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Singer/Songwriter Lomont Heibert cofounded the original Justice For Children International Organization and played at the Student Union last night.

Singing To Make A Difference

By: Vanessa Joy

Posted: 12/6/07

At this very moment, in Storrs, UConn students are preparing for final exams and putting the finishing touches on their essays and projects. Yet in another part of the world, a far different and disturbing reality exists. Girls as young as five years old are being sold or forced into sex slavery. They are the victims of multiple rapes every night and constant physical abuse. They are young girls that have lost their innocence and freedom, both which are often taken for granted.

In an effort to bring awareness to the issue of child sex trafficking and raise money for the abolition of this practice, Love146 organized and sponsored the Child Sex Trafficking Awareness concert last night in the Student Union ballroom. The organization Love 146, formerly known as Justice for Children International, is dedicated to the abolishment of sex trafficking around the world, specifically targeting the countries that are well-known for their low standards on child sex trafficking and high rates of sex workers including Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines and India.

UConn students showed up to offer their support, donate money and listen to the authentic and thought-provoking, emotional lyrics provided by Lamont Hiebert, a singer, songwriter and co-founder of the organization. Mickeve Regis, a 5th-semester human development & family studies major thought that the concert was amazing and insightful. "I think it was very convincing, I think they did a great job at letting people know what's really out there and what people can really do to help, so I would love to get involved."

The concert can best be defined as a journey. It began on a high note, with three uplifting rock and roll ballads. The entire audience was standing, and some could be seen swaying and bobbing their heads to the deafening beats. But after these three songs ended, the journey intensified and carried the audience to an entirely different level. A PowerPoint presentation, set to classical music, displayed the atrocities committed around the world, girls being beaten, constantly sexually abused and denied their chance for freedom, a basic right that most people take for granted. Following the PowerPoint presentation, the journey continued down a darkened road, with songs that were slower, more intense, and emotional. These songs were based on and inspired by true stories of young female slaves that were locked behind the brothel's closed doors. The journey did not end here. Instead, it took a final turn upward, with two songs of hope, survival and freedom from oppression. Lamont's goal was not to leave audiences feeling depressed, but hopeful.

"Although some of my songs are pretty intense and heart wrenching most of my tunes are empowering and redemptive," Hiebert said. "All of the songs that relate to the subject of child slavery and exploitation are inspired by actual stories. But I left the songs general enough to be impacting to people from various backgrounds."

Hiebert, mostly known as the lead singer for the band Ten Shekel Shirt, was excited to play at UConn.

"Students are by far my favorite audience to engage with," he said in an interview before the concert. "Most students love rock n roll-and-justice so for this artist / abolitionist to play for UConn students is a privilege. I find that students are also in that powerful place in life where they can shape their personal lives and vocations in such a way that empowers them to actually change some things in society. I know that before policy makers begin to make bigger strides in the fight against modern-day slavery the public outcry for abolition must increase."

Lamont took his own 'big strides' when he left his successful music career to establish the Love146 organization. However, his experiences around the world inspired lyrics to many of his latest songs, and as a result, have allowed him to open for such artists as Natasha Bedingfield and John Legend. A new album entitled "Jubilee" will be hitting stores in the Spring of 2008.

Hoin Choi, president of UConn's Love146 chapter and organizer of the event, hopes that those who were unable to attend last nights event will use this time to start a conversation about child sex trafficking, acknowledging that it is a very real problem. For those that want to make a real contribution to this cause, she encourages UConn students to sign up and become an abolitionist on their Web site love146.org. But for those that attended the event, Hoin had a more personal remark, "Although, at the event, we collect donations, which I think are very important, money is not my biggest concern. The one thing that I want us, the UConn students, to take away from the event is for us to be deeply moved by the issue of child sex trafficking, the modern day slavery. Then, we would start discovering the urge to help the child victims of sex trafficking through our pro-social thoughts and actions in the future."

Michelle Wortham, a 5th- semester political science and sociology double major was a testament to the success of the event. When asked if she was inspired by any particular part of the event she replied, "Just like probably getting involved with the local chapter here, because you know about it, but when you actually come to this and they talk about people they say that are in safehouses around the U.S, you want to know more about it," said Wartham.

"I think I'm going to get involved in the campus chapter," she said.

Overall the event appeared to be a success for those that attended, and hopefully will initiate a chain of positive reactions that will finally give freedom back to the hundreds of thousands of children living as modern day slaves.

Contact Vanessa Joy at Vanessa.Every@UConn.edu.