Audrey Enjoli
Angela Means joins us to talk about why she advocates for animals—from the power and influence of her childhood experiences, to her belief in caring about something “more than yourself."
She’s built a thriving career as an actress in Hollywood. She’s entertained audiences as a stand-up comic. She’s even opened her own plant-based restaurant, Jackfruit Cafe, to share her love for scrumptious vegan food with the Los Angeles community. But before all that, Angela Means grew up on her family’s farm in Michigan, where she forged deep connections with animals—and also witnessed extreme cruelty before her eyes. The actress and entrepreneur sat down with us to talk about how she was shaped by those childhood experiences, along with the experience of being Black in America—and how these identities have informed her deeply held, intersectional approach to advocacy.
Your list of accolades is remarkable—from your extraordinary acting career, to being a stand-up comic, to becoming a chef and opening your own restaurant. But through it all, you’ve always managed to speak up for animals full-time. What inspires your animal activism?
It’s the right thing to do. I’m a Black person. And I do believe that I’ve seen it, I’ve felt it in my family—the oppression not just from America, but from the world. But if we go a step further, what’s happening to animals is indescribable. It’s beyond belief. So, in keeping with the things that my family taught me (in particular, my grandmother), I try to look out for the underdog—to look out for the person that really needs help. And animals are people! Animals have feelings. They have their own worlds; they’re sentient.
So because I’m open and aware, I don’t have any other choice. And I don't feel like it’s something that I went after. I feel like this movement came after me—the energy of it, the vortex of it.
You’ve often talked about life growing up on your family’s farm in Michigan. What was that like? How did that help inform your outlook on animals?
Growing up on a farm, there were so many life lessons. Because I was an only child, the animals on the farm were my friends. Having dogs, you can see how dogs relate to you. And what people don’t understand is that farm animals have a conscience, and they’ll relate to you, too. I mean, if you set a chicken on your lap every day and just petted her, petted her, petted her from the time she was a chick, she would do tricks for you the exact same way a dog would. So I had a firsthand look at these farm animals we’re fighting for.
Were there any animals in particular that you bonded with?
A cow I grew up with. I was a tall kid, so I could see in that cow's eyes. There’s something about cows—they’re just so big and so sweet, and they’ll hug you, and they’ll lay down with you. They’re so docile and so strong.
I've seen cows here and there in videos who get vicious when they’re trying to protect their child, or they’re tired of being raped, being drugged, being sick. So they fight back. But they are the sweetest, biggest, most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life to date. There’s nothing more beautiful than a cow.
(Editor’s Note: This section contains some confronting descriptions.)
Unfortunately, I also saw cruelty firsthand. I saw people wringing chickens' necks and sitting around laughing while the chickens were running around with no heads on them. And it was horrifying to see. It was absolutely horrifying.
I just kept experiencing these traumas over and over. When I was in third grade, they took a goat and slit his throat. It was a big family function with everyone running around laughing and picnicking, and this poor goat—the terror. I can’t even imagine the terror that he went through. And it was right outside my bedroom window. I probably carried the trauma of that for years.
Farmers believe in their hearts that they’re feeding their families, they’re taking care of their families, they're doing what their fathers did. But I saw so much animal cruelty growing up that there's no way I couldn't be fighting for them right now. I do what I can—we do what we can, and we do what we have to.
What are your thoughts on the intersections between animals and other social justice issues?
I think the biggest issue in America right now is how communities of color are treated, particularly Black people. It's hard to explain how they intersect, and sometimes there’s pushback. And so one of my missions is to expose how we can care about more than ourselves. That's the whole shebang: caring about something more than yourself. And teaching parents to teach that.
I was taught through example and, as a child, my inner constitution was that (our treatment of animals) didn't sit right. It didn’t align with my constitution. Just like we have to be aware and compassionate for people of color and for what people of color go through, we have to do the same for animals.
What would you say is your “why”? What motivates all of your many passions in life?
My “why” is my son. My “why” is to set a good example for him. I literally live for that! He’s my only child, but he's my number one “why.” He’s what has saved me.
Why are you kind to animals?
I’m kind to animals because they’re so beautiful. They’re Earth angels! And whatever you give them, they give you back.
I’m kind to animals because it makes me feel good knowing that there's some animal in front of me that someone is not being cruel to. So every animal that I get a chance to be kind to—I’m going for it.
Keep up with Angela Means on her Instagram! And if you’re inspired to take action for animals, there’s no better time than the present. Will you join thousands of advocates in speaking out for the animals suffering in our food system?
