demonstrations of protective tactics on how to prevent kidnappings and certain dangers from occurring. Justice Edwards, a Senior Sports Management major from Houston, Texas gave feedback for the event stating, “This event was very informative. I am always by myself, so getting information on the signs of what to look for were really helpful. I learned different techniques on what to do in case I was ever in a dangerous situation.’’
Aralyne Johnson, a Senior Biology Pre-Med major and member of Gamma Phi Chapter from Redfield, Arkansas, stated, “The event taught us the importance of being safe wherever we are. I’m so glad that this forum had a good turnout so females and males could know what to do.”
In closing, both organizations gave tokens of appreciation to both Purvis and McCallum for coming to ASU and informing the students of positive and effective strategies on how to prevent and stop human trafficking.