Modern Day Slavery at Hair Braiding Salons

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

Wow this is CRAZY! I copy and pasted the article from essence

A West African hair braiding salon owner has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for smuggling and forcing girls and young women from his native Togo to work in his salon with no pay, reports Black Voices. Lassissi Afolabi, 47, admitted to illegally smuggling at least 20 workers between 2002 and 2007 with the help of ex-wife Akouavi Kpade Afolabi, using fake visas and making them work as modern-day slaves in salons around Newark and East Orange, New Jersey.

The women are said to have suffered beatings, psychological torture and abuse. A judge ordered Afolabi to pay more than $3.9 million in restitution to his victims. "Ironically, from the 16th to the 18th century, when Europeans came to Africa's shores searching for slaves, Togo and the neighboring region were such hotbeds of slave trading that the area earned the nickname "The Slave Coast," writes BV's Lynette Khalfani-Cox. "Sadly, this case shows that slavery apparently remains an issue for both Togo and the United States."

Read more: http://www.essence.com/hair/hair_story/slavery_at_hair_braiding_salons.php#ixzz0tsnhhHJw

 

[tnorenberg]

Yes, this happens at some Asian nail salons also. Mainly Vietnamese. That's why I do not go to those chop chop shops.

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

^^^Wow really? That's really sad! I wonder if they get the word out, will people stop supporting these businesses......probably not many people though unfortunately.

 

[Tamster]

Yes, this happens at some Asian nail salons also. Mainly Vietnamese. That's why I do not go to those chop chop shops.

Yup. Same. I remember being in high school, and there was a super cheap Viet nail salon. Some girls would go there, but when I went to check it out, you could tell something was not right. There were like 15 girls in there, and you never paid them, you always paid the one lady at the front. They looked miserable and people said they were the same people all day (like never taking shifts)

We have to be very careful about where we spend our money.

 

[cinnespice]

yeah i belive it the shops are always runned by men who sometimes come in chill for a bit and collect money. In harlem they just stand by the train station asking if you want to get your hair braided sometimes they are on they are on the platform looking for customers. In my head I always thought of it as some weird form of hair prostitution. It sad cause these girls stand for hours doing someone's hair and they don't look like they get much for it.

 

[13StepsAhead]

I believe that. I've been to a couple of those salons and the owners sit back and collect their money while the girls do all the work.

 

[LadyPaniolo]

Yes, I have heard of this as well. The most messed up part is that these people are from the same country! Victimizing their compatriots!

 

[My Friend]

Wow. That's heart breaking I wonder what can someone do to really help those girls? If they can not make money by braiding hair, what will the "pimp" make them do for money Also, if they are turned in will immigration send them back to Africa?

 

[mscocoface]

This would explain some of the problems some have been having with braiding salons.

 

[QueenNefi]

I didn't even know this was going on. This is just plain greed. You don't prosper when you are greedy. The love of money is the root of all evil.

 

[Austro-Afrikana]

That's just disgraceful.

 

[Minty]

Wow this is CRAZY! I copy and pasted the article from essence

A West African hair braiding salon owner has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for smuggling and forcing girls and young women from his native Togo to work in his salon with no pay, reports Black Voices. Lassissi Afolabi, 47, admitted to illegally smuggling at least 20 workers between 2002 and 2007 with the help of ex-wife Akouavi Kpade Afolabi, using fake visas and making them work as modern-day slaves in salons around Newark and East Orange, New Jersey.

The women are said to have suffered beatings, psychological torture and abuse. A judge ordered Afolabi to pay more than $3.9 million in restitution to his victims. "Ironically, from the 16th to the 18th century, when Europeans came to Africa's shores searching for slaves, Togo and the neighboring region were such hotbeds of slave trading that the area earned the nickname "The Slave Coast," writes BV's Lynette Khalfani-Cox. "Sadly, this case shows that slavery apparently remains an issue for both Togo and the United States."

Read more: http://www.essence.com/hair/hair_story/slavery_at_hair_braiding_salons.php#ixzz0tsnhhHJw

How in the world is this an issue for the US when the African was the one smuggling and benefitting from enslaving these women?

Don't let me get started in on this. For the author to completely attempt to redirect the attention of the reader away from the inhumanity of the Togo man and reframe this as apart of the American historical trauma is a disservice to those ignorant of our historical trauma.

Statistically there are more slaves in the world now than any other time in recorded history. It is a world problem.