Probably an inappropriate and trivial comparison to make, but reading this book is a little like when I first watched the Matrix; I didn't understand a lot of it, but I really enjoyed the journey. Aph and Syl Ko have such a phenomenal ability to convey their ideas and messages in such a clear, succinct, and digestible manner.

The crux of their argument is that the willingness for humans to arbitrarily decide who gets human treatment and who gets animal treatment (who is a free being and who is an enslave mass for labor, slaughter, and consumption) means that marginalized groups will always be vulnerable to being "dehumanized" and thus subjected to inhumane treatment.We are at the center of a radical shift taking place in pro-animal discourse precisely because, upon self-reflection, we can see that our struggle is their struggle. Each chapter explores feminism, race, and animal rights from a different angle, and the overall book brings everything together in a path forward that I wasn't expecting. Their insights are incredibly inspiring and will undoubtedly be very influential in moving us in the direction of new and meaningful thought about how we conceptualize our world. Using popular culture as a point of reference for their critiques, the Ko sisters engage in groundbreaking analysis of the compartmentalized nature of contemporary social movements, present new ways of understanding interconnected oppressions, and offer conceptual ways of moving forward expressive of Afrofuturism and black veganism. ACT Contact / FAQ About Events / Videos Merch / Subs Sign in/up Aphro-Ism : Essays on Pop Culture, Feminism, and Black Veganism from Two Sisters Ko, Aph (Aph Ko), Ko, Syl More by this author.

Each essay is incredibly thoughtful and as a collection this book is varied, but to (probably over)simplify, Aph and Syl Ko both posit that the framework that defines animality is the same one that upholds white supremacy. The essays in APHRO-ISM explore critical theory in ways I find somewhat more accessible than a lot of critical theory out there. Where we] have to create new blueprints and imagine new ways of interacting with people and doing things. You can be a die-hard activist shutting down highways with your protests about police killings and still be part of the problem if you fail to take seriously black art, black theory, black perspectives. If we use the existing framework or model—the established mindset—to articulate a “solution” to a problem that that model sustains, in what way are we “dismantling”?

Intersectionality maps out the world that has been imposed on us; it doesn't begin the process of mapping out the future. Moreover, by endorsing the negative status of the animal and that infliction of violence upon animal bodies is legitimate, we accept the value system the perpetuates a racial hierarchy which places white men at the top and everyone else below. It allowed me to be present in a conversation where, in life, my presence would change the terms of or even close down that conversation.

While they may be considered "provocative" and "controversial" in the mainstream, new ideas are paramount to our own growth, as individuals and as a society. In this provocative collection of essays, the two sisters Aph and Syl Ko tackle issues ranging from animal rights and the problems with contemporary vegan movements to the kinds of obstacles facing activists in feminist and anti-racist spheres, demonstrating the interconnectedness and intersectional nature of all of these issues. For that reason, they argue trying to dismantle the hierarchy that lets racism flourish without addressing speciesism will always be an incomplete task.

This book is a vital companion for anyone willing to challenge surface-level ‘connections’ theories in exchange for deep, nuanced insights that have stratospheric potential for creating a more just world. This book succeeds in conceptualizing and conveying new ideas about animal advocacy, social justice, of which the sibling authors adequately show how interconnected they are. Whether your social justice lens leans single-issue or multi-issue, these essays offer razor-sharp critiques of hierarchical foundations and systemic oppression, while also providing frameworks for broad-scale liberation. It is fundamental to understanding and dismantling the conceptual root of oppressive behaviour, the idea of “animality” and hierarchical racialised thinking.