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Biographies Dick
GregoryDick Gregory is no stranger to fighting injustice. This comedian, author, and activist has been an influential figure in the civil rights movement for more than 40 years and was an outspoken advocate for peace during the Vietnam War. As an ethical vegetarian, Gregory has often penned letters and made public service announcements in defense of animals. In a letter to the Marin Independent Journal, Gregory wrote, “Under the leadership of Dr. King, I became totally committed to nonviolence, and I was convinced that nonviolence meant opposition to killing in any form. … When I look at animals held captive by circuses, I think of slavery. Animals in circuses represent the domination and oppression we have fought against for so long. They wear the same chains and shackles.” More recently, Dick Gregory sent a letter to David Novak, CEO of KFC’s parent company, Yum! Brands, urging the company to adopt the animal-welfare improvements recommended by PETA and approved by KFC’s own advisory panel. The new standards would eliminate some of the worst abuses that chickens raised and killed for KFC’s menus are subjected to by the company’s suppliers. “Greed is all that is stopping KFC from improving the lives of 750 million birds every year,” says Gregory. “How can we hope to achieve a peaceful and just society when basic, human decency continues to take a back seat to the bottom line?” Now in his 70s, Gregory’s vegetarian diet keeps him healthy and active in his ongoing fight to help people and animals.  Traci
BinghamTraci Bingham—who has appeared on Baywatch, Comedy Central’s Strip Mall, and a host of shows on BET and MTV—knows that animals raised for their flesh, including chickens, have personalities and feelings and that they form families and friendships if given the chance, so she has volunteered with the nonprofit organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to help promote vegetarianism. According to Bingham, “Vegetarians are leaner than meat-eaters, so being a vegetarian is not only good for animals, it’s good for your girth, too!”  |
