Escaped slave tells his story

Escaped Sudanese slave Francis Bok spoke last Wednesday at Tufts about his experience in bondage and what students can do to relieve the problem of modern-day slavery.

Bok was kidnapped at the age of seven while on a routine trip to the market in his hometown. Arab military forces attacked the market, killing many of the people there and kidnapping others. Bok was then enslaved from 1986 until 1996.

Beaten every morning and made to sleep with animals, Bok decided by age 17 that he would rather risk his life to escape than continue his life as a slave. His first two attempts to escape failed, and he was punished by having his hands and feet tied up for ten days. Finally, a successful escape brought him to Egypt, where he sought help at the United Nations Refugee Office in Cairo before flying to the United States.

The speech and subsequent discussion -- sponsored by the International Club -- were introduced and moderated by Tufts alumnus Tommy Calvert (LA '02), who is the Chief of External Operations for the American Anti-Slavery Group.

Calvert began the program by showing a Dateline episode titled "Modern Day Slavery," which detailed events surrounding Sudan's current government situation. More specifically, the show detailed the religious civil war between the southern Christians and northern Muslims in Sudan, and how the conflict is being handled by the Sudanese government.

According to Calvert, 27 million people are enslaved worldwide today -- more than at any other time in history. Both Calvert and Bok stressed that the slavery in Sudan today has nothing to do with race or religion. "Freedom is on the line... slavery is universal... [and] modern-day slavery has nothing to do with race," Calvert said.

The audience consisted of students, an abolitionist worker from Boston, and a few local residents. Calvert detailed how he got involved with the abolitionist movement. Being able to work with Bok, Calvert said, has been "a calling from God."

Bok encouraged the audience to become more educated on the issue. "Think about what you can do because we all can make a difference," he said. "I do not like talking about this story, but I think it is important to share it with you. If we all work together we can bring an end to this slavery."

Bok helped launch the website www.iabolish.com, and he hopes to one day be a student at Tufts.

Calvert showed video clips and pictures of Sudanese slaves -- including one of an 11-year-old boy whose nose was amputated by his master.

In order to stay motivated for his job, Calvert said, he asks himself, "If I were enslaved, wouldn't I want someone to set me free?" Calvert's religious beliefs also contribute to his motivation. "We can choose to answer the call when freedom calls," he said.

Calvert further stated that slavery is a continuing problem in Sudan, and that the government is actually encouraging such acts under Arab leadership.

Bok was asked about the letter he wrote to singer Britney Spears about her song "I'm A Slave 4 U." In the letter, Bok explained his experience to Spears out of concern that her song was belittling slavery in general. "I didn't know her until I watched MTV," he said. "I asked myself, what did she mean? I just wanted to let her know that I was a slave and I wanted to reach out to her to get involved."