She’s only 11 years old, but when animal rights activist Genesis Butler speaks, everyone sits up and listens. At age 10, she became one of the youngest people ever to give a TEDx Talk, speaking eloquently and with a great sense of humor regarding why the best way to help the environment is to go vegan. She’s also persuaded her entire family to go vegan and has campaigned against factory farming, hunting, and circuses that force animals to perform. Her presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube as “A Vegan Child’s Journey” showcases her unwavering belief in animal rights and kindness for all.
For using her powerful voice for animals, PETA honored Genesis with its first-ever Carlee and Laurie McGrath Young Hero for Animals Award. TV journalist and bestselling author Jane Velez-Mitchell presented Genesis with the award at an exclusive PETA event held at the beautiful Del Mar Country Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, on February 25. Her proud mother and sister, Zion, as well as family friends, were among the 100 PETA supporters and guests who attended the event, which featured a presentation about PETA’s work over the last 37 years to end cruel experiments on animals and a reception.
As Jane pointed out, Laurie McGrath and her mother, Carlee, are pillars of PETA’s work to replace cruel experiments on animals with accurate and sophisticated non-animal methods. They’re big believers in using online and social media activism to strengthen the animal rights movement, especially among young people like Genesis—so the award was a perfect fit.
Genesis is just getting started, but her wisdom and compassion inspire everyone around her, and she’s already shown that she’s an unstoppable force for animals. The future of animal advocacy has never looked brighter.
