Multimedia mogul and actor Tyler Perry teamed up with Georgia’s first lady Marty Kemp in a video to bring awareness to and stop human trafficking.
“Grateful to [Tyler Perry] for his leadership to support survivors and raise awareness about human trafficking!” tweeted Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp on Thursday. Below her tweet was a video Perry had recorded, urging viewers to look for warning signs of the crime of sex trafficking.
“Human trafficking is a crime often hidden in plain sight,” said Perry in the video. “We like to think that it only happens in other places, and only affects other people. but sadly, it’s happening right here in our backyard in Georgia, in small towns and big cities.”
Watch below:
“Thousands of victims are trapped and they need our help,” Perry continued. “Unfortunately, many are being trafficked by the very people they trust the most like their friends and family.”
Tyler Perry, who owns a production studio in Atlanta, Georgia, went on to urge viewers to participate in Kemp’s human trafficking awareness training to learn how to spot the warning signs of sex trafficking.
“It is critically important to know the warning signs of sex trafficking, and how to report suspicious activity. It can save someone’s life,” Perry said. “To learn more, you can take Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp’s human trafficking awareness training. And if you or someone you know needs help, call the national human trafficking hotline at 1-888-373-7888.”
“Working together, we can be the force of good that ends human trafficking once and for all,” concluded Perry.
First Lady Kemp has created the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education Commission (GRACE) to combat the threat of human trafficking in the State of Georgia.
“We are deeply grateful to Tyler Perry for his dedicated work and leadership to support survivors and raise awareness about human trafficking,” said Kemp, according to a report by WSB Atlanta.
“With his partnership, more Georgians will be equipped with the knowledge to identify potential instances of trafficking — but most importantly, they will be equipped with the ability to save lives,” she added.
The report added that child sex trafficking is a big problem in the metro area, and that the state has been considered a hub for the crime since 2005. In 2018, the National Human Trafficking Hotline ranked Georgia fourth among U.S. states.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, on Parler at @alana, and on Instagram.