In your mind’s eye, what would a group of vegans look like?
There’s no right answer, but I bet that your mental depiction of veganism is predominantly (if not exclusively) white.
Veganism has been seen as a “white thing” for quite some time, and it’s not completely off. The vegan community is predominantly white. Organizations try their best to stay mindful of diversity, but despite their attempts, veganism is still seen as something for the white and privileged.
-
In 2012, an analysis of meat consumption by race showed African Americans as the leading consumers of meat in the US.
When a very white movement needs to “sway the black vote” away from meat consumption, it will take some understanding of black culture—something the mainstream vegan movement doesn’t always have.
-
Racism is exhausting. When black people don’t have a basic sense of wellbeing, they can’t care for the wellbeing of others. Until we live in a post-racial society, encouraging African Americans to fight for animal rights when our own welfare is questionable is a strange order of operations.
-
In general, the black community doesn’t understand what veganism is all about.
We may have limited interactions with the message through a sexualized PETA ad or Russell Simmons sound bite, but the annual mention of veganism isn’t enough to create lasting change.
Why single out black people? Minorities in general aren't vegan and not for the reasons stated in that article. Most people just love meat and there's nothing wrong with that
Why single out black people? Minorities in general aren't vegan and not for the reasons stated in that article. Most people just love meat and there's nothing wrong with that
There is no racism btw. The article was written by a black person and most people in the comments section are black, I just thought it was an interesting read.
