The Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking will welcome guest speaker Nikki Locklear, director of the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault/Human Trafficking Program for the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs within the NC Department of Administration, on Thursday, November 18, 2021, at 9:30am, at Oakmont Baptist Church.
Locklear will discuss the intersection of how systemic oppression and discrimination against Native American people has led to a disproportionate level of human trafficking among indigenous people. Locklear will also discuss the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women across the country and in North Carolina.
The presentation will take place in the Fellowship Hall of Oakmont Baptist Church, located at 1100 Red Banks Road, Greenville, NC.
Locklear is an expert in the domestic violence/sexual assault/human trafficking field, serving more than 13 years in advocacy and more than 10 years in direct services.
Throughout her career, she has worked on many projects in North Carolina to assist and inform victims of violence in tribal communities.
Most recently she has spearheaded a “Serving American Indian Victims” webinar series that is available through the NC Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s website.
She has served on the Regional Council for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and is currently serving on the NC Coalition Against Human Trafficking Board as a member of the Community and Faith based Committee.
She is also a member of the NC Domestic Violence Commissions Victim Services subcommittee and the Governors Crime Commission Advisory Board. For the past few years, she has written the Governors Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Awareness Day Proclamation. Her goal is to assist victims of interpersonal violence in North Carolina and in tribal communities in receiving culturally specific services that aid in supportive care.
“It is an honor to have Miss Locklear speak to our coalition this month,” said Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking Facilitator Pam Strickland. “Her expertise in the field of human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assault through the lens of serving tribal communities is invaluable. We cannot address the issue of human trafficking without understanding how systemic oppression continues to lead to the exploitation of Native American communities across this state, and frankly, the entire country.”
The Pitt County Coalition Against Human Trafficking is a team of professionals, ranging from service providers to human services specialists to advocates, coming together to discuss and respond to the issue of human trafficking in Pitt County.
Visit www.pccaht.org.
Source: Melinda Sampson, NC Stop Human Trafficking
