PETA Gives Shout Out To Sen. Cory Booker In Thanksgiving Campaign

NEWARK, NJ — Sen. Cory Booker may be Newark’s most famous vegan. And his eating philosophy made headlines again this week when People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) added his likeness to its latest Thanksgiving anti-cruelty campaign.

As part of “ThanksVegan” – a nationwide push for everyone to give turkeys a break by celebrating with a vegan feast – PETA commissioned a painting from artist Nikkolas Smith, who is known for his portraits of George Floyd, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Chadwick Boseman.

The painting, which is a satirical twist on Norman Rockwell’s classic “Freedom From Want,” features a Thanksgiving table surrounded by “vegan superstars” such as Booker, restauranteur Pinky Cole, Jermaine Dupri, who hosted PETA's Thanksgiving dinner in Atlanta last year, influencer Tabitha Brown, actor Mayim Bialik, filmmaker Ava DuVernay, Aladdin's Mena Massoud and Grey, the rapper behind the viral "Vegan Thanksgiving" video.

PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange told Patch that Booker deserves the honor.

“Sen. Cory Booker leads by example,” Lange said. “As a longtime vegan, he combats climate change and cruelty to animals every time he sits down to eat. He has also invited others to try vegan food, so he definitely deserves a seat at the ThanksVegan table.”

Watch a video of Booker speaking about his vegan lifestyle with Democracy Now!

• See related article: Cory Booker Wins 2020 NJ Senate Election

More than 46 million turkeys are killed each year for Thanksgiving alone, PETA states.

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