Alezandra Russell

The Half We've Been Ignoring: What Standing in a Red Light District Taught Me About Who We Leave Behind

Available in English & Spanish

In 2009, Alezandra Russell stood in a red light district in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and saw something the anti-trafficking movement had been trained not to see: boys. What followed was 17 years of building, losing, fleeing, and rebuilding — founding Urban Light Foundation from nothing, directing it through government retaliation and forced exile, and continuing to lead it remotely across three continents. This is not a polished nonprofit story. It is an honest account of what it takes to refuse to look away — and what happens to the systems, the survivors, and yourself when you finally do. Through her own journey, Alezandra exposes the blind spots still embedded in the way the world responds to trafficking, and makes the case for why seeing the full picture isn't optional.