Unsung Vegan Heroes
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"In our world of big names, curiously, our true heroes tend to be anonymous. In this life of illusion and quasi-illusion, the person of solid virtues who can be admired for something more substantial than his well-knownness often proves to be the unsung hero." We're about to change that.
In this article
“In our world of big names, curiously, our true heroes tend to be anonymous. In this life of illusion and quasi-illusion, the person of solid virtues who can be admired for something more substantial than his well-knownness often proves to be the unsung hero: the teacher, the nurse, the mother, the honest cop, the hard worker at lonely, underpaid, unglamorous, unpublicized jobs.” – Daniel J. Boorstin
We live in a society that praises celebrity. We praise them for making movies, singing songs, wearing fashionable clothes- or sometimes eating vegan food. There are wildly popular websites that make a huge profits off of documenting every detail of their lives. There are TV shows and gossip magazines that do the same. Celebrity sells.
I talked about celebrity culture in a recent post, What Anne Hathaway Reminded Me about Veganism. Aside from the general dislike people feel when I mention celebrities, the most popular comment/tweet/rebuttal is that celebrities help to bring awareness to veganism and that I should, “just face it- people love and admire celebrities- always have, always will.” I do, actually, recognize this to be true…to a certain degree. I simply look at it another way. Yes, it’s true some people idolize others for insert celebrity action here– but that doesn’t mean that we have to, or even that the celebrity in question deserves it. I’m looking at you Kim Kardashian.
Oh now listen, before you get your angry on- I’m not knocking celebrities for whatever talent they have. Not all of us sing, not all of act, or can play a sport. You don’t have to type out that angry comment about how I’m being superior, I’m not. I just question this type of idolization when there are people who are so deserving of our praise. The heroes of my world are everyday folks who do amazing things. Things like helping to create a better world for humans and for the animals. They are the unsung heroes and I want to change that.
Our new series, Unsung Vegan Heroes, is about vegan activists- real people doing really amazing work. People who work so hard to bring positive change in our world. People who make a substantial, yet unrecognized, contribution to the vegan movement- people whose actions are unknown or unacknowledged. People just like you.
Meet Amy Wagar-Cinch: Activist, mentor, organizer, protestor, educator, supporter, rescuer, mother, wife and unsung vegan hero who works tirelessly on behalf of the animals.
Amy (right) educating shoppers about fur on Black Friday
Why did you choose to become a vegan activist?
I engage in activism for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s the best use of my time on this planet and it’s so crucial in this world where we’re growing in leaps and bounds, but we’re still a minority. Once I learned the reality about how we exploit non-human animals, I couldn’t shut my yap about it at all. Secondly, activism is an outlet for the frustration and anguish that comes from knowing what we’re doing to animals day in and day out. Seeing and feeling the violence and injustice can leave a person feeling very helpless. Working toward the end of this curbs that sense of helplessness to some extent.
What does a day in the life of a vegan activist day look like?
I have a full-time job and a family so the day looks pretty average. The night however can be pretty hectic when it’s crunch time for certain events. I spend a lot of time at meetings and squinting at my laptop.
How do you handle the inherent sadness comes with veganism and still gather the knowledge you need to do the work you do? (IE: look at disturbing/graphi videos/pictures/etc)
Wow, I didn’t read this before I answered above but they could be the same answer! The pictures can sometimes serve as a brutal reminder of why we do what we do, why we marginalize ourselves in our social groups by having difficult conversations and why it’s worth it. To remain upbeat and positive, I’ve noticed I compartmentalize some of what I know which keeps it locked up nice and neat where I don’t have to think about it constantly. Seeing pictures and videos brings the awareness thundering to the forefront of my mind which can be difficult at times. I keep the sadness at bay by doing what I can to promote veganism in my community.
Talk about vegan infighting and how you avoid it.
Infighting exists in veganism just like in any movement. It can definitely distract us from the bigger picture. I know what I believe to be our best strategy and I work toward that. I’m always willing to engage in an honest dialogue with those with which I do not agree but I try to avoid and ignore those who just wish to bicker. We have so many more important things to do.
You’ve successfully created a large network of vegan friends and activists. Share some tips on others can do the same.
This thriving vegan community has been a result of the effort of a large group of activists in our community. Between organizations like Cleveland Animal Rights Alliance and the Cleveland Vegan Society, we have events going on several times a month and for me, some meaningful friendships have come from that. These events have provided new vegans with a support network and veteran vegans with camaraderie and boundless opportunities for involvement.
And finally, how would you recommend to someone to get started in activist work?
Activism comes in many forms. Some people use facebook, some people influence the people closest to them, some people volunteer with vegan organizations. Even cooking delicious vegan food for those you love can open hearts and minds. There are so many ways to get involved.
Amy is involved in a myriad of vegan projects at any one time. Here’s the latest. Check them out, join in if you can, or lend your online support. Not only do these events help the animals, they help connect vegans with other vegans. What could be more inspiring than that?
Current Projects:
- Cleveland Vegan Society: Inaugural Cleveland VegFest, June 1, 2013
- Cleveland Vegan Society: Inaugural Cleveland VegGala (fundraiser for VegFest) October 14, 2012
- Cleveland Vegan Society (CVS) + Cleveland Animal Rights Alliance (CARA): Cleveland Vegan Food Drive (we’ve had two now)
- Cleveland Animal Rights Alliance (CARA): Cleveland Vegan Book Club (starting in April!)
- Cleveland Animal Rights Alliance (CARA): Mentorship Program for new or prospective vegans
- Cleveland Animal Rights Alliance (CARA) + Mustard Seed Market: Vegan 101 Panelist (we will be having these every so often)
- CARA: May 4 Fundraiser for horse rescue (on Kentucky Derby day) Big hats, mint juleps and fun all to support justice for horses.
- Northeast Ohio Circus Boycott Community: Coordinating circus protest outreach in Northeast Ohio
- Ohio Adoptable Seniors: cross-posting senior dogs and cats in need of homes
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Leave a reply
HELLO! I'm KD Angle-Traegner.
Writer, activist, and founder of Four Urban Paws Sanctuary. I’m on a mission to help people live a vegan life. Read more about KD…
Unsung Vegan Heroes
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
"In our world of big names, curiously, our true heroes tend to be anonymous. In this life of illusion and quasi-illusion, the person of solid virtues who can be admired for something more substantial than his well-knownness often proves to be the unsung hero." We're about to change that.
In this article
“In our world of big names, curiously, our true heroes tend to be anonymous. In this life of illusion and quasi-illusion, the person of solid virtues who can be admired for something more substantial than his well-knownness often proves to be the unsung hero: the teacher, the nurse, the mother, the honest cop, the hard worker at lonely, underpaid, unglamorous, unpublicized jobs.” – Daniel J. Boorstin
We live in a society that praises celebrity. We praise them for making movies, singing songs, wearing fashionable clothes- or sometimes eating vegan food. There are wildly popular websites that make a huge profits off of documenting every detail of their lives. There are TV shows and gossip magazines that do the same. Celebrity sells.
I talked about celebrity culture in a recent post, What Anne Hathaway Reminded Me about Veganism. Aside from the general dislike people feel when I mention celebrities, the most popular comment/tweet/rebuttal is that celebrities help to bring awareness to veganism and that I should, “just face it- people love and admire celebrities- always have, always will.” I do, actually, recognize this to be true…to a certain degree. I simply look at it another way. Yes, it’s true some people idolize others for insert celebrity action here– but that doesn’t mean that we have to, or even that the celebrity in question deserves it. I’m looking at you Kim Kardashian.
Oh now listen, before you get your angry on- I’m not knocking celebrities for whatever talent they have. Not all of us sing, not all of act, or can play a sport. You don’t have to type out that angry comment about how I’m being superior, I’m not. I just question this type of idolization when there are people who are so deserving of our praise. The heroes of my world are everyday folks who do amazing things. Things like helping to create a better world for humans and for the animals. They are the unsung heroes and I want to change that.
Our new series, Unsung Vegan Heroes, is about vegan activists- real people doing really amazing work. People who work so hard to bring positive change in our world. People who make a substantial, yet unrecognized, contribution to the vegan movement- people whose actions are unknown or unacknowledged. People just like you.
Meet Amy Wagar-Cinch: Activist, mentor, organizer, protestor, educator, supporter, rescuer, mother, wife and unsung vegan hero who works tirelessly on behalf of the animals.
Amy (right) educating shoppers about fur on Black Friday
Why did you choose to become a vegan activist?
I engage in activism for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s the best use of my time on this planet and it’s so crucial in this world where we’re growing in leaps and bounds, but we’re still a minority. Once I learned the reality about how we exploit non-human animals, I couldn’t shut my yap about it at all. Secondly, activism is an outlet for the frustration and anguish that comes from knowing what we’re doing to animals day in and day out. Seeing and feeling the violence and injustice can leave a person feeling very helpless. Working toward the end of this curbs that sense of helplessness to some extent.
What does a day in the life of a vegan activist day look like?
I have a full-time job and a family so the day looks pretty average. The night however can be pretty hectic when it’s crunch time for certain events. I spend a lot of time at meetings and squinting at my laptop.
How do you handle the inherent sadness comes with veganism and still gather the knowledge you need to do the work you do? (IE: look at disturbing/graphi videos/pictures/etc)
Wow, I didn’t read this before I answered above but they could be the same answer! The pictures can sometimes serve as a brutal reminder of why we do what we do, why we marginalize ourselves in our social groups by having difficult conversations and why it’s worth it. To remain upbeat and positive, I’ve noticed I compartmentalize some of what I know which keeps it locked up nice and neat where I don’t have to think about it constantly. Seeing pictures and videos brings the awareness thundering to the forefront of my mind which can be difficult at times. I keep the sadness at bay by doing what I can to promote veganism in my community.
Talk about vegan infighting and how you avoid it.
Infighting exists in veganism just like in any movement. It can definitely distract us from the bigger picture. I know what I believe to be our best strategy and I work toward that. I’m always willing to engage in an honest dialogue with those with which I do not agree but I try to avoid and ignore those who just wish to bicker. We have so many more important things to do.
You’ve successfully created a large network of vegan friends and activists. Share some tips on others can do the same.
This thriving vegan community has been a result of the effort of a large group of activists in our community. Between organizations like Cleveland Animal Rights Alliance and the Cleveland Vegan Society, we have events going on several times a month and for me, some meaningful friendships have come from that. These events have provided new vegans with a support network and veteran vegans with camaraderie and boundless opportunities for involvement.
And finally, how would you recommend to someone to get started in activist work?
Activism comes in many forms. Some people use facebook, some people influence the people closest to them, some people volunteer with vegan organizations. Even cooking delicious vegan food for those you love can open hearts and minds. There are so many ways to get involved.
Amy is involved in a myriad of vegan projects at any one time. Here’s the latest. Check them out, join in if you can, or lend your online support. Not only do these events help the animals, they help connect vegans with other vegans. What could be more inspiring than that?
Current Projects:
- Cleveland Vegan Society: Inaugural Cleveland VegFest, June 1, 2013
- Cleveland Vegan Society: Inaugural Cleveland VegGala (fundraiser for VegFest) October 14, 2012
- Cleveland Vegan Society (CVS) + Cleveland Animal Rights Alliance (CARA): Cleveland Vegan Food Drive (we’ve had two now)
- Cleveland Animal Rights Alliance (CARA): Cleveland Vegan Book Club (starting in April!)
- Cleveland Animal Rights Alliance (CARA): Mentorship Program for new or prospective vegans
- Cleveland Animal Rights Alliance (CARA) + Mustard Seed Market: Vegan 101 Panelist (we will be having these every so often)
- CARA: May 4 Fundraiser for horse rescue (on Kentucky Derby day) Big hats, mint juleps and fun all to support justice for horses.
- Northeast Ohio Circus Boycott Community: Coordinating circus protest outreach in Northeast Ohio
- Ohio Adoptable Seniors: cross-posting senior dogs and cats in need of homes
You might also like
Leave a reply
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Thank you both for all you do in promoting veganism. I’m inching there from vegetarian. Its much harder to go that last bit than giving up flesh itself-which I did as a kid when I made the connection.I’m 65 now but when I began being a vegetarian I didn’t know I had company. My family viewed it as an eccentricity peculiar to me. I can remember every Thanksgiving my mother,in apparent wilfull and selective amnesia,saying “You’re not having turkey?”
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You might enjoy this! http://thevegantruth.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-compilation-of-long-term-vegans-our.html
HELLO! I'm KD Angle-Traegner.
Writer, activist, and founder of Four Urban Paws Sanctuary. I’m on a mission to help people live a vegan life. Read more about KD…
Thank you both for all you do in promoting veganism. I’m inching there from vegetarian. Its much harder to go that last bit than giving up flesh itself-which I did as a kid when I made the connection.I’m 65 now but when I began being a vegetarian I didn’t know I had company. My family viewed it as an eccentricity peculiar to me. I can remember every Thanksgiving my mother,in apparent wilfull and selective amnesia,saying “You’re not having turkey?”
You might enjoy this! http://thevegantruth.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-compilation-of-long-term-vegans-our.html