Manhattan College Hosts Reading And Discussion With Slave Hunter Author Aaron Cohen

Freedom Week raises awareness of modern-day slavery.

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Aaron Cohen, the author of Slave Hunter, will read from his acclaimed book at Manhattan College on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 7:00 p.m. in Smith Auditorium. The event, which is part of Freedom Week, is free and open to the public.

Slave Hunter recounts Cohen’s firsthand experiences as a rocker who became an anti-slavery activist working to free victims from bondage around the world. The incredible odyssey follows him from his California rock-star life in the company of legendary musicians all the way to the war zones, refugee camps and brothels of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. In these places, he takes on treacherous rescue missions in search of modern-day slaves and lays bare the secrets behind trafficking networks.

In March 2009, Manhattan was one of many institutions to screen the documentary Call+Response, a film and music collaboration about human trafficking. This semester, the College participates in Freedom Week (Sept. 20-27), an eclectic week of awareness-raising events that delve deep into the issue of modern-day slavery.

Freedom Week is a coalition of abolitionists working to raise awareness about the 27 million people currently enslaved and/or trafficked in the United States and abroad. Its goal is to fight modern-day slavery by inspiring action and providing opportunities for advocacy. For more information, visit www.freedomweeknyc.com.

For more information about this event, please contact campus ministry and social Action at (718) 862-7142 or e-mail scicuto.student@manhattan.edu.

Members of the media who would like to cover any of the events should call Scott Silversten at (718) 862-7232 or e-mail scott.silversten@manhattan.edu. Manhattan College is located at West 242nd Street near Broadway in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, one mile from the Westchester County line and accessible by MTA subway line No. 1.

Founded in 1853, Manhattan College is an independent, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher learning offering more than 40 major programs of undergraduate study in the areas of arts, business, education, engineering and science, along with graduate programs in education and engineering. For more information about Manhattan College, visit www.manhattan.edu.