Sex Trafficking in Alabama: Former Victim, Current Rescuer
Update: In August 2018, al.com reported Tajuan McCarty, founder of The WellHouse ministry in Birmingham, was arrested in a drug raid at a Tarrant home.
As a teenager, Tajuan McCarty ran away from home and sold drugs to survive. Soon, she ended up selling herself. But it wasn’t voluntary. McCarty had become one of tens of millions of sex-trafficking victims around the world. Years later she founded The WellHouse, a shelter and rehabilitation facility for sexually exploited women. In this second part of our three-part series, she talks with WBHM’s Dan Carsen about her difficult journey. Please note: this conversation may not be suitable for younger listeners or readers.
Her Story
“Between 12 and 15 I ran away many times. At 15, I met my first pimp. At 15, you have no skill set, but you still need to eat and survive … I didn’t have to do what the other girls had to do at first. He had me selling drugs. So of course he ‘loved me more.’ It didn’t take long for that to change. My quota I made every night by selling drugs, up until one particular night that he drops me off and gives me the drugs, and there’s not enough drugs for me to make my quota. And I already knew what happened when you didn’t make quota: you were punished. Anything from a beating to a torture, a rape, or a gang rape. Did I physically admit to being paid for sex? Yes. I was 15. I wasn’t even old enough to consent to sex, much less being paid to be raped.”
Years on a Dark Road
“Between 15 and 26, I’ve been sold in every state but Alaska and Hawaii. One of the largest circuits for human trafficking is Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga. And you have to understand, it’s a two- or two-and-a-half-hour drive from Atlanta to Birmingham, but it may take us three days, because you’re sold at every single exit.”
Advice to Parents and Anyone Else
“What works is love and grace. And I mean those times when you’re going, ‘Oh my God, I’m at my wits’ end. I cannot help them any more. They don’t want help.’ And then you love them one more time. And you love them one more time. And then you love them one more time. And then some more times. I don’t care what she’s done or has been done to her. She deserves to have love and grace. She is not a prostitute, she is not a whore, she is not a drug user, and it’s our responsibility to love her, because that’s what God does for us.”
From Victim to Founder of The WellHouse
“I started WellHouse with $33 when I was on food stamps. I’d been out of prison for a little over a year, and I met Jesus and he gave me the vision, because I knew it was needed and there was a gap in services for the ladies we serve … And what we’ve done from $33 to 63 acres in six years blows me away.”
The extended web-exclusive interview with Tajuan McCarty is below. You can access our three-part series on sex trafficking in Alabama here.
Judge blocks Trump administration’s ending of protections for Venezuelans and Haitians
A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary legal protections for more than 1 million people from Haiti and Venezuela who live in the United States.
Alcaraz beats Djokovic at the U.S. Open and will meet Sinner for Grand Slam final
Sinner is trying to become the first repeat men's champion in New York since Roger Federer won the tournament five years in a row. Alcaraz hasn't dropped a set as he pursues his second U.S. Open title.
Anthropic settles with authors in first-of-its-kind AI copyright infringement lawsuit
A U.S. district court is scheduled to consider whether to approve the settlement next week, in a case that marked the first substantive decision on how fair use applies to generative AI systems.
Under Trump, the Federal Trade Commission is abandoning its ban on noncompetes
Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson has called his agency's rule banning noncompetes unconstitutional. Still, he says protecting workers against noncompetes remains a priority.
Anthropic to pay authors $1.5B to settle lawsuit over pirated chatbot training material
The artificial intelligence company Anthropic has agreed to pay authors $3,000 per book in a landmark settlement over pirated chatbot training material.
You can trust the jobs report, Labor Department workers urge public
A strongly-worded statement from Bureau of Labor Statistics workers comes a month after President Trump attacked the integrity of the jobs numbers they release monthly.
