Angela Harris – The Intersection of Race, Class, and Gender with Animal Protection

Angela Harris is the Distinguished Professor of Law, Boochever and Bird Endowed Chair for the Study and Teaching of Freedom of Equality, and Director, Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies at the UC Davis School of Law (King Hall).  She writes widely in the field of critical legal theory, examining how law sometimes reinforces and sometimes challenges subordination on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, class, and other dimensions of power and identity.

In 2009, Prof. Harris published an article entitled Should People of Color Support Animal Rights? in the Journal of Animal Law.  Its summary states:

“There is anecdotal reason to believe that many people of color – in particular, African Americans – view animals rights as a “white” phenomenon. Taking the case study of a PETA campaign that compared animal abuse to the Atlantic slave trade, the author explores reasons why people of color might be justified in seeing the animal rights movement as incorporating racist stereotypes, but concludes that people of color ought to support an antiracist version of animal rights.”

Prof. Kristen Stilt, Faculty Director of the Harvard Animal Law & Policy Program will engage Prof. Harris in a conversation about these issues and then moderate a discussion with the audience.

The event is free and open to the public, and a plant-based lunch will be provided.