Today is National Freedom Day, which commemorates when Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery.

National Freedom Day follows a month-long campaign to increase awareness about present-day slavery and human trafficking, according to an ACLU National Blog of Rights post.

In January, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation declaring January 2010 as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

The purpose of this proclamation is to recommit the U.S. to ending human trafficking and to educate ourselves about all forms of present-day slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking. Human trafficking occurs around the world, including right here in the U.S. Indeed, every year more than 14,000 individuals, predominantly women, are brought into the U.S. annually and exploited for their labor, including in the commercial sex industry.

However, the ACLU said the president's proclamation may not be enough. Read the argument here.