Two important books on this topic are (1) Aphro-ism: Essays on Pop Culture, Feminism, and Black Veganism from Two Sisters by Aph Ko an d Syl Ko (Lanter, 2017); (2) Dangerous Crossings: Race, species, and nature in a multicultural age by Claire Jean Kim (Cambridge University Press, 2015). Thank you for the article.
An important examination of the topic that provides many insights essential to understanding the subject from a broad perspective.
Some years ago I conducted an engaging interview in Miami with a charming black woman then in her sixties who was a raw food vegan. For me, this precious person represented the beautiful face of veganism that the world so desperately needs to see.
On the issue of veganism and race, it is unacceptable that vegans and manufacturers in Europe often use ingredients that are imported from lands that are the result of genocide against indigenous peoples and/or in which the large-scale destruction of forests, extermination of native plants, fungi and animals and violence against indigenous people continues.
Thank you for bringing this up. You’re right to point out that some vegan products rely on ingredients linked to land theft, deforestation, and harm to indigenous peoples. Ethical veganism should mean justice for all—human and non-human. We must stay mindful of where our food comes from and support fair, sustainable, and indigenous-led sources whenever possible. Your comment is an important reminder to keep pushing veganism toward greater accountability and integrity.
I see the vegan movement as the epitome of anti-racism as it guts the very seed, genesis, catalyst of "otherness", class system hierarchy and supremacy from how it was first adopted, learned, became ingrained in human psycho-social norms. Charles Patterson's book, Eternal Treblinka, Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust examines the deepest desensitization in humanity that enabled and still does, abuse of power, taking from others what is not ours to take, and the earliest seed of slavery. Domestication of non-human beings cemented human supremacy in all its current forms. The resistance to fascism, racism, speciesism, is to stop supporting it. Being vegan says NO to all that is abusive and perverted in this deformed world in which the human condition has been shaped in large part, by our relationship with and treatment of animals.
Professor Piers Beirne's book as well, examines how killing animals set the stage for the deformed "normal" we in the AR movement are so painfully aware of as the ONLY movement who sees the TRUE face of modern civilization that has a long way to evolve before it can call itself civilized.
Murdering Animals. Writings on Theriocide, Homicide and Non-speciesist Criminology.
At crime scenes they use forensics to gather information to solve the crime. The animal rights movement knows that forensics to solve the underpinnings of violence and disease in human society.
I LOVE Tabitha Brown, a stunning black vegan, and Chef Babbett.
Thank you, Laura. You articulate something many people sense but struggle to name: that veganism, at its core, is a radical act of resistance against the roots of domination itself. As you said, the domestication of animals was not just the beginning of speciesist violence, but also the blueprint for hierarchies based on race, class, and gender. By rejecting that original act of othering, veganism challenges the very architecture of supremacy.
Charles Patterson’s Eternal Treblinka and Professor Piers Beirne’s work are essential to understanding how normalized violence against animals set the stage for broader systemic abuses. These works expose how deeply ingrained the pathology of domination is, and how far we must go to become truly civilized.
Your point about forensics is especially compelling. Just as investigators use evidence to uncover the truth at a crime scene, the animal rights movement uncovers the hidden structures of harm that have long shaped human society. We are not just asking for compassion. We are demanding a moral and spiritual evolution.
And yes, Tabitha Brown and Chef Babette are incredible. They embody the joy, strength, and grace of ethical living while challenging stereotypes and showing that veganism is not only an act of resistance but also a celebration of life, health, and justice.
Thank you for this reminder that veganism is not just a diet. It is a revolution.
Related to Simon's point: there's also the fact that 82% of the world's starving children live in countries where most of the soy and grain crops are exported to the West to feed our demand for cheap factory-farm-raised meat. What does this reliance on cash crops for wealthy nations mean for their own access to local protein?
Good point Roselle. When crops like soy and corn are grown in poorer nations but exported to feed animals in wealthier countries, it creates a system where local communities lose access to land, water, and food they need. This model favors profit over people, turning vital farmland into feedlots for the global North’s appetite for meat. It’s one reason why global hunger isn’t about food scarcity, it’s about injustice. Supporting plant-based systems that prioritize local food sovereignty and nutrition is one way to start correcting this imbalance.
Absolutely, Michael. What's more, as you well know, we could in any case feed so many more people on a plant-based diet. Harvard did a study where they reckoned that the UK could feed itself (currently it's +- 50%) IF the UK people went vegan (as if; but nonetheless it's worth knowing, isn't it?).
Two important books on this topic are (1) Aphro-ism: Essays on Pop Culture, Feminism, and Black Veganism from Two Sisters by Aph Ko an d Syl Ko (Lanter, 2017); (2) Dangerous Crossings: Race, species, and nature in a multicultural age by Claire Jean Kim (Cambridge University Press, 2015). Thank you for the article.
You are welcome and thanks for the info.
An important examination of the topic that provides many insights essential to understanding the subject from a broad perspective.
Some years ago I conducted an engaging interview in Miami with a charming black woman then in her sixties who was a raw food vegan. For me, this precious person represented the beautiful face of veganism that the world so desperately needs to see.
On the issue of veganism and race, it is unacceptable that vegans and manufacturers in Europe often use ingredients that are imported from lands that are the result of genocide against indigenous peoples and/or in which the large-scale destruction of forests, extermination of native plants, fungi and animals and violence against indigenous people continues.
Thank you for bringing this up. You’re right to point out that some vegan products rely on ingredients linked to land theft, deforestation, and harm to indigenous peoples. Ethical veganism should mean justice for all—human and non-human. We must stay mindful of where our food comes from and support fair, sustainable, and indigenous-led sources whenever possible. Your comment is an important reminder to keep pushing veganism toward greater accountability and integrity.
I see the vegan movement as the epitome of anti-racism as it guts the very seed, genesis, catalyst of "otherness", class system hierarchy and supremacy from how it was first adopted, learned, became ingrained in human psycho-social norms. Charles Patterson's book, Eternal Treblinka, Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust examines the deepest desensitization in humanity that enabled and still does, abuse of power, taking from others what is not ours to take, and the earliest seed of slavery. Domestication of non-human beings cemented human supremacy in all its current forms. The resistance to fascism, racism, speciesism, is to stop supporting it. Being vegan says NO to all that is abusive and perverted in this deformed world in which the human condition has been shaped in large part, by our relationship with and treatment of animals.
Professor Piers Beirne's book as well, examines how killing animals set the stage for the deformed "normal" we in the AR movement are so painfully aware of as the ONLY movement who sees the TRUE face of modern civilization that has a long way to evolve before it can call itself civilized.
Murdering Animals. Writings on Theriocide, Homicide and Non-speciesist Criminology.
At crime scenes they use forensics to gather information to solve the crime. The animal rights movement knows that forensics to solve the underpinnings of violence and disease in human society.
I LOVE Tabitha Brown, a stunning black vegan, and Chef Babbett.
Thank you, Laura. You articulate something many people sense but struggle to name: that veganism, at its core, is a radical act of resistance against the roots of domination itself. As you said, the domestication of animals was not just the beginning of speciesist violence, but also the blueprint for hierarchies based on race, class, and gender. By rejecting that original act of othering, veganism challenges the very architecture of supremacy.
Charles Patterson’s Eternal Treblinka and Professor Piers Beirne’s work are essential to understanding how normalized violence against animals set the stage for broader systemic abuses. These works expose how deeply ingrained the pathology of domination is, and how far we must go to become truly civilized.
Your point about forensics is especially compelling. Just as investigators use evidence to uncover the truth at a crime scene, the animal rights movement uncovers the hidden structures of harm that have long shaped human society. We are not just asking for compassion. We are demanding a moral and spiritual evolution.
And yes, Tabitha Brown and Chef Babette are incredible. They embody the joy, strength, and grace of ethical living while challenging stereotypes and showing that veganism is not only an act of resistance but also a celebration of life, health, and justice.
Thank you for this reminder that veganism is not just a diet. It is a revolution.
Related to Simon's point: there's also the fact that 82% of the world's starving children live in countries where most of the soy and grain crops are exported to the West to feed our demand for cheap factory-farm-raised meat. What does this reliance on cash crops for wealthy nations mean for their own access to local protein?
Good point Roselle. When crops like soy and corn are grown in poorer nations but exported to feed animals in wealthier countries, it creates a system where local communities lose access to land, water, and food they need. This model favors profit over people, turning vital farmland into feedlots for the global North’s appetite for meat. It’s one reason why global hunger isn’t about food scarcity, it’s about injustice. Supporting plant-based systems that prioritize local food sovereignty and nutrition is one way to start correcting this imbalance.
Absolutely, Michael. What's more, as you well know, we could in any case feed so many more people on a plant-based diet. Harvard did a study where they reckoned that the UK could feed itself (currently it's +- 50%) IF the UK people went vegan (as if; but nonetheless it's worth knowing, isn't it?).