Animals Off the Menu: A Racist Proposal?

This chapter reflects on whether the vegan injunction to not kill and hurt animals is inherently racist, and, in the South African and African context, whether cultural reasons can be fairly used to deny animal rights. The chapter considers two examples in which cultural reasons were invoked to deny animal rights, and animal rights endeavours were cast as racist. It examines both African and Western conceptions of animals and argues that almost all human cultures maintain a conspiracy against animals. The chapter submits that vegan activism is not inherently racist and that opposing racism is consistent with veganism, implying that it is inconsistent to oppose racism and not oppose animal killing and harm. It concludes that anti-racism and veganism are appropriately considered as aligned social justice projects.