Modern Slavery and its Tangled Relationships
Thursday, April 30, 2026
This talk is part of the History, Culture, and Diversity Series.
Kevin Bales, professor of contemporary slavery at the University of Nottingham's School of Politics and International Relations, will give an online talk on Thursday, April 30 on "Modern Slavery and its Tangled Relationships."
The talk begins at 12:45 p.m. on the Webex platform at bit.ly/DrBales2026
It will also be available on the noncommercial Finger Lakes TV network (Roku, Spectrum cable channel 1304, and a 24/7 web stream) and the FLCC YouTube channel.
Bales earned his Ph.D. at the London School of Economics. He was co-founder of the nongovernmental organization Free the Slaves. His book "Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy," published in 1999, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and has now been published in 10 other languages. Archbishop Desmond Tutu called it "a well researched, scholarly and deeply disturbing expose of modern slavery."
His latest book explores the relationship between slavery and environmental destruction. "Blood and Earth: Modern Slavery, Ecocide, and the Secret to Saving the World" was published in January 2016. Bales talk is part of the History, Culture, and Diversity Series organized by Robert Brown, professor of history.