Episode 615.5: “Antiracism in Animal Advocacy” Audio Series Part IV – Leading

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Our Hen House is honored to bring you the final episode of the four-part audio series of the groundbreaking book, Antiracism in Animal Advocacy: Igniting Cultural Transformation. Our Hen House’s very own Jasmin Singer is the editor of this recently released anthology published by Lantern Books and Media, in collaboration with Encompass, Sentient Media, and, of course, Our Hen House. 

The book is a collection of essays written by farmed-animal protection advocates who are committed to exploring and prioritizing racial equity as we work to create a more just animal protection movement. We wish to document our stories and processes in an exploratory space from which we can grow and use our words to hold ourselves and our peers accountable, ultimately creating new paths forward.

The final episode of this audio series is labeled Leading, corresponding with the fourth section of the print copy of the book. In this episode, we hear from the following four essay authors, each of them sharing their insights: 

• Michelle Rojas-Soto (she/her) is the Chief Talent and Equity Officer at KIPP SoCal charter schools. She previously served as Managing Director of Encompass, where she trained, coached and consulted with animal protection leaders and organizations.
• Stien van der Ploeg (she/they) leverages her management and fundraising experience pro bono for effective animal advocacy organizations in order to help make our world more hospitable to all.
• Michelle Graham (Michelle/Michelle’s) is the Executive Director of Wild Animal Initiative and a Ph.D. candidate in the Socha Lab at Virginia Tech.
• Aryenish Birdie (she/her) is the founder and executive director of Encompass, building a racially equitable animal protection movement.

These essays are followed by an afterword written and narrated by Michelle Rojas-Soto. 

You can purchase the hard copy of Antiracism in Animal Advocacy: Igniting Cultural Transformation wherever books are sold, or find out more information at encompassmovement.org/book.

“I have a hard time accepting diversity as a synonym for justice. Diversity is a corporate strategy. It’s a strategy designed to ensure that the institution functions in the same way that it functioned before, except now you have some Black faces and brown faces. It’s a difference that doesn’t make a difference. Diversity without structural transformation simply brings those who were previously excluded into a system as racist, misogynist, as it was before.” —Angela Davis

Resources:

This anthology was originally an online collaboration between Encompass, Our Hen House, and Sentient Media, and was titled Encompass Essays: Pursuing Racial Equity in Animal Advocacy. For citations of any of these essays, please visit the online version. Sentient Media is a robust digital platform that publishes thoughtful articles about animal agriculture and its impact on the world (don’t miss Our Hen House’s interview with Sentient Media’s Executive Director, Ana Bradley). 

Connect with Our Hen House:

• Our Hen House Website
• Our Hen House on Facebook
• Our Hen House on Instagram
• Our Hen House on Twitter

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This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org.

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Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.