New book coming out in June 2011 that I have contributed an essay to. My essay looks at intersections of whiteness and speciesism, as well as the necessity to engage in questions of white privilege within mainstream animal rights USA.
The book is called Sister Species: Women, Animals, and Social Justice edited by Lisa A. Kemmerer. It’s available for pre-order through Amazon.com. I am excited about this book since the ‘scholarly’ books that represent the philosophies of animal rights are dominated by mostly white male academics. This book has a racially and ethnically diverse body of contributors.
CLICK ON IMAGE TO PRE-ORDER FROM AMAZON
From Amazon, here is the Product Description:
Sister Species: Women, Animals, and Social Justice addresses interconnections between speciesism, sexism, racism, and homophobia, clarifying why social justice activists in the twenty-first century must challenge intersecting forms of oppression. This anthology presents bold and grippingosometimes horrifyingopersonal narratives from fourteen activists who have personally explored links of oppression between humans and animals, including such exploitative enterprises as cockfighting, factory farming, vivisection, and the bushmeat trade. Sister Species asks readers to rethink how they view “others,” how they affect animals with their daily choices, and how they might bring change for all who are abused. The astonishing honesty of these contributors demonstrates with painful clarity why every woman should be an animal activist and why every animal activist should be a feminist. Contributors are Carol J. Adams, Tara Sophia Bahna-James, Karen Davis, Elizabeth Jane Farians, Hope Ferdowsian, Linda Fisher, Twyla Francois, Christine Garcia, A. Breeze Harper, Sangamithra Iyer, Pattrice Jones, Lisa Kemmerer, Allison Lance, Ingrid Newkirk, Lauren Ornelas, and Miyun Park. Lisa Kemmerer, associate professor of philosophy and religion at Montana State University, Billings, is an artist, activist, and wilderness adventurer who has travelled the world extensively. She is the author of In Search of Consistency: Ethics and Animals and Curly Tails & Cloven Hooves, a poetry chapbook. (Source: http://www.amazon.com/Sister-Species-Animals-Social-Justice/dp/025207811X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292018808&sr=8-1)
Vegans of Color 
I wonder how it is that Ingrid Newkirk, the head of PETA (an organization that uses sexist, racist and otherwise oppressive marketing campaigns) came to be included as a contributor in such a book…
Yes. I’d also like to know why Carol J. Adams is included, when she spews anti-sex work and transmisogynist garbage. NOT feminist.
http://veganideal.org/content/transphobia-and-carol-adams
http://veganideal.org/content/sexual-politics-carol-j-adams
I was initially interested in this book, but after learning of some of the contributors, I cannot support it.
I did not put this book together. There was CFP for the book and I submitted an essay. If you do not want to support the book by buying it, then you don’t have to. I just wanted to share the info of the book and that I have an essay in it. Whether I agree with everyone or not, I read collected essays to understand all perspectives and then I critique what the gaps or problems are that I see. But, that’s how I personally engage with all ideas coming out of animal rights and vegan movement.
I can’t wait to read this book.
If I have included people that some of you find unworthy, I still hope you will support other authors, such as Breeze.
I learned a lot from putting this book together. We are all at a certain point in our vector of life and learning.
lisa
In response to the book having ‘non-feminist’ contributors…
…I have always viewed the purpose of an anthology as to collect ‘diverse’ voices within a particular discipline or topic. I was also under the impression that ‘feminism’ or ‘feminist’ is incredibly broad, so to say someone isn’t ‘feminist’ is a little vague for me. There are Mormon housewife feminists, decolonial feminists, Catholic feminists, pro-life feminists, eco-feminists, vegan feminists, etc., and they all don’t agree with each other, but they still consider themselves engaged in their version of feminism.
My Sistah Vegan anthology has 25 voices and they don’t all agree with each other or have the same conception of veganism.
I think what makes this topic interesting is the plethora of interpretations of what is ‘feminism’ and how it intersects with animal compassion and veganism. I know I don’t agree with all of them but want to understand and know why each person feels they are ‘feminist.’ If I am open to reading many ‘feminist’ perspectives, whether I agree with them or not, it helps me personally with understanding how to make my own ‘feminist’ (well critical race feminist) inquiries and activism better within veganism and beyond.