Hello all. My name is Cadence Bronson! I’m originally from NYC, recently graduated with a bachelors from Sewanee, and am now in Oregon pursuing a masters in Special Education. In addition to those things, I’m also practicing to get a 3-stack tulip in my latte art and will be biking 1,700 miles with a group of tenacious individuals to fight sex trafficking! When asked why I’ve committed to doing this crazy long ride, it’s hard for me to sum up into one sentence. However, as I continue this journey of education and advocacy, I’ve learned that my Why is ever-expanding.
Admittedly, I didn’t truly understand what sex trafficking was and what that term meant before Pedal the Pacific. I hadn’t given it much thought before because I thought it was something far removed from my life, and that it was an overtly obvious event involving someone being kidnapped, windowless vans, violence, or smuggling.
I initially heard about Pedal the Pacific through a sorority sister from Sewanee (shoutout Sophie and Sewanee ADT!) I was so impressed by her tenacity for the mission, but I didn't fully engage with the organization right away. That changed, though, in 2023, when a dear close friend of mine joined PTP that following summer. I saw the way she poured her heart into PTPs mission and the cause. I saw how much she cared about bringing awareness to the anti-trafficking movement, and she emboldened me to learn more about trafficking and engage with the anti-trafficking movement.
Through watching even more riders and listening to PTP leaders spread knowledge about the realities of sex trafficking and the actions that organizations and individuals are taking to fight to end trafficking, my engagement with the organization increased.
I quickly learned that my idea of what sex trafficking looked like was not at all the reality. I was shocked to learn how prevalent sex trafficking truly was, that it is happening in the communities all around, and thrives when people are unaware and uninformed of the realities of it.
In reality, trafficking is often a slow process involving grooming and exploitation that is often perpetrated by someone a victim already knows and trusts. “Traffickers are experts at finding those moments when people are vulnerable, of working the angles, of manipulating reality and leveraging fears” (Polaris Project).
Most of the time, traffickers prey on people’s vulnerabilities and take advantage of their unmet needs. For example, those experiencing housing instability, past trauma, substance abuse at home, domestic violence, or who don’t have a space where they are accepted.
CEO of GEMS and author of Girls Like Us Rachel Lloyd writes about the vulnerability of children as a survivor of trafficking: “Children are vulnerable just by virtue of being children. Getting frustrated with your parents, thinking you’re invincible, engaging in risky behavior, being interested in relationships, and being enamored with money and consumer goods are all part of most American adolescents’ experience. In the heady mix of hormones, wanting to belong, confusing messages about love and sex, and a desire to be independent, it’s easy to lure an otherwise well-adjusted fourteen year old into a meeting, into a car, into a bed” (2011, P. 47-48).
The more I learned about the realities and injustices of trafficking, I was left feeling pretty heartbroken. I wished that more people in powerful positions in policy or law enforcement were doing more to abolish trafficking once and for all, and I had this idea that you had to be an expert in one of those fields to make a difference. Over the years, though, my engagement with Pedal helped me understand that anyone in any position can find a way to become aware of trafficking and take action against it. This can look like talking to kids in your life about online safety, embracing inclusivity (for example, sexual orientation and gender identity), and connecting kids to additional resources about online safety and healthy relationships.
As I mentioned earlier, my Why evolves the more I learn, and I don’t think I have the exact words to summarize it into one sentence. One thing I’m certain about in my Why, though, is that I ride because I have the freedom, privilege, and ability to bring awareness and hope to those who’ve been impacted by sex trafficking. Lastly, I ride because I believe everyone, especially children, deserves to feel accepted and supported by their community.
