October 18, 2007

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American Anti-Slavery Activist, Simon Deng,
will Speak at Ramapo College

(Mahwah) - Simon Deng, who grew up in a peaceful farming community in southern Sudan, but whose childhood was filled with fear of Arab militia raids, will give a presentation about his experiences at Ramapo College of New Jersey Thursday, November 8 at 5 p.m. in the Alumni Lounges located in the Robert A. Scott Student Center.  The event is free and open the public; no reservations are required.

When Deng was nine, the Arab militia did, indeed, storm his village, killing the men and livestock, and burning the already sparse farming land.  Although the boy survived the destruction, he was abducted a year later to serve as a slave in northern Sudan.  He was beaten, forced to sleep on straw and given scraps of food to eat until he escaped two years later.

Deng’s experiences with slavery inspired him to become a fierce advocate for abolition.  He became a messenger in the Sudanese Parliament and, later, a national swimming champion.  Today, in addition to working as a lifeguard on Coney Island, Deng speaks across the nation as an associate of the American Anti-Slavery Group.

“I thought I could forgive and forget,” Deng has said.  “But villages are still being burnt, women are still being raped, and people are being sold into slavery.  We Americans must act and act now.”

The American Anti-Slavery Group (AASG) is a nonprofit organization that works with former victims of human trafficking to abolish modern-day slavery, focusing primarily on systems of chattel slavery in Sudan and Mauritania.
           
The presentation will be sponsored by the Black Solidarity Week Committee, the Black Student Union and Diversity Education Programs.  For more information, contact Cherrymae Aromas, acting assistant director of Student Activities and the Women's Center and Diversity Education Programs, 201.684.7136 or caromas@ramapo.edu.  

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