TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and one survivor is using her voice to bring awareness to this critical issue through the power of poetry and art.
Monica Perkins, now 39, survived eight years of human trafficking across multiple states with many predators, beginning when she was just 17-years-old. Her story is featured at a survivors art exhibit downtown called "Every Step has a Story - How we got in, How we got out, Who we are now," where she shares her experience through a poem called "Against All the Odds."
Perkins never imagined that fleeing an abusive relationship while pregnant would lead to another path of torture. The trauma from those years still affects her today.
"My brain was being rewired and reconditioned before I even knew myself," Perkins said.
She said she met her first predator in San Francisco, Calif. when she was in a group home, not realizing what she was getting herself into.
"The day that I met him, he took me around and showed me some of his houses. He had a nice car, he told me he was a rap producer. He had a studio and just all the good things, shiny things that a girl that's pretty naive and especially, you know, not being from a big city. I just was instantly, you know, enthralled by the whole situation," Perkins explained.
After she had her son, Dondre Cannon, things took a turn. Her son was taken away from her when he was only four-months-old, and she was forced into prostitution.
"I was handed a purse by one of his women and full of rubber gloves, condoms, and lube, and told what I was going to be doing for how much and I was dropped off at the strip club," Perkins said.
During her trafficking experience, Perkins faced complete isolation, control, physical and psychological abuse. On top of that, she was only allowed to see her son a handful of times.
"My cell phone was taken away and I was told I was being monitored. That family didn't exist anymore. That was no more. This is my new life. This is how we go forward. My family didn't love me," Perkins said.
Getting out wasn't easy because the predators maintained complete authority and power, but reuniting with her son was her priority.
She escaped at the age of 25 and hasn't looked back since.
Now, Perkins is ready to confront those demons head-on.
Through her poetry, she reads: "As survivors it's up to us to unite and fight for what's right. Stand tall and turn our pain into power. It's a grueling dedication to heal while trying to properly function minute by minute, day by day, hour by hour."
She's speaking up about her experience in hopes of saving other women, and to let them know there is light at the end of the tunnel.
"Because I never felt like I would get here. And so I feel like everybody comes with a different story, a different approach, and I just know that like I did not, there's no reason I had to have gone through all that if I can't use it to help somebody else," Perkins said. "And if I'm not able to do that, then it was all for nothing. It feels like it would have been all for nothing, that I suffered. My son suffered. My daughter now suffers from the ramifications."
Perkins also hopes people won’t stay silent when they see something wrong.
"And that's where this all is a problem, is that there are so many people that could have stepped in and saved my life. And even if they weren't able to save my life, at least they could have tried because there is going to be somebody that they could have made a difference in their life," Perkins said.
"When you are shown over and over and over again that nobody's going to step in. Everybody sees what's happening. They know it's not right. They know there's something wrong, but they don't say a word. Nobody cares."
Angela Marie, curator of the "Every Step Has a Story" exhibit and also a survivor, believes it's crucial to give victims a platform to use their voices after being silenced for so long.
"Being able to walk with other survivors and see them begin to own their own lives again when so much agency had been taken before. To see them stepping out confidently and sharing who they are, not what they are, not what they've been through ... To remind them they have a voice," Marie said. "Here we stand together, we support each other and we walk through those steps. We share the stories, we share the tears, we share the laughter."
Perkins, along with her now 21-year-old son Dondre, and 15-year-old daughter Arianna are working with nonprofits like Southern Arizona Against Slavery (SAAS) to help them heal a deep wound.
Norma Darnell, SAAS President says the mission is to mentor and empower survivors of sexual exploitation and human trafficking and help them to cultivate their gifts and talents.
Darnell is a survivor of sexual exploitation and wants other victims to know she is standing in their corner and will help with whatever they may need.
"I would really want to extend the invitation that I know that you've learned how to build walls and not to trust, but all I can say is just to give us an opportunity that we are a safe place and that we will love you wherever you're at in your journey," Darnell said.
The art exhibit is at the 7 Legged Spider Gallery inside the Steinfeld Warehouse located at 101 W. 6th St. in Downtown Tucson. It's open for the month of January on Saturdays from 1-4:00 p.m. and by special appointment. Reach out to Angela Marie on Instagram at @angela_marie_arts for more information.
There will also be a Human Trafficking Awareness Walk on Jan. 17 at 9:00 a.m. starting at the northwest corner of Reid Park.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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