When Americans today consider the term "slavery," they recall a dark period in their nation's past, when an entire race of people were subjugated solely because of the color of their skin, a travesty of civil rights that progressive thought sought to heal, to the extent that it paved the way for the election of an African-American president. Slavery is an antiquated practice from a draconian past and has no relevance in this modern, enlightened age. What Americans fail to understand is that slavery is not only alive and well, but thriving and fueling the global economy at the expense of human lives. The International Labor Organization (ILO), a United Nations agency dedicated to protecting the human rights of workers around the world, estimates that at any given time there are nearly 21 million victims of forced labor, 25% of which are children (“Questions”). During the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Americans took a stand and boycotted businesses that promoted racial segregation, while the government abolished laws that prevented free and fair treatment for all It was a time of social unrest and political anxiety, but progress often requires revolution, and while growth can be painful and exhausting, it is essential to evolution people around the world are treated with dignity and where the inalienable rights of all are protected, slavery in all its forms must be eradicated; Americans must once again take a stand, as well as take responsibility, for all that it entails purchasing products made in sweatshops and through slave labor, and the government should hold American companies accountable for how their goods are made. Americans, when they buy. ..... middle of paper ...... Social issues: slavery today. Ed. Ronald D. Lankford, Jr. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. 66-72. Print.“Home”. Enditmovement.com. End It and Web Movement. 09 September 2013. “My imprint”. Enditmovement.com. End It and Web Movement. 09 September 2013. “Questions and answers on forced labour”. Ilo.org. International Labor Organization, 1996-2013. Network. 23 September 2013. "Results". Enditmovement.com. End It and Web Movement. 09 September 2013. “Exploitative work”. Problems and controversies. Facts on File News Services, July 15, 2013. Web. September 4, 2013. Thistlethwait, Susan Brooks. “Asking about Bangladesh: it's time to choose ethics over fashion.” TheWashingtonPost.com. May 13, 2013. Web. September 16, 2013. Yardley, Jim. “Report on deadly factory collapse in Bangladesh finds widespread blame.” The New York Times, May 23, 2013: A5. NYTimes.com. May 22, 2013. Web. September 15. 2013.