By Kevin Perrington-Turner, Contributing Writer
On March 18, Jasmine Grace spent her afternoon sharing her rough experience with the students of UMass Dartmouth. In the LARTS building, she tells the story about how she came to be a prostitute. Giving great detail of her story, she tells the untold truth about trafficking and selling her body. From corrupt businesses to what to watch out for.
In the midst of this heartfelt story, the students were glued in to her story as she took a trip down memory lane. What started as meeting a guy that would turn out to be her boyfriend, ended up with her having sex for money and struggling to survive. Jasmine Grace would go from sharing stories with her family to her rough upcoming at a young age. She would later end up doing hard drugs and get in to the wrong crowd of people. The chain reactions of her decisions left her scarred and in a dark place. Attending this event was something that nobody in that room would ever forget.
After coming to the realization in the back seat of a car, Jasmine ended up joining a twelve-step program that would help her escape that life. She would land a job at an anti-trafficking movement and joining a community church. She would lead to have a child and get married. Turning her life around after a dark passed is inspiring for anyone. In this event, she teaches people how to be cautious and love oneself in order to not be taken advantage of.
Jasmine also teaches how society commercializes sex and how it effects the youth. Pushing for not only women’s rights but for the rights of all humans. She tells us how easy it is to see pornographic photos and videos on the Internet. The easy access to these things lead to a younger audience getting their hands on this. Growing up in Saugus and Revere, she was able to tell us all of what truly happens in the Massachusetts area.
Now she is going to different schools to share her experience with others. To share the dangers of trafficking, and to inspire others to follow down the same path that she was on. As an+ advocate for women’s rights, many students there were able to connect with Jasmine even if the backgrounds didn’t match up.
The event ended with Jasmine Grace promoting her new book called “The Diary Of Jasmine Grace” where she shares the full story. This incredible story deserves to be documented and shared with young boys and girls on the dangers of sex trafficking. Jasmine Grace also tells us about “Bags of Hope” which is a way to help women living on the streets or in programs in the Boston area. Bags of Hope is a community driven movement that thrives off of donations in any way possible. The list for possible donations are socks, deodorant, tooth brushes, feminine products, nail polish, wipes, hair brushes, and more depending on what you can give.