Antiracism in Animal Advocacy: Igniting Cultural Transformation

Abstract

This book is a collection of 15 essays written by advocates and leaders in the farmed animal protection movement specifically, and the animal protection, animal rights, animal welfare, and animal liberation movements broadly speaking. These essays written by several individuals active in the movement were first published by Sentient Media, a nonprofit journalism organization that reports on animal rights and animal welfare issues with a goal of bringing the well-being of animals into the mainstream media. The title alone, Antiracism in Animal Advocacy, is one that stands out as antiracism has yet to be seen as an essential part of the animal protection/rights/welfare/liberation movement. As such, this collection of writings is an important, valuable, and necessary contribution to the narrative and advocacy efforts seeking the well-being of animals and fighting to end their exploitation and oppression.Four themes outline the trajectory of the various essays and their particular focus/emphasis. The first group of essays focuses on the theme of awakening to the plight of animals and gaining an understanding of the issues they face. Awakening is followed by various authors’ journeys of introspection, whereby they explore their experiences of looking inward and unlearning the disconnect and separation of human issues and animal issues. The third grouping of essays emphasizes accountability and what that might look like individually and within organizations and systems within the animal protection/rights/welfare/liberation movement. And last, the final group of essays engages in reflections on antiracist leading and structural transformation within the movement. In addition to the structure of four distinctive essay themes, the book provides a glossary of terms to clearly articulate what the authors mean when they write about topics such as the following: anti-Blackness; antiracism; Black, Indigenous, and people of the global majority (BIPGM); colonialism; diversity; equality; equity; implicit bias; inclusion; intersectionality; microaggressions; power; racial justice; racism; tokenism; White fragility; White privilege; and White supremacy culture. Such a glossary is a helpful tool to minimize assumptions of what is meant by the terminology being used and to assist the readers in understanding what the authors mean by these precise terms.The primary goal the authors present within each of their individual essays is to build a racially equitable animal protection/rights/welfare/liberation movement—particularly one that emphasizes the intersection of racial equity, inclusion, and animal advocacy versus the covert expectation of assimilation to White norms and White culture within the movement (i.e., perpetuation of covert White supremacy). Strictly speaking, the collection of essays was compiled to center racial justice in the work done for animals and to make the case for an expanded understanding of antiracism to include the animal protection/rights/welfare/liberation movement. The movement is comprised of people who bring their various identities as well as implicit bias and microaggressions, which can be a hindrance to the collaboration and communication necessary to identify issues and goals for implementing strategies that seek to end exploitation, violence, and oppression of animals. As one author put it in her essay entitled “Oppression without Hierarchy: Racial Justice and Animal Advocacy”: Systems of oppression are interconnected in a web and regularly benefit from one another. In other words, speciesism is made stronger by racism, which is made stronger by sexism, which is made stronger by heterosexism, ableism, and on and on. But instead of being ordered in sequence, each node of oppression is connected to every other node, creating a very strong and resilient system. (Rojas-Soto, p. 150)Therefore, any work to achieve liberation for animals can only truly be effective if the spaces in which this work is being done are spaces that are antiracist, diverse, equitable, and inclusive. As such, the authors argue that it must be the opposite of a movement that has historically been rooted in White culture, White norms, and White voices. The author of the essay “Racism in Me, the Movement, and the Meat Industry” highlights this argument: Some might argue (and indeed many white animal protection movement leaders have argued) that other organizations exist to address racism in our food system and society, and therefore we have little obligation to confront this issue. This is not only naïve to the inherent interconnectedness of oppressions, but it is also based on the false, individualistic belief that animal advocates can do this work in isolation and that we can achieve our mission alone. To think that we, a tiny movement of people who cuddle with chickens and see fish as friends, can reform a global, trillion-dollar industry by ourselves is preposterous and self-aggrandizing. (Berger, p. 82)The authors of these essays represent a mixture of racial and ethnic identities whose experiences within the animal protection/rights/welfare/liberation movement vary depending on whether they identify as White or as BIPGM. Some of the authors of the essays identify as White and share their journey of doing the work to understand the role their Whiteness has had in opening doors, providing access to leadership opportunities and spaces in the movement, and how that exclusiveness perpetuates racism and implicit bias with the movement. Authors of essays who identify as BIPGM share their experiences of striving to fight for animals while also facing the challenges and pressures they have faced to assimilate to the White dominant culture in the animal protection/rights/welfare/liberation movement. Pushing back against the voices within the movement who argue that antiracism and equity at all levels has nothing to do with animal liberation is central to the argument they each explore within their own journey. The author of the essay “As a Black Man, I Felt Uncomfortable Being an Animal Activist” describes his experience: On the surface, I understood that many marginalized people don't feel they have the luxury of advocating for others when their own freedom is—and has historically been—attacked. But what I hadn't before considered was whether the animal rights movement put much effort into making Black, Indigenous, and people of the global majority feel included. (Eubanks, p. 71)This book of essays is an invitation for readers to consider how they are upholding racism and do the work of dismantling it. Otherwise, the animal protection/rights/welfare/liberation movement cannot truly move forward without racial equity. Antiracism in Animal Advocacy: Igniting Cultural Transformation makes an important contribution to the broader conversation about the intersecting injustices between the human and nonhuman animal worlds and how much more can be accomplished when matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the animal rights and animal welfare movement are addressed. It is arguably an essential read for individuals seeking to change the world for animals raising numerous opportunities within its pages for engaging in self-reflection and self-awareness for thinking about how to decenter Whiteness and push against White supremacy as a major part of the work to liberate animals and humans. In conclusion, to quote the editor of the book in her introduction, “Self-Discovery and the Pursuit of Racial Equity in Animal Advocacy”: We must do the hard work to propel our movement to that inclusive, ethical place where no one is oppressed for the sake of someone else's liberation. To accomplish this, individually and collectively, we have to unwaveringly challenge the white supremacist-infused ideals and values that largely provided the foundation upon which the institutional animals rights movement was built. We must rebuild something better. (Singer, pp. 25–26)