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This show features a compelling interview with decolonial theorist, independent digital media producer, and writer Aph Ko.
We’re also kicking off our yearly Co-op Radio Fall Fundraising Drive.
We open the show with a brief discussion of the “Good Food Cities” declaration signed by mayors of 14 major world cities at the recent C40 Mayors’ Summit. Sign this petition to call on Vancouver City Council to sign on to this important agreement!
Aph Ko: Spotlighting Black Vegans and the Interconnectedness of Racism and Speciesism
Aph Ko is the founder of Black Vegans Rock, a website that showcases everyday Black vegans in various fields. By spotlighting Black vegans, the website pushes back against the exclusion and erasure Black activists often face in vegan communities and other activist spaces.
Aph is also a founding collective member of the North American Association for Critical Animal Studies, a biennial conference for anti-speciesist research in human-animal relations.
Aph Ko’s Racism as Zoological Witchcraft: A Guide to Getting Out
In this show, Aph joins us to discuss her groundbreaking new book, Racism as Zoological Witchcraft: A Guide to Getting Out, published earlier this month.
In this book, she explores how oppression of animals is an extension of white supremacy, partially through an in-depth analysis of Jordan Peele’s 2017 film Get Out. One of the theories Aph puts forth is that white supremacist notions of animality and race are manifested through the consumption of flesh, and that racism and speciesism are so inextricably linked that current movements for anti-racism and animal rights are incomplete when left disconnected from each other.
“[V]eganism isn’t just about kicking a meat-eating habit and getting some veggies into your diet. It’s a powerful rejection of a racist food system and a racist, cannibalistic politics that characterizes animals and nonwhite people as disposable and consumable. This is why anti-racist theory matters in our efforts to free animals. The goal isn’t just to get people to replace chicken with tofu (although that’s a great start). The goal is to get the public to understand why animals matter on a political and ethical level. The goal is to reveal how the current power structure relies upon anti-Black and anti-animal ideologies to strengthen itself.”
-excerpt from Racism as Zoological Witchcraft: A Guide to Getting Out, by Aph Ko
Co-op Radio’s Annual Fall Member Drive
This show kicks off Vancouver Co-op Radio’s 2019 Fall Member Drive!
Animal Voices is a volunteer-run program, and we rely on memberships to keep us on air. We have been running for 18 years, creating accessible and informative content for all of our listeners. Our voices are completely independent, as Co-op Radio is not beholden to any corporate sponsors. For less than the price of one coffee each week, or even just your parking downtown for a day, you can help keep Animal Voices thriving through monthly donations. If you love hearing quality locally-produced animal advocacy programming every week, please consider signing up for a monthly donation to keep us running.
You can sign up and start donating even just $10 a month by calling (604) 684-8494, clicking “donate” online at Coopradio.org, or by sending a cheque to Vancouver Co-op Radio at 370 Columbia St, Vancouver, BC, V6A 4J1.
Volunteer with Us
Have some time to donate, skills to share, or the willingness to learn and become part of our radio program? We want to hear from you! Get started volunteering with us by dropping us an email at RadioAnimalVoices@gmail.com or messaging us on our Animal Voices Facebook page. We are especially keen for anyone interested in or already studying areas like broadcasting, radio, communications, and media studies. Social media and marketing-savvy volunteers also wanted!