The evening's keynote speaker was Dr. Nell Irvin Painter, author, historian and artist. Her most recent book is "The History of White People." Painter is the Edwards Professor of American History, Emerita, Princeton University. In addition to her earned doctorate in history from Harvard University, she has received honorary doctorates from Wesleyan, Dartmouth, SUNY-New Paltz and Yale. Other books written by her include "Creating Black Americans," "Southern History across the Color Line" and "Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol." She spoke eloquently of the origins of slavery, dating back to the 1800's and its connection to sugar production. She then related this to human trafficking and how slavery is not an issue of race, because any people who are vulnerable can become enslaved regardless of place or race.