Is Modern Day Slavery a Private Act or a Public System of Oppression?

The government focuses on trafficking as the definitive form of modern day slavery. In doing so, it portrays modern day slavery as a private act with identifiable wrongdoers and views the Thirteenth Amendment through the lens of forced labor. Workers’ advocates, on the other hand, portray modern day slavery as a systemic form of oppression, supported by governmental policies on immigration and occupational exclusions. These groups focus on the Thirteenth Amendment through the lens of class.

A historical analysis suggests that the proper approach views the Thirteenth Amendment through the lens of both class and labor.