where science and ethics intersect with politics
We love some animals, exploit others, and kill still others in the name of protection. From intelligent pigs to dairy cows and endangered owls, we examine how intelligence, economic usefulness, and human preference determine which lives matter—and who gets to make that decision.
If you’ve been in this movement for a while, you already know these players and storylines. If you are newer, like me, you’ll get a sense of what it feels like to step into a conversation that’s been happening for decades.
If consent is a fundamental ethical principle, what responsibilities do we have toward animals who cannot give it? Exploring bodily autonomy, reproductive control, and the uncomfortable distinction between caring for another being and using their body for our benefit.
For this Listening Lounge reboot, we return to the music of Sherry Zitter with “Animal Blessing Hymn,” a gentle offering dedicated to animals great and small.
Why does veganism make some people angry? Jim Mason reflects on the uncomfortable reality animal advocates bring into view—and the comfort that reality can disturb.
Black VegFest, Humane Party, political organizing, political allyship, Black community, Black advocacy, vegan advocacy, animal rights, animal liberation, community organizing, coalition building, movement building, New York City, NYC, veganism, food justice, social justice, political activism, community engagement, humane politics, The Humane Herald
The Humane Herald is turning up the volume. Meet The Listening Lounge, a new Voices of the Movement space for music and recorded works carrying messages of compassion, advocacy, liberation, and change. Our first reboot is coming soon.
A month after our Voices of the Movement interview, The Humane Herald caught up with Felicia Greenfield in person at Black VegFest—and found the same curiosity, compassion, humor, and willingness to listen that made our first conversation memorable.
In the first installment of Mission: Abolition, Allie Irwin reflects on horses, a wild bird, and the uncomfortable work of aligning our relationships with animals to the values we say we hold.
A podcast. A tick bite. A difficult question. In this thoughtful essay, Alison Irwin explores alpha-gal syndrome, ethics, and why changing what we eat doesn’t always change what we believe.
Actress, writer, and producer Felicia Greenfield discusses the inspiration behind Friends Not Food, ethical filmmaking with sanctuary animals, Hollywood, climate storytelling, and why laughter may be one of the movement’s most powerful tools for change.
Originally published in Vegan Villager, Sherry Jeppson Zitter reflects on the often-overlooked humanitarian path to veganism, arguing that concern for world hunger and global justice can be just as powerful a catalyst for compassionate living as concern for animals, health, or the environment.
Before Renee King-Sonnen became a sanctuary founder, she lived on the other side of the fence. Her journey from Texas cattle ranch life to founding Rowdy Girl Sanctuary is a story of moral transformation, radical compassion, and the courage to challenge everything she once believed about animals, food, and the systems that profit from both.
Animal Cruelty Prevention Month encourages compassion—but rarely asks the deeper question: can cruelty truly be prevented within systems that require it to function? When harm is built into the structure, reducing it is not the same as eliminating it. This piece explores the limits of prevention, the role of language in shaping perception, and why meaningful change may require more than reform—it may require abolition.
From a childhood moment of moral clarity to nearly two decades of vegan living and policy work, Kearney Robinson reflects on ethical awakening, sustainable activism, and the importance of community, care, and concrete action in building lasting change.
Every January, millions of people worldwide take part in Veganuary, a month-long invitation to explore vegan living. What begins as a simple dietary shift often sparks deeper reflection on animal ethics, environmental responsibility, and the power of collective action to drive lasting change.
