As civil rights activist and feminist Audre Lorde famously said, "There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle, because we do not live single-issue lives." Yet many people of color hear the words "animal rights" or "vegan," and they think it's just a "white thing." As a woman of color in the animal rights movement, I know that couldn't be further from the truth. Food justice, animal rights and other social issues are all linked, and we all deserve to be part of the conversation _ because as long as one group remains oppressed, we all are.
When I first started out in the animal rights movement, I'll admit that I felt lonely. I would show up to a protest and stand with the other activists, and no one looked like me. No black women. But when I went online, I found amazing black activists who were writing really insightful blogs about animal rights and being vegan. It was inspiring. I realized there are different forms of activism. Just because everyone isn't able to show up and protest in person doesn't mean they aren't committed. To think only white people care about health, animals and the planet is absolutely false.
There are so many black vegans who've contributed to the cause that when we call it a "white thing," we leave out a lot of people who are making a real difference.
Growing up, I didn't know anything about the animal rights community. I was my own one-person movement. I saw dogs tied outside in the backyard all the time. Neighbors and even some family members had dogs chained outside, all alone with no human contact and fed nothing but scraps. I hated seeing that. I was quick to say something. I called animal control, too. People told me to mind my own business, but I knew in my heart I had to speak out.
In the summers, I would spend time on my aunt's farm in North Carolina, where I fed pigs, cows and chickens. My favorites were the piglets _ I thought they were so cute. I would say, "I want a pig." Family members would say, "That's food, not a pet," and I would yell, "I wouldn't eat a pig!"
Ironically, I did eat bacon pretty much every day on almost everything. So now that I'm vegan, I make sure not to pass judgment on someone else who doesn't yet know what I know now. I remember what it was like being perfectly happy eating bacon and not making the connection to those piglets.
It can be difficult for communities like mine that live in oppressive environments to see past our own suffering enough to recognize the suffering of animals. But it doesn't have to be one or the other. To me, going vegan is the best of both worlds: It helps animals, and it also fixes pervasive health issues among our people, like diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
In black communities, many of the foods we grew up eating were unhealthy. These bad food habits have been passed down through the generations, so many of us weren't aware that there's a better, healthier way to eat. I want to get my people to see that we're being exploited by food companies that do not have our best interests at heart. Our lack of knowledge about going vegan is literally killing us.
This Black History Month _ and beyond _ I hope everyone reading this will remember two things:
First, we can care about more than one struggle. My activism includes everyone and everything. I can't walk past a hungry dog without helping, and I can't walk past a hungry human without helping. I care about the planet, and my health is important to me, too. It's all connected.
And second, animal activism isn't a "white thing." It's a caring thing _ caring for all living beings. In our hearts, we all have compassion, no matter our background or the color of our skin.
