The Shocking Truth Of How Porn Fuels Racism
How does porn fuel racism?
Porn built its market on racist stereotypes and the sexual exploitation of women of color, a pattern reaching back to slavery, when enslaved Black women were routinely raped by their owners. Strip clubs and massage parlors are often zoned into Black neighborhoods. In one US review, 64 percent of female trafficking victims were women of color, and the FBI reported Black children account for nearly 53 percent of juvenile prostitution arrests.
Cries for racial justice have been echoing throughout the land.
Protestors have been taking to the streets, crying out to have their voices heard. In some instances, they are even resorting to fear-inducing violence when they feel as if they are not gaining ground. Overtaking entire communities, people are creating a dividing line throughout society. Instead of unity, much of the country stands divided.
It’s important to recognize that one industry stands as a breeding ground for racism – the sex industry.
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Racism
Porn, brothels, prostitution, and more violate even the most basic human rights, especially in females of color. Rarely, does anyone advocate for these women. Instead, much of society fuels their degradation. Sadly, this is not something that only began to emerge recently. Instead, it’s been in place for centuries.
End Sexual Exploitation reports that, “enslaved Black women were commonly raped by their owners and owners’ friends. Sometimes they were abused so that their forced reproductive labor would produce children that the owner wouldn’t have to bother to buy.”
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Long after the abolishment of slavery, race-based sexual exploitation remained. In fact, it is still in existence today.
In an article published in the Michigan Journal of Gender & Law in 1993, Vednita Nelson shared,
“Racist stereotypes in the mainstream media and pornography portray Black women as wild animals who are ready for any kind of sex, any time, with anybody. Additionally, strip joints and massage parlors are typically zoned in Black neighborhoods, which gives the message to white men that it is alright to solicit Black women and girls for sex…”
She continued, “And we get the message growing up, just like our daughters are getting today, that this is how it is, this is who we are, this is what we are for.”
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How Big Is The Problem
Rights4Girls, an organization whose mission is to end gender-based violence against young women in the United States, shared some statistics to show how disproportionate issues of race are in the world of sexuality.
- A two-year review of human trafficking incidents in the United States, completed between 2008-2010, revealed that 64% of all female trafficking victims were women of color. (40% Black; 24% Latina)
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- King County, Washington reported that 52% of child-trafficking victims are Black.
- In the same county, 80% of sex buyers are white Americans.
- The FBI reported in 2017 that Black children account for nearly 53% of juvenile prostitution arrests.
- The Cook County Sheriff’s Department reported that Black women made up 66% of the sex trafficking victims from 2012-2016.
When we portray a message in media, movies, and music that people are mere objects to be treated as one pleases, we are raising a generation of superior-feeling people who ignore the potential consequences of their behavior. While we are focusing our attention on advocating in one arena, another evil is unfolding.
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Those with ill-intentions are being given a platform to capitalize on their personal agenda. Sadly, this is often at the expense of someone else’s suffering.
Hypocrisy
One major pornography website recently pledged monetary support to organizations advocating for equality and justice. At the same time, they were hosting videos emphasizing racism and police brutality.
As the Church, we cannot scream injustice when one is murdered, but offer praise when another is exploited.
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Churches cannot effectively deal with issues of race while ignoring the fact that 68% of the men in their congregation are seeking out pornography.
Now is the time to recognize that the level of brokenness surrounding us is at an all-time high. We must advocate for change, and focus our attention on the healing that so many are longing for.
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Advocating For Change
Soul Refiner, an online streaming platform, provides churches with cinematic small group videos that focus on family and inner healing. The Conquer Series and Warpath are transforming the lives of millions of people around the world on the subject of sexual integrity.
Combining both science and Scripture, those who have been awash in pornography and sexual sin for decades are now stepping forward in freedom. And once you find that freedom, you truly can become an advocate for change.
Now is the time that we must arise and tackle the unaddressed issues that have been weakening the Church for far too long. Visit www.SoulRefiner.com and start watching today!
Writing from personal experience and biblical truth to help individuals and families find healing, restore relationships, and discover the redemptive power of God's grace.
More articles by Kayla Sullivan →Frequently Asked Questions
Are Black women disproportionately affected by sex trafficking?
The county-level data is stark. King County, Washington reported that 52 percent of child trafficking victims were Black, while 80 percent of sex buyers there were white Americans. The Cook County Sheriff's Department found that Black women made up 66 percent of sex trafficking victims between 2012 and 2016. These are not outliers. They describe an industry that has always priced some lives lower than others.
Why are strip clubs and massage parlors located where they are?
They are typically zoned into Black neighbourhoods, and that placement carries a message: that it is acceptable for white men to solicit Black women and girls for sex. The damage runs both directions. Girls grow up absorbing the same message about themselves, learning from the world around them that this is how it is, this is who we are, and this is what we are for.
Did a porn company support racial justice while hosting racist content?
One major pornography website publicly pledged financial support to organisations advocating for equality and justice. At the same time it was hosting videos that trafficked in racism and police brutality as entertainment. That contradiction is the industry in miniature: it will fund the language of justice while profiting from the degradation of the very people that language claims to defend.
Why should the church address porn and racism together?
Because you cannot credibly confront one while funding the other. A church cannot deal seriously with issues of race while ignoring that 68 percent of the men in its congregation are seeking out pornography. We cannot scream injustice when a person is murdered and stay silent when a person is exploited for profit. The brokenness is connected, and so is the repentance it calls for.
What can I actually do about porn's role in exploitation?
Start where you have authority, which is your own life. Walking out of pornography is not a private hobby decision; it removes one more unit of demand from an industry that runs on coerced people. The Conquer Series and Warpath combine science and Scripture to help men who have been caught for decades step into freedom. Once you are free, you are in a position to advocate for others.
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