One of them wanted to earn money so she could treat her parents like a king and queen, two of them were enticed by the promise of a good education, another one wanted to buy medicine for his sick son; none of them ever dreamed they would become slaves in the United States. But that is what happened.

Filmmaker Peggy Callahan profiles several people trapped in slavery across the United States. Maria was enslaved as a domestic servant and victim of sexual exploitation in southern California. Miguel was enslaved in Florida, where his captor used violence to force him and many others to harvest tomatoes. Christy and Rose were enslaved in Maryland, where they worked as domestic servants after being taken from their native Cameroon.

Ultimately, the stories told in this Free the Slaves film highlight these survivors’ passion for freedom and justice, not just for themselves, but also for victims of slavery worldwide.