US State Department Awards Millions to Fight Slavery in West Africa

The president of Chicago’s KNI Communications, Sean Tenner earned his degree cum laude in American government from Georgetown University. Sean Tenner founded KNI Communications in Chicago to assist in electoral and advocacy issues, where he has been successful in securing public funding to help victims of slavery in Mauritania, West Africa.

The US State Department, in a bipartisan effort, granted $4.5 million to help victims of slavery in Mauritania, where estimates state that 10 percent to 20 percent of the population is enslaved. While the practice was officially abolished in 1981 and criminalized in 2007, Mauritania government officials have refused to acknowledge that slavery still exists within its borders, much less made efforts to eliminate it. Despite the illegality of slave ownership, the government does not bring slave owners to justice.

The US State Department funding is helping people in Mauritania acquire freedom, self-sufficiency and dignity. . For more information, see The Abolition Institute website at www.stoppingslavery.org. 

Recent Successful Political Campaigns by KNI Communications

As president of Chicago’s KNI Communications, Sean Tenner oversees the strategic development of public messages for dissemination in both traditional media, such as television and radio, and digital media, such as email and social media. Under Sean Tenner’s leadership, KNI has contributed to the winning campaigns of numerous politicians.

Recent achievements by KNI include consulting on Cam Davis’ successful 2018 bid for commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. The former Great Lakes protection head for the Obama administration, Mr. Davis beat an Illinois record for write-in votes that president Franklin Delano Roosevelt previously held.

In 2020, KNI garnered a number of judicial primary victories for clients such as appellate justice Michael Hyman, Judge-elect Jill Rose Quinn, and Judge Teresa Molina. With these wins, Ms. Quinn became the first openly transgender judge in the history of Illinois, and Ms. Molina won by the largest voting margin of any judicial candidate in Cook County.

Sean Tenner Interviews Tiger King’s Josh Dial for HFTD

In addition to serving as president of KNI Communications in Chicago, Sean Tenner sits on the Board of Directors for the suicide prevention and mental health nonprofit, Hope for the Day (HFTD). Sean Tenner’s recent work with HFTD includes interviewing Josh Dial of the hit Netflix docuseries, Tiger King.

As part of its proactive suicide prevention and mental health education efforts, HFTD facilitates open conversations on subjects that relate to psychological and emotional wellness. Released on May 27, 2020, the HFTD interview with Josh Dial allows the Tiger King star to open up about his own mental health issues and suicide attempts.

In particular, Mr. Dial discusses the psychological trauma that he experienced after bearing witness to the accidental, self-inflicted, fatal shooting of Travis Maldonado. Captured by an office security camera, footage of this terrible accident appeared on the Tiger King series complete with Mr. Dial’s shocked and terrified reaction.

Mr. Dial has since undergone mental health treatment. He hopes that others will learn from him and seek out the help that they need.

Mauritania Struggles to Truly Abolish Slavery

Sean Tenner studied American government and graduated cum laude in 3.5 years from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Today, Sean Tenner lives in Chicago, Illinois, where he serves as president of KNI Communications. Alongside fellow human rights advocate Bakary Tandia of Mauritania, Tenner founded The Abolition Institute in 2013, seeking to eradicate slavery in Mauritania, a West African nation where race and descent based slavery is still widespread.

Even though Mauritania abolished slavery in 1981, thousands of its 3.4 million residents continue to live in slavery. When the country outlawed the practice, it was the last in the world to do so. A law officially established slavery as a crime in 2007. But since then, the government has prosecuted very few cases of slavery.

Located in the Sahara Desert, Mauritania covers 400,000 square miles and hosts about eight people per square mile. The ethnic group known White Moors had historically owned slaves.

Over the years, several humanitarian groups have traveled to Mauritania to promote causes meant to improve the way of life for those living there.

Criticism of Mauritania's Addition to UN Human Rights Council

A public policy advocacy strategist with a background in managing political campaigns, Sean Tenner is president of the Chicago, Illinois-based firm KNI Communications, through which he assists nonprofit organizations and electoral campaigns. In addition, Sean Tenner is a prominent advocate for the end of slavery in the Northwest African nation of Mauritania.

Mauritania joined the 47-member United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council for the first time in February 2020. However, critics have suggested that the country isn't doing enough to eliminate descent-based slavery. Mauritania, which was elected to the council in 2019 despite the concerns of its poor record regarding slavery, is believed to have 90,000 citizens enslaved as domestic servants and cattle herders, according to the 2018 Global Slavery Index. Its government, however, has denied that it is a widespread practice.

Following its first session with the UN Human Rights Council, Biram Dah Abeid, a two-time presidential candidate of the council and leader of the Mauritanian anti-slavery group Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement, called Mauritania's inclusion to the council "a denial of the very principles on which the UN is based." In support of this claim, Abeid cited two recent instances of youth who claimed to be enslaved returned to their respective masters by the government.

Focus in Illinois Congressional Race on Israel issues

Sean Tenner is a respected presence in the Chicago community who leads KNI Communications and works proactively with nonprofits, foundations, electoral campaigns, and advocacy campaigns. In his role as a Democratic political consultant, Sean Tenner was quoted in a recent Jewish Insider article on a high profile Illinois congressional race.

At issue is the Illinois 3rd congressional district, which encompasses many largely Catholic neighborhoods in Chicago and the southwestern and western suburbs of Chicago. Many view the primary election to be held in March 2020 viewed as a referendum on women’s reproductive rights and affordable health care, the two leading candidates being Rep. Dan Lipinski and Marie Newman. The latter candidate lost narrowly to the incumbent in the 2018 election for the House seat.

The article noted that Newman and Lipinski (an eight-term congressman) have different views on the Jewish state of Israel in the current campaign.

Commenting on this issue, Mr. Tenner noted that, while Muslim and Jewish voters are not large components of the district’s electorate, both groups have strong feelings about the Middle East and get engaged in local politics. He noted that it is a systemic strength of the American political system that members of both communities have the ability to advocate for their positions and have their voices heard in the primary process.

State Rep. Feigenholtz 'Obvious Choice' to Replace Cullerton

Sean Tenner serves as president of KNI Communications in Chicago, Illinois, a communications firm committed to providing solutions to foundations, nonprofits, and issue and electoral advocacy campaigns. As a Democratic Committeeman of the 46th Ward in Chicago, Sean Tenner commented on State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz’s efforts to fill the seat of 6th District Senate President John Cullerton, calling her the “obvious choice.” His opinion was featured in the Illinois Playbook column on Politico.com.

According to the Illinois Playbook coverage, Feigenholtz had begun to garner political support to become the next president of the 6th District Senate by fall 2019. The alderman of the 44th Ward Chicago, Tom Tunney leads the Democratic Committee that will determine Cullerton’s replacement. Speaking with the publication, he estimated Feigenholtz had support from more than 80 percent of the committee at the time. With the largest weight vote, Tunney could play a primary role in deciding whether or not Feigenholtz become the next 6th District Senate President in January 2020.