The intersections of systemic violence in the US

  The intersection of environmental injustice and policing can be seen on Rikers Island, New York City’s most notorious jail complex, which is built on a landfill and surrounded by polluting infrastructure. Roughly 90 percent of those behind bars in Rikers are people of color, and they have long suffered extreme summer heat, flooding, and...

African vegans are a return to tradition – via This Is Africa

If you really want to be an ethical vegan, research all your food – even the plants. Indeed, a great frustration I have with vegans in the global north is the erasure of human exploitation in food systems. Vegans are typically concerned with the wellbeing of charismatic animals and are unbothered about the plight of...

What’s the deal with “gluten-free” foods?

When I started out as a new vegan some years ago, I sometimes would get questions about whether or not I also eat "gluten-free" foods. I knew less than a handful of people with Celiac disease who cannot eat gluten, and they ate a standard American diet as closely as they could without wheat—in other...

[Racial Reality] Check Out At a Berkeley Organic Grocery Store…and the Challenge of ‘White’ Apology vs. Engaged Compassion

Another thought-provoking and critical piece by Dr. A. Breeze Harper that challenges the very notion of "healthy eating" in a country dominated by state violence, violence, and the demonization of Black bodies. This quote sums the piece up nicely: I think about all the symbols and suggestions of healing and health in this Berkeley store that I frequent that...

“I feared for my life”: Racism, Speciesism, and the Pretext of Self-Preservation

One common and troubling obstacle that human and non-human animal rights advocates face is the insistence that violence against others is "justified" because of some perceived or imagined threat. Exploitation and killing of marginalized people and animals often hinges upon the claim that “I feared for my life,” or “it was my life or theirs.”...

Homemade Hair Care: Flax Seed Hair Gel via Crunchy Betty

One of my favorite handcrafted, organic hair and body product businesses (Brendita's BodyWorks) seems to have gone under. She used to make hair gel that I really liked and I recently needed more of. I like supporting small businesses like Brendita's, but so often their products contain ingredients from animals or leave lots of buildup...