Graduation Year

2025

Date of Submission

12-2024

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

History

Reader 1

Sarah Sarzynski

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© 2024 Gwen A Mascha

Abstract

This thesis examines the narratives of anti-human trafficking advocates through oral histories and personal interviews to explore how systemic challenges, survivor leadership, and community-driven care intersect in combating human trafficking. It argues that trafficking arises from and perpetuates gender-based violence, racial inequities, and structural oppression. I draw from in-depth interviews with activists, including survivors like Wilnisha Sutton and faith-based leaders like Sister Jeanne Christensen. The findings reveal love and relational care as transformative frameworks within activism. This thesis critiques traditional punitive models and savior narratives, advocating for survivor-led initiatives and trauma-informed care that prioritize systemic reform and education. The thesis proposes actionable strategies in a toolkit for future activists. The thesis ultimately shows that there is a need for collective, intersectional, and empathetic approaches to disrupt cycles of trafficking in the short term and to help end the systemic imbalances that cause them in the long term.

This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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