Meet Genesis Butler, a 13-year-old vegan and environmental activist on a mission to change the world. She advocates for animal rights, the environment, and veganism of course; and she has her own nonprofit organization, Genesis for Animals, which raises money for animal sanctuaries. “I’ve always loved animals, and I think that all kids do,” says Genesis, “Some of us just get desensitized when we’re younger, because we’re always eating them, and some people don’t really question it.”
A California native, Genesis Butler first questioned where meat came from at the age of three, and upon finding out, she became a vegetarian right then and there. At six, Genesis asked her mother (who was nursing her younger sister) where dairy milk comes from and was told they “get it from mama cows.” From then on, Genesis became a vegan and even got her family to join her. “That’s like if somebody took your milk to give to humans instead of my little sister,” Genesis remembers telling her mother. “And she never really thought of it that way. That’s when my whole family went vegan.”
Genesis Butler started her activism soon afterward, and it came naturally to her since it runs in the family (Her great grand-uncle is legendary civil rights activist Cesar Chavez). She joined animal rights protests, was featured in a vegan-centered documentary called Vegans: Everyday Stories, and has an impressive following in the online vegan community. At 10-years-old, Genesis was one of the youngest people to ever give a Ted Talk, speaking about how animal agriculture negatively affects the environment, as it causes widespread pollution and loss of wildlife.
Genesis Butler has made a name for herself due to her activism and has even earned awards for it. They include The Paul McCartney Animal Hero Kids Young Veg Advocate Award in 2014 and PETA’s Young Animal Activist of the Year award in 2019. She was also featured on the Disney+ series Marvel Hero Project, which highlights young, real-life heroes who use their voices and platforms to help their communities. On her Instagram, Genesis celebrated joining the Marvel Hero Project, saying: “I hope our Marvel episodes and comic books help inspire Black kids like us and show them we all have the ability to be a superhero ❤️.”
