Trigger warning: This conversation contains mentions of sexual assault. Listeners sensitive to this topic should be aware.
Maya Gwynn
With KVCR Public Media, I'm Maya Gwynn with Black Perspectives IE a show we learn about the amazing things members of the Black community are doing in the Inland Empire. My guest today is Ashley Hill, Founder and Executive Director of Magdalena's Daughters. Thank you so much for being here.
Ashley Hill
Thank you for having me today.
Maya Gwynn
Magdalena's Daughters' mission is it provides safe homes for female foster youth who are victims or at risk of sex trafficking between the age of 12 and 18. And I'm curious what inspired you to start this organization, and how have you seen systemic factors like racism contribute to disproportionate trafficking and exploitation of BIPOC youth, especially Black girls.
Ashley Hill
You know what? I used to work with the county, and I was a therapist, and so I was like traveling to group homes, providing therapy and case management services. And that's when I first noticed the issues of human trafficking, and I actually didn't even know what it was, and so I learned and started noticing and hearing stories - horrible stories about how traffickers and pimps were coming to the group homes, and they were scaring the staff and girls. So it wasn't really like safe, you know, they were also forcing girls to recruit within the home. So they were not only running away by themselves, but they were taking the whole home with them. And then the staff really didn't have anything that they could do to stop it, and so they were just kind of just letting them go. And so I was like, well, hold up, this is a huge issue. And not only that, as a therapist like these kids were coming into therapy session, just saying, some just horrible, crazy stuff. Some of my colleagues and I, we would consult with one another, and I just heard, like one of our youth being raped in broad daylight, and not much was being done about it. And so that was one of the tipping points for me. In our county, the largest county in the United States, there isn't any specialized home specifically meeting the needs of this population. So that's what started me to pioneer movement to take care of foster youth in a different kind of way, especially for a BIPOC population. Some of the systemic issues that I've noticed, especially when you think about the child welfare system, it's a lot of our black girls - our black and brown girls in the system. They are more vulnerable, right? A lot of people view them as more sexualized, and so they are at more risk of being trafficked.
Maya Gwynn
People always think that they're an adult.
Ashley Hill
Yes, they're an adult, or they're too fast, or they're just bad. So these are the girls who are mostly on the streets, so 60% and that's a really high number of girls who are being trafficked in the child welfare system.
Maya Gwynn
Yeah, and I feel like this is a topic that has been in the media a lot lately, especially with R. Kelly, but I always feel like it's not talked about in a way that's very responsible. And that goes into my next question, how does the phenomenon known as missing white woman syndrome contribute to the invisibility of black girls in the Inland Empire and beyond, causing them to be dismissed as what I hear all the time is they're called runaways instead of victims as they are.
Ashley Hill
Yeah, I think what happens is they're not really seen as people and human beings. The focus more is on the behavior. And so when you think about white women syndrome, that is really highlighting the need to okay, there's a missing person, and we need to find this person. When they're saying, runaway, they're highlighting, oh, there's a problematic behavior going on, there's a reason why this person is running away, right? So there's a lot of generational trauma that a lot of people do not understand, and what's causing the root of it, and understanding the people's story will actually help how they intervene in such ways and actually provide healing and connection to what these kids actually really need.
Maya Gwynn
How do families, schools and communities either protect or fail vulnerable youth? And I think, a huge one, how do social media and digital platforms contribute to trafficking? Because I think so many times I've seen, especially on TikTok, which I'm happy that people are debunking, is like myths of like, if you have a piece of paper on your car, or, like, zip tie, you're being trafficked.
Ashley Hill
I think it's great that there is more awareness about human trafficking, more than, probably, than it has ever been like in the past right now. And I think it's also still very harmful, because I think it's sensationalized, still very much. And in real life, it's like, no, your kids are online. And they're just talking to like some stranger that they think is a person, a boy or a girl, and they're just getting to know them. And guess what? They go out to the movies or something. Now they're being exploited and then betrayed and raped and stuff like that, and blackmail. That's how it happens. It’s who you know.
Maya Gwynn
What strategies does your organization use to identify and support at-risk youth who are invisible to traditional systems that we were just talking about? And how can anyone who wants to get involved responsibly help this situation?
Ashley Hill
So right now, what we do is we go out into the community. We actively go out into the homes that currently exist. We advertise as much as we can, we spread awareness, we educate as much as we can, to reach across to different types of platforms. So not only do we do different types of avenues, like podcasting, Ted Talks... We do like a news media, all different types of broadcasting to reach different types of people. We go into schools. I don't really sugarcoat things as well, either. So like, you know, there's no minimalizing things. Also talk to parents, talk to educators, talk to principals, talk to teachers.
Maya Gwynn
And how can an everyday person, in your opinion, get involved if they assume someone is being trafficked?
Ashley Hill
I think the most responsible way is not to get involved, not to put yourself into danger, because you just don't know who is watching that person or individual. I think you should call for help. You know, we have the Human Trafficking Hotline. Law enforcement as well. We do have in our county, advocates as well. You can call Magdalena's Daughters, and we can also make sure to loop you guys in. We have the hotline on our website, so you can always check out our website.
Maya Gwynn
We're gonna - I know there was a heavy topic, but we're gonna transition to our rapid-fire portion. If your work had a theme song, what would it be?
Ashley Hill
Alicia Keys... what's that one song?
Maya Gwynn
Girl on Fire?
Ashley Hill
Yes.
Maya Gwynn
If you have to teach a masterclass, or give a TED talk, which you already have, if you have to give another one on a random skill you have besides the work that you do, what would it be?
Ashley Hill
Oh, probably, like, something about, like, cake decorating.
Maya Gwynn
What's your favorite IE restaurant or landmark that reminds you of the Inland Empire?
Ashley Hill
I don't know what it's called, but it's very peaceful to me. It's by the 10 freeway. There's like, some water, and I think there used to be, like, a duck pond over there.
Maya Gwynn
Okay.
Ashley Hill
It's near the Citizens Bank Arena, kind of in that area. And I don't know what it's called, but it's like, peaceful over there. I don't know what it's called.
Maya Gwynn
A peaceful park in Ontario... I'll figure it out. How can people keep up with you and support the amazing work you guys are doing at Magdalena's Daughters?
Ashley Hill
Definitely follow us on Instagram at Magdalena's_Daughters. Subscribe to us. You can also follow us on our YouTube channel as well. We post a lot of our content there as well. Check out my TED Talk. Talk about how relationships is important to preventing human trafficking.
Maya Gwynn
Awesome. Thank you so much for being here and talking about this important topic. I really appreciate it.
Ashley Hill
Yeah, thank you for having me.
Maya Gwynn
Ashley Hill is Founder and Executive Director of Magdalena's Daughters. Find this segment and others at kvcrnews.org/bpie. Support for the segment comes from the Black Equity Fund at IECF, advancing racial equity and supporting long term investments and Black led organizations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Join us again next week for Black Perspectives IE. For KVCR Public Media, I'm Maya Gwynn. Thank you.
