Meet the Journalist: Ayo Awokoya

To some, perhaps the concept of slavery still harkens back to arcane images of whips and chains, of black bodies forcibly removed from their homes and placed on a ship to a place where greater misery awaits. But in the 21st century the form it takes has drastically changed. It has become subtle. To the naked eye, gross exploitation is somewhat normalized.

For over a year Tobias Jones and Ayo Awokoya investigated into the heart of southern Italy, where they discovered that thousands of African migrants have been coerced into a form of modern-day slavery. It is a reality unbeknownst to most in Europe that almost all produce that comes from this region has been tainted. This truth becomes particularly devastating when it is taken into account that these migrants gave up everything for a chance at a better life.