Racism 101 and the Animal Rights Movement
hickory and lenny
Racism is a complicated topic in some ways, simple in others. First, of course, we have to confront the fact that racism does exist in the AR movement. It exists in blatant ways as well as in the more subtle white privilege ways. (Subtle, that is, to those of us benefiting from the systemic racism that makes up the structure of our society.)
There is a lot to think about, to consider, to read about, to learn. This post will barely touch on the surface of “Racism 101″, as relates to the Animal Rights movement.
I start by recommending a couple articles from Satya. First, “Racism and the Animal Rights Movement“:
Most of us want to be inclusive. But why? Is it because it is the “right” thing to do? Because then our march would look like a beautiful rainbow? Because we have to be diverse to get funding? Pattrice Jones, a white AR activist who has a page about racism at bravebirds.org states, “The fact is that a predominantly white movement will not and indeed cannot bring about animal liberation.”
Jim Mason, a well-known white AR activist and author of An Unnatural Order (reprinted by Lantern Books, 2005) which looks at the history of racism as part of “dominionism,” agrees. He feels the imbalance “keeps AR from being a mass movement. It adds to the perception that it is just another trivial concern of the comfortable classes, which repels people who might otherwise be involved.”But is it just looking white that keeps people of color away from the movement? Or are white activists who lack awareness making people of color feel uncomfortable?
Patrick Kwan, founder and Executive Director of the Student Animal Rights Alliance, said, “At the first demonstration I went to someone asked me ‘Do you speak English?’—and that was in New York City!” He’s gotten these comments from white staffers of “pretty big AR organizations”: “I can’t believe how Asians treat animals” and “I don’t like Asians.”
The article covers a very wide range of issues, and remains relevant despite half a decade passing, so please take the time to read it!
Then head to Breeze Harper’s interview in Satya in 2007.
How do we start?
What I learned is if you are part of a privileged group, whether it is race, class, sex, etc., you have to be careful not to appropriate, to understand the power dynamics behind what you are doing, and how it may potentially offend people you are “trying to enlighten.”A lot of groups involved in social justice are not trained in what it means to be white and middle or upper class. I think groups should understand this before they begin to think their concept of justice and liberation is “universal.” While many groups don’t address systemic whiteness, they still benefit from it. I have to address it because it is wrong and I don’t benefit from it.
If somehow people could see that it is all connected; that the movement in the black community for racial and class liberation is not disconnected from the environmental sustainability movement which is not disconnected from ending exploitation of animals. Think of all the toxic waste coming out of the agribusiness industry. Where does it end up? It doesn’t end up in the backyard of Beverly Hills, but where there are working class people of color. If we dig to make those connections, we realize eating animals does affect me as a poor person of color. A lot of waste is going in my backyard and causing my community lots of health disparities and suffering.
Breeze has a book coming out in March, published by Lantern Books, Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans Speak on Food, Identity, Health, and Society, which I have been looking forward to for quite a while.
Breeze can be found in a few different places on the net, and one of them is at the group blog Vegans of Color. Go there, read, and listen. You might find yourself wanting to make excuses, or explanations. Don’t. Just listen. Think. In fact, read this post first, and take Sylkie’s comment to heart, “C’mon white people. It doesn’t always have to be about you. Stop talking and just listen for a while.”
Now go to Changeseeker and read her thoughts on How to be an Ally. It’s a 4 part series, and well worth the time it will take to read. And when you’re ready to face some harsh truths, read this post too.
There are many resources out there, there is a lot to learn. Animal Rights is about fighting exploitation and oppression, which makes fighting racism part of our Animal Rights fight. Even if that means we’ve got to fight ourselves, some of the time.
when I was four years old
they tried to test my I.Q.
they showed me a picture
of 3 oranges and a pear
they said,
which one is different?
it does not belong
they taught me different is wrong
-ani difranco (iq)
Stephanie Ernst
Marji
Kelly G.
Deb
Mary Martin
This post should be required…(voluntarily of course) reading for animal rights activists.
Why..? Because this issue exists and because it comes up all the time. This topic, this subject matter comes up in more ways than we animal rights activists realize.
I believe it’s really important to make it clear that we who advocate for the rights of non human animals realize that we also need to notice the oppression, prejudices and discrimination that exists everywhere and not just notice what happens with the other animals.
I know it’s sounds corny…cliche to say….but it’s all connected, REALLY and it all has to be dealt with. And it all has to be real and be authentic.
For instance, Animal rights people cannot just point out to African Americans how the similarities exist from their peoples previous enslavement to what we do to animals now and then demand that they take notice of what they do to non human animals now.
It will not work that way…
Animal rights is not a one way street…especially when there is still so much pain, resentment and dare I say…oppression that still exists.
Fight The Power!
Another great post!
Thank you for all the links.
For a few months now I have been reading every new post on Vegans of Color. I have never commented there…but, as you gently advise, I listen. Very carefully. I’m still learning…and it’s very humbling.
One other thing. We don’t have to just learn from reading. We can also learn by stepping back and *listening* to the POC in our lives.
Thanks for this post, Deb.
If I could impress upon all white visitors to VOC just two things (just two?!?) it would probably be: sometimes you just have to sit back & listen & not be defensive, &… it’s not our job to educate white folks.
I (somehow) remain hopeful!
Thanks for this, Deb.
I too read VOC and continue to learn, to shed my defensive coils and just freaking listen. It’s been both eye opening and painful (and I don’t write that in a “woe is me” fashion, just an honest reflection of what it means for me, a white woman, to realize how arrogant and ignorant I’ve been).
In addition to VOC, another great blog for white folks who want to examine their race privilege is stuff white people do: http://stuffwhitepeopledo.blogspot.com/
And just to reiterate what everyone else has said, shut up, listen – really listen – and lurk for awhile before chiming in. This is the polite thing to do when joining an established community online, of course, but doubly so when that community is meant as a safe space for a group to which you do not belong.
Oh, and always read the comments. You can learn a ton about how not to act from the comment threads.
Just spent some of my day reading and thinking about the content on the other side of those links. Thank you.
Humbled doesn’t quite capture what I feel right now. More like unnerved and … awake? Does that make sense? I mean, I’ve always had a generic sense of what white privilege is and how I benefit from it (being a white man and all). But what I’ve read today (especially that Tamara K. Nopper essay) has caused me to rethink pretty much everything I thought I knew.
Haven’t really felt that way since I first considered going vegan. It’s a neat feeling. So again, thanks.
@Phillip – it’s very true, this does come up more than most AR activists realize, and it also hinders us and our advocacy efforts more than we realize. I think we don’t talk about it enough – it is an uncomfortable topic, for most – and yet without talking about it, we won’t ever progress.
@jeannie – thanks! glad you found the links helpful, and it’s always good to see that people are reading and listening to the folks over at the voc blog. And you are right, we need to also listen to the poc in other parts of our lives, and I think especially we need to pay attention to the things they might not say… I also think that we have opportunities in our lives to help our white friends to see white privilege for itself. It’s a long learning process, no doubt about that, but we all have to start somewhere!
@johanna – I remember you expressing frustration about the public discourse never moving past 101. I also just started reading “”Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?”: A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity”, which I got a while back based on your recommendation in the VOC post I linked in. I didn’t start reading it until last night, and was struck by the fact that one of the first things she talked about (in the intros) was that many people are uncomfortable talking about racism, and yet it is something we need to talk about in order to see any progress! It’s an amazing book so far. I’m so happy that there is a VOC blog and for the bloggers who write there…you aren’t writing to educate white people, but it helps educate us anyway.
@marji – I agree on it being painful at times, and eye-opening in a big way. Being willing to be open and to let the defensiveness go is harder than it sounds like it would be, but we’ll all benefit from it. I figure it is a learning process that will go on forever; there is definitely no quick fix or a clif notes version!
@kelly – thanks for that link, and that’s such a great point about the comment threads!
@Al – I think awake makes perfect sense! The Tamara K. Nopper essay had a similar effect on me, and I especially liked that she flat out said something like that it wasn’t her concern, as a woman of color, to make white people comfortable with the issues that impact her directly. Glad you got something from the links. You would probably also get a lot out of the book (if you haven’t already read it) “Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?”: A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity, which I just started reading, and which is one of those books I’m going to end up convincing as many people in my life to read as possible!
Last year I worte a 5-part series on racism and classism within the AR movement that might be of interest. It discusses
1) PETA’s Animal Liberation project,
2) Animal Whites and Colonialism,
3) White-washing vegetarian history,
4) testimonies from VOC on alienation and marginalization,
5) Class priviege,
6) a Summaryof how to be a better ally for animals (human and non-human).
http://eco-health.blogspot.com/2009/03/privilege-us-vegan-movement-whiteness_8877.html
I’ll never forget the first time the effects of white privilege really, really hit home for me. I was in a class on racism and stereotyping and one of the smartest, most attractive women I have ever met shared a story about how, when she took her SATs, she spent hours agonizing over what it would mean if she didn’t do well, in terms of being stereotyped as lower-intellect because of her skin color. This girl was smart, upper class, with well-educated professional parents – just like me – and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to suffer from crippling fear of failure simply because it would reflect poorly on my race. It was a jaw-dropping moment, and I felt like crap for never taking the time to try to understand before.
The girl in my class went on to a PhD program at Michigan State, by the way. It’s still an uncomfortable topic for me, but I feel lucky there are resources out there to find, and people who are willing to talk about it. Thanks!