Veganism has long been a movement stifled by an air of moral superiority and blindness to the context that surrounds communities’ lifestyles and access to resources.
Veganism has long been a movement stifled by an air of moral superiority and blindness to the context that surrounds communities’ lifestyles and access to resources.
In radical veganism, you strive to address hierarchies of all forms— yes, animals, but also within humans. So you can miss me with comparing the strife of animals with things like slavery when that is still the reality of so many (e.g laborers that are predominantly POC are routinely exploited for plant-based foods such as cocoa, coffee beans, bananas, etc).
And I say this not as an enemy of veganism, but as your local plant-based baby. Embrace nuance.
Do the work to understand that human rights and environmental sustainability are not fringe issues to animal rights. It’s all connected.
A panel excerpt from Vegan Fashion Week, October 2019.
Aditi: So when it comes to the shortcomings of the veganism movement, I think that the veganism movement has failed to address the roots of oppression. And don’t get me wrong. I was born into a vegetarian family has been one my whole life. I am not against the vegan movement. But let me say that again: I think veganism has failed to address the roots of oppression. So what I mean by that; if the collective goal of us all here is to create this mass awakening of consciousness, we need to understand how oppression exists, how it sustained, and why it exists in the first place, correct? So, with that said, we cannot look at veganism as a single issue of only animal rights. Human rights and environmental rights can be major issues, we have to understand how they’re all connected.
So let’s talk about the idea of radical veganism. And by radical veganism, I don’t mean throwing red to people. I don’t mean shaming people for theirs for their diamonds. So allow me to take out my phone, where I have a few ideas for you all.
We need to understand how oppression exists, how it sustained, and why it exists in the first place correct. So, with that said, we cannot look at veganism as a single issue of only animal rights. Human rights and environmental rights can be major issues, we have to understand how they’re all connected.
Radical by definition means addressing something at the root. So veganism must be true liberation, one that rejects all forms of domination, exploitation, and discrimination. So that means human supremacy to animals, but that also means white supremacy within the human domain. Given is a social critique of how domination exists in all its forms. Veganism can’t be apolitical. We must interrogate the way related to others in society; we need to challenge supremacy and issues. Even under veganism, a lot of these plant-based foods, whether we’re talking about cocoa, bananas, cashews are made in very exploitive conditions.
And so that’s not to say not to use them, it’s saying if you’re fighting for liberation, let’s consider all of that right? What we need is an alternative system that values all life on earth. And if you’re thinking to yourself, why is it the job of veganism to address this? I think that’s where veganism has stagnated– because when you talk to communities like mine, it’s often like veganism is for people that can afford it. People that don’t have to deal with discrimination and brutality on a daily basis. And to have any movement be successful. You need to have critical mass. So everything needs to be call in, correct?
So empowering all marginalized people is not only imperative for social justice, are crucial for veganism. So we need to challenge everything from structural racism to gentrification to the corporate food structure. So, with that, I begin with the idea that I began with– vegans need to consider how exploitation exists in all its forms. Veganism should be a critique of social domination at large; animals, but also humans and the environment.
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