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Antiracism in Animal Advocacy: Igniting Cultural Transformation
Sixteen essays on the importance of racial equity in animal advocacy.
Antiracism in Animal Advocacy: Igniting Cultural Transformation is a collection of writings by farmed animal protection advocates who are committed to exploring and prioritizing racial equity as they work to create a more just animal protection movement. The essayists, whose work was originally published in Sentient Media, and is reprinted with their permission, were all attendees of Encompass’s 2020 Racial Equity Institutes.
Essays include:
“From Speaking Up for Animals to Becoming an Antiracist,” by Rachel Huff-Wagenborg
“Using Research and Data to Create an Inclusive Animal Rights Movement,” by Brooke Haggerty
“How My Cultural Identity Informs My Animal Advocacy,” by Unny Nambudiripad
“Animal Advocates: It’s Time We Move from Performance to True Antiracism,” by Aryenish Birdie
“Oppression without Hierarchy: Racial Justice and Animal Advocacy,” by Michelle Rojas-Soto
“How Racism in Animal Advocacy and Effective Altruism Hinders Our Mission,” by Michelle Graham
Antiracism in Animal Advocacy: Igniting Cultural Transformation is a collection of writings by farmed animal protection advocates who are committed to exploring and prioritizing racial equity as they work to create a more just animal protection movement. The essayists, whose work was originally published in Sentient Media, and is reprinted with their permission, were all attendees of Encompass’s 2020 Racial Equity Institutes.
Essays include:
“From Speaking Up for Animals to Becoming an Antiracist,” by Rachel Huff-Wagenborg
“Using Research and Data to Create an Inclusive Animal Rights Movement,” by Brooke Haggerty
“How My Cultural Identity Informs My Animal Advocacy,” by Unny Nambudiripad
“Animal Advocates: It’s Time We Move from Performance to True Antiracism,” by Aryenish Birdie
“Oppression without Hierarchy: Racial Justice and Animal Advocacy,” by Michelle Rojas-Soto
“How Racism in Animal Advocacy and Effective Altruism Hinders Our Mission,” by Michelle Graham
216 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2021
10 people are currently reading
341 people want to read
About the author
Jasmin Singer
3 books48 followersWith over 10 years of experience presenting workshops on subjects including veganism and animal rights, Jasmin’s unique ability to connect to an audience with humor, personal stories, and information presented in a friendly, accessible way is what makes her a favorite at events throughout the country and beyond. She has spoken at hundreds of events, including VegFests, conferences, bookstores, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 23, 2021
I'm the publisher of this book and thought I'd say a few years on why I decided to publish it. Actually, it was a no-brainer: as soon as I heard that these essays were going to be published on Sentient Media, I contacted Jasmin Singer—who appears in both DEFIANT DAUGHTERS and RUNNING, EATING, THINKING—and asked her if she'd consider turning them into a book with Lantern. And here these essays now are: slightly adapted for print, and with original material from Jasmin; the co-founder of Encompass, Aryenish Birdie; and a former employee at Encompass, Michelle Rojas-Soto. Like all anthologies, some essays are more on point and better written than others, but the collected volume packs a punch. For a long-time animal advocate and white man such as myself, there are some sober realities to confront, but that's what books are for: to force you to think, confront your blindspots, figure out what you want to hold onto and what to let go, and learn to be a better human being.
December 22, 2021
Antiracism in Animal Advocacy, released in September from Lantern Press, is a tough book to review. This is not because it's a horrible book or anything, but it goes in a lot of directions that made me wonder who the best audience was for it. It is a collection of essays tackling racism and white supremacy all too present in white dominated sectors of animal rights activism. I admit I initially missed the text at the top telling the reader these are "The Encompass Essays," so I did not realize until I began reading that all of the essays would be from people involved with the organization Encompass. I am generally out of touch with all of the nonprofits out there as there are so many, but Encompass' goals seem very important and noble to try to achieve. Not everyone in this text is included on the website, but judging from the entries, all of them are or were involved in helping Encompass achieve goals of better racial inclusion in animal advocacy movements.
Around half of the essays in the book are by self identified Black, Indigenous, & People of the Global Majority (BIPGM,) which is one of the things that makes it difficult to categorize. Because the burden of tackling white supremacy should rest on the shoulders of white people, and mainstream animal advocacy movements with the most funding are dominated by white people, sharing essays by white animal advocates discussing their antiracist journeys and practices make sense. And it is true that the representation of BIPGM in this book is much better
than in animal rights organizations in the west at large. But, I wouldn't recommend essays by white folks to people who already experience racism and know what it is unless they are interested in knowing which white folks are at least working at it. At the same time, the contributions by BIPGM are stellar and I believe most if not all people of various backgrounds could benefit from their wisdom, if only for the sense of comradery. Perhaps I should just let go of my love of boxes and let this book exist outside of one. If you're white, especially if you are new to committing to truly fight racism and white supremacy within and outside of yourself, you should read this book. If you're BIPGM, you may want to stick with the half of the book written by BIPGM and even then, they may be sharing things you already know from personal experience.
I've done a bit of the never ending work of learning about and fighting racism both within myself and systemically. (I have much more to do.) Thus, I found the dominance of white voices in this to be a little disappointing. However, if I think of myself around 15-20 years ago- embarrassingly ignorant of so many of these issues and how entrenched they are in my life and the world at large- I can see myself benefiting from these essays immensely back then. With all of this in mind, I'd say the people that need to read this book the most are the white folx who are still in the early phases of their awakening. In the promotional quotes for the book listed in the beginning, Omowale Adewale calls this collection, "an excellent springboard for white people and their entities to do antiracist work while strengthening the infrastructure of the animal advocacy community." That sums it up quite well.
I do have some criticisms of how some of the entries by white people come off as shallow in terms of their goals, particularly one essay by Rachel Huff-Wagenborg that is basically a list about how she'll think about and challenge her white privilege as the action points she's taking. That's less than the bare minimum. Michelle Graham rightfully acknowledges the racism in the "effective altruism" movement, but does not criticize EA itself for being notoriously ineffective in their research and implementation, funneling large amounts of money into already wealthy (often white) organizations (who of course are more "effective" than small ones because they are rich.) I admit it has been some time since I looked into how they operate, so perhaps they are better at this than they were years ago. Other white authors like Cailen LaBarge do a better job of discussing both personal and systemic issues and how to tackle them both.
I especially appreciated authors of multiple racial backgrounds bringing up the shameful issue of organizations going after farm workers and not the farm owners and operators, often doing Purdue and Hormel's PR work for them by allowing the blame to fall on "bad apples" whose behaviors they "don't condone" despite literally inventing them. To add fuel to the systemic fire, they end up laying misdemeanor or felony charges at the feet of people already so down and out that they're doing some of the most traumatic, dangerous, and dirty work in the world. Overall I would have liked to see less talk about personal privilege from middle to owning class white people (whose experiences also don't translate often to many poorer or multiply marginalized white people) and more discussion overall of systemic issues and how to fight them.
The best essays in the collection are that of Malina Tran, Dana McPhall, Christopher Eubanks, and Michelle Rojas-Soto. My book is littered with page flags here and I will not include long quotes so as to hopefully entice you to go out and grab a copy of the book and read the full essays. All of their entries bring great depths of understanding as well as giving the gift of vulnerability in sharing their personal experiences with these issues as well. These, and other BIPGM in the book are people that not only have been fantastically active animal advocates, but they have done so while navigating the immense barriers placed before them by racism in white dominant animal rights groups and movements. Readers- especially white ones- should read these entries and realize not only how incredibly horrific and unjust it is that our movements for all animals often exclude the most marginalized of humans, but also realize just how much we are all missing out on by excluding them. Everyone benefits from dismantling white supremacy. Yes, everyone.
I acknowledge the hypocrisy in devoting much of this review to critiquing white essays while complaining that too much time is spent on white people in this book. This is all very messy and I don't have easy solutions. Like many authors state, there is no perfect way to do this and there is no way to do this without failing at times. Being uncomfortable is a good thing as a white person fighting racism. Don't run from it.
I think Jasmin Singer did a decent job editing the collection overall. While I have criticisms of the demographics, I don't have an easy solution. 2 books divided into BIPGM and white accomplices? That would come with its own set of issues. Perhaps this book is right where it should be- a bit of something for everyone. Anthologies often are that way. The editors and authors of this book never claim to have all of the answers. I think this book is a valuable contribution to these ongoing conversations and the actions that hopefully grow from them. I wonder what my activism would have looked like had I been handed a book like this 20 years ago.
This was also posted to my blog.
Around half of the essays in the book are by self identified Black, Indigenous, & People of the Global Majority (BIPGM,) which is one of the things that makes it difficult to categorize. Because the burden of tackling white supremacy should rest on the shoulders of white people, and mainstream animal advocacy movements with the most funding are dominated by white people, sharing essays by white animal advocates discussing their antiracist journeys and practices make sense. And it is true that the representation of BIPGM in this book is much better
than in animal rights organizations in the west at large. But, I wouldn't recommend essays by white folks to people who already experience racism and know what it is unless they are interested in knowing which white folks are at least working at it. At the same time, the contributions by BIPGM are stellar and I believe most if not all people of various backgrounds could benefit from their wisdom, if only for the sense of comradery. Perhaps I should just let go of my love of boxes and let this book exist outside of one. If you're white, especially if you are new to committing to truly fight racism and white supremacy within and outside of yourself, you should read this book. If you're BIPGM, you may want to stick with the half of the book written by BIPGM and even then, they may be sharing things you already know from personal experience.
I've done a bit of the never ending work of learning about and fighting racism both within myself and systemically. (I have much more to do.) Thus, I found the dominance of white voices in this to be a little disappointing. However, if I think of myself around 15-20 years ago- embarrassingly ignorant of so many of these issues and how entrenched they are in my life and the world at large- I can see myself benefiting from these essays immensely back then. With all of this in mind, I'd say the people that need to read this book the most are the white folx who are still in the early phases of their awakening. In the promotional quotes for the book listed in the beginning, Omowale Adewale calls this collection, "an excellent springboard for white people and their entities to do antiracist work while strengthening the infrastructure of the animal advocacy community." That sums it up quite well.
I do have some criticisms of how some of the entries by white people come off as shallow in terms of their goals, particularly one essay by Rachel Huff-Wagenborg that is basically a list about how she'll think about and challenge her white privilege as the action points she's taking. That's less than the bare minimum. Michelle Graham rightfully acknowledges the racism in the "effective altruism" movement, but does not criticize EA itself for being notoriously ineffective in their research and implementation, funneling large amounts of money into already wealthy (often white) organizations (who of course are more "effective" than small ones because they are rich.) I admit it has been some time since I looked into how they operate, so perhaps they are better at this than they were years ago. Other white authors like Cailen LaBarge do a better job of discussing both personal and systemic issues and how to tackle them both.
I especially appreciated authors of multiple racial backgrounds bringing up the shameful issue of organizations going after farm workers and not the farm owners and operators, often doing Purdue and Hormel's PR work for them by allowing the blame to fall on "bad apples" whose behaviors they "don't condone" despite literally inventing them. To add fuel to the systemic fire, they end up laying misdemeanor or felony charges at the feet of people already so down and out that they're doing some of the most traumatic, dangerous, and dirty work in the world. Overall I would have liked to see less talk about personal privilege from middle to owning class white people (whose experiences also don't translate often to many poorer or multiply marginalized white people) and more discussion overall of systemic issues and how to fight them.
The best essays in the collection are that of Malina Tran, Dana McPhall, Christopher Eubanks, and Michelle Rojas-Soto. My book is littered with page flags here and I will not include long quotes so as to hopefully entice you to go out and grab a copy of the book and read the full essays. All of their entries bring great depths of understanding as well as giving the gift of vulnerability in sharing their personal experiences with these issues as well. These, and other BIPGM in the book are people that not only have been fantastically active animal advocates, but they have done so while navigating the immense barriers placed before them by racism in white dominant animal rights groups and movements. Readers- especially white ones- should read these entries and realize not only how incredibly horrific and unjust it is that our movements for all animals often exclude the most marginalized of humans, but also realize just how much we are all missing out on by excluding them. Everyone benefits from dismantling white supremacy. Yes, everyone.
I acknowledge the hypocrisy in devoting much of this review to critiquing white essays while complaining that too much time is spent on white people in this book. This is all very messy and I don't have easy solutions. Like many authors state, there is no perfect way to do this and there is no way to do this without failing at times. Being uncomfortable is a good thing as a white person fighting racism. Don't run from it.
I think Jasmin Singer did a decent job editing the collection overall. While I have criticisms of the demographics, I don't have an easy solution. 2 books divided into BIPGM and white accomplices? That would come with its own set of issues. Perhaps this book is right where it should be- a bit of something for everyone. Anthologies often are that way. The editors and authors of this book never claim to have all of the answers. I think this book is a valuable contribution to these ongoing conversations and the actions that hopefully grow from them. I wonder what my activism would have looked like had I been handed a book like this 20 years ago.
This was also posted to my blog.
October 4, 2021
My review will be contrary to those of many others, and most will disagree with it. However, the majority of essays struck me as being written by privileged members of elite progressive groups who live within their bubbles and with a few notable exceptions basically parrot one another. They voice platitudes that in many instances repurpose tropes used in earlier eras to victimize others without recognizing it. They also ignore a history of genocide and discrimination, much of which continues and affects BIPOC including the ongoing genocide of the Rohingya people in Myanmar and the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 during which members of the Tutsi minority were killed by Hutu extremists when ascribing present day racism to a culture of white privilege and white supremacy. They fail to recognize that others of all races have and continue to be discriminated against and murdered based upon religious beliefs and that needs to be addressed as part of any social justice movement as well as racism.
Most concerning is their failure to recognize that much of the anger that undermines efforts to achieve racial justice are fueled by economic inequality which has been manipulated to create a climate of fear with respect to “the other.” Redressing such inequality is the key to addressing the ills about which the essayists complain.
And as part of tackling these issues it is imperative that the movement become more inclusive meaning that it not be limited to those from elite backgrounds such as Ivy League universities and their equivalents. It needs to incorporate people who are from all socioeconomic backgrounds including those without college degrees and degrees from community colleges, state universities and small colleges, and indigenous peoples. It needs to listen to them and incorporate their ideas, not just talk about being more inclusive in terms of leadership and funding.
Most concerning is their failure to recognize that much of the anger that undermines efforts to achieve racial justice are fueled by economic inequality which has been manipulated to create a climate of fear with respect to “the other.” Redressing such inequality is the key to addressing the ills about which the essayists complain.
And as part of tackling these issues it is imperative that the movement become more inclusive meaning that it not be limited to those from elite backgrounds such as Ivy League universities and their equivalents. It needs to incorporate people who are from all socioeconomic backgrounds including those without college degrees and degrees from community colleges, state universities and small colleges, and indigenous peoples. It needs to listen to them and incorporate their ideas, not just talk about being more inclusive in terms of leadership and funding.
January 18, 2025
i had high expectations so maybe my review is inflated that way. ultimately, this book wasn’t for me. it’s written for white people coming to terms with their conditioned racism. most of the revelations can come off as frankly.. offensive. they were about how animal justice isn’t entirely separate from racial justice — which… duhh that’s so obvious to non white people exisiting in PWIs. i also think there’s a lack of clear action steps in addressing the majority of how white-leading animal advocacy orgs operate. essayists do a good job at connecting the dots between the two issues (eg: how workers in factory farming are mostly migrants/poor/bipoc). but instead of just asking to stop shaming workers who work at these animal torture chambers, we can be more strategic with our solidarity. for example: i would love to see the animal advocacy movement take charge in unionizing factory farm workers to take down that industry by via class struggle.
i think it is still worth reading, especially if youre a white person interested in this topic. all the essays were well written and accessible to read, which is major props to the editor! imo, the standout essays were:
- the need for consistency in animal advocacy by malina tran
- oppression without hiearchy, michelle rojas soto
- animal advocates: it’s time we move from performance
i think it is still worth reading, especially if youre a white person interested in this topic. all the essays were well written and accessible to read, which is major props to the editor! imo, the standout essays were:
- the need for consistency in animal advocacy by malina tran
- oppression without hiearchy, michelle rojas soto
- animal advocates: it’s time we move from performance
December 16, 2021
eye opener
June 3, 2022
I found this book to be extremely powerful on so many levels. The essays (also known as "The Encompass Essays") are earnest, insightful, and provided me with much to think about in addition to many actionable methods to behave and initiate positive change. I was extremely sad to hear that https://encompassmovement.org/ is folding knowing how important this work is.
I highly recommend this book.
Some quotes:
If we want to see change in our lives, we have to change things ourselves. – Grace Lee Boggs
If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you recognize that your liberation and mine are bound up together, we can walk together. Lilla Watson
There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives. - Audrey Lorde
The beauty of Antiracism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Antiracism is the commitment to fight racism whenever you find it, including in your self. And it’s the only way forward. Ijeoma Oluo
I loved how Aryenish Birdie framed her essay: my awakening, my introspection, my accountability, my leadership, our movement: “For the most part, Black, Indigenous, and people of the global majority (BIPGM) have taken an emotional burden to physical labor, and the harsh consequences including death – for leading the efforts to combat racism.” page 10
Shayna Rowbotham
Culture is as omnipresent, yet invisible, as the air we breathe. It informs our philosophies, worldviews, and values. Its influence is why, today, we view scientific knowledge as superior to all other knowledge. We worship the written word and writing ability over other forms of communication and information sharing. We make productivity and progress above well-being and creativity. Page 37
Mikaela Saccoccio
The problem belongs to everyone, and therefore it belongs to no one. Racial inequity in farmed animal philanthropy has thrived off of the bystander effect. Page 56
Jamie Berger
And I looked in the word, reckoning with my race in the arbitrary advantages it a Fort Smith, asking myself why it took me so long – despite my previous experiences end to see racism so plainly in myself, to better understand my role in upholding white supremacy in society and in the animal protection movement. Page 78
Brooke Haggerty
When my advocacy is data-driven, I feel confident knowing that I’m using my time and resources effectively. Page 129
Michelle Rojas-Soto
Motivated by health concerns, eight years ago I switch to a plant-based diet overnight. Page 146
The antidote to white supremacy is equity: the state where everyone has what they need to succeed, and identity does not predict outcomes. Let us work on equitable movement building so that we develop the capacity to transform animal architecture
The antidote to white supremacy is equity: the state where everyone has what they need to succeed, and identity does not predict outcomes. Page 149
Working through problems in neatly structured flowcharts the stuff of the nineteenth– and twentieth-century thinking. Equity requires us to think non-literally and multi-dimensionally, which is a stretch for each of us individually – but not collectively. Page 152
I highly recommend this book.
Some quotes:
If we want to see change in our lives, we have to change things ourselves. – Grace Lee Boggs
If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you recognize that your liberation and mine are bound up together, we can walk together. Lilla Watson
There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives. - Audrey Lorde
The beauty of Antiracism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Antiracism is the commitment to fight racism whenever you find it, including in your self. And it’s the only way forward. Ijeoma Oluo
I loved how Aryenish Birdie framed her essay: my awakening, my introspection, my accountability, my leadership, our movement: “For the most part, Black, Indigenous, and people of the global majority (BIPGM) have taken an emotional burden to physical labor, and the harsh consequences including death – for leading the efforts to combat racism.” page 10
Shayna Rowbotham
Culture is as omnipresent, yet invisible, as the air we breathe. It informs our philosophies, worldviews, and values. Its influence is why, today, we view scientific knowledge as superior to all other knowledge. We worship the written word and writing ability over other forms of communication and information sharing. We make productivity and progress above well-being and creativity. Page 37
Mikaela Saccoccio
The problem belongs to everyone, and therefore it belongs to no one. Racial inequity in farmed animal philanthropy has thrived off of the bystander effect. Page 56
Jamie Berger
And I looked in the word, reckoning with my race in the arbitrary advantages it a Fort Smith, asking myself why it took me so long – despite my previous experiences end to see racism so plainly in myself, to better understand my role in upholding white supremacy in society and in the animal protection movement. Page 78
Brooke Haggerty
When my advocacy is data-driven, I feel confident knowing that I’m using my time and resources effectively. Page 129
Michelle Rojas-Soto
Motivated by health concerns, eight years ago I switch to a plant-based diet overnight. Page 146
The antidote to white supremacy is equity: the state where everyone has what they need to succeed, and identity does not predict outcomes. Let us work on equitable movement building so that we develop the capacity to transform animal architecture
The antidote to white supremacy is equity: the state where everyone has what they need to succeed, and identity does not predict outcomes. Page 149
Working through problems in neatly structured flowcharts the stuff of the nineteenth– and twentieth-century thinking. Equity requires us to think non-literally and multi-dimensionally, which is a stretch for each of us individually – but not collectively. Page 152
February 11, 2025
Good book if you’re white and never heard of racism before
Read
October 12, 2023Read the foreward and introduction. Skimmed the remaining chapters.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews