This article explores the historical and contemporary intersections of race and animal rights, arguing that the animal rights movement often operates within a framework of white privilege that marginalizes people of color. By examining colonial-era “humanism,” the article illustrates how animal markers were used to dehumanize colonized people, a legacy that persists through “colorblind” animal advocacy and the co-opting of racial justice struggles. The article highlights how the movement frequently instrumentalizes minority interests or employs offensive analogies, such as comparing animal exploitation to slavery or the Holocaust, while remaining silent on broader racial injustices. Ultimately, the article calls for a fundamental reckoning that centers marginalized voices in the planning of advocacy, seeking a “universal rights framework” that authentically encompasses both human and animal rights.
