PETA Global 2018 Issue 2

Trailblazing Activist Restaurateur Refuses to Be Silent The founder of America’s first gourmet vegan restaurant, Sublime, Nanci Alexander is a firebrand, a tremendously generous – though frugal – person, a doting grandmother, and the founder and president of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF).

Nanci Alexander: © Ray Graham • Nanci and Rose: © Andrew Goldstein

T I M E T O G E T A C T I V E • T I M E T O G E T A C T I V E

L ike many women who’ve dared to speak their minds, Nanci has often been told to keep quiet by the powers that be. But she lives by the rule “Never be silent,” because as she puts it, “You will never get back that opportunity to speak up for the animals.” Just ask any fur-wearer who’s ridden in an elevator with her – she won’t let them off without asking, “Do you know howmany animals were killed for your coat?” Nanci is the epitome of a world-changing activist, but she grew up in a family and society that didn’t understand animal rights, so at first, neither did she. She would feed her beloved parakeets crumbs from her mouth and always stopped to rescue strays. But she also saw how animals suffer because of humans’ whims, from a dog who nipped a friend and was promptly returned to the animal shelter to a capuchin monkey who died of a broken heart when his guardian was forced to give him away. These experiences helped her recognize how vulnerable all animals are – and her responsibility for helping them. The turning point came after she had moved to Florida and saw a security guard stuff a duck into the trunk of his car. He refused to answer her questions, so she marched to every home in the housing development and petitioned residents to protect the community’s ducks – then persuaded the homeowners association to let at least some of them stay. “I saw then that one person can make a difference,” she says. From organizing a veal boycott to petitioning to end seal slaughter, she has been making a difference ever since the moment she realized that – as her voice mail message has reminded callers ever since – “animals have rights.”

But she wanted to do even more. Nineteen years ago, there was no beautiful dining spot to take friends to without having to ask, “Is there chicken stock in that soup?” So Nanci created one. As someone who once loved spare ribs and cheese omelets, she envisioned a place where “meat-eating people could eat well and be happy.” Today, Sublime makes its own cashew cheese and serves vegan versions of almost everything that she once ate – except for the calves’ brains on toast that her grandmother used to dish up. And 100% of the restaurant’s profits go toward animal protection. When Nanci first visited the plot of land where Sublime now stands, she looked out toward the water and the biggest, most beautiful iguana she had ever seen appeared – as if to say, “This is the spot!” Today, the long list of people who’ve enjoyed fine vegan dining on that spot includes Paul McCartney, Pamela Anderson, James Cromwell, Alec Baldwin, and Joan Jett, among many others. Many vegan restaurants have sprung up since then. Nanci’s vision ignited a vegan dining revolution, and her refusal to stay silent about animal rights sets a brilliant example for every activist to emulate. Take Action Now Take friends out for a vegan meal or prepare one at home (find recipes at PETA.org/Living ) and show them how delicious cruelty-free fare can be. You don’t need to own a restaurant to be an advocate for animals – you just need to take action!

Every year, Nanci presents one outstanding animal advocate with the coveted Nanci Alexander Activist Award on behalf of PETA. Past recipients include Alan Cumming, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Joan Jett, Blackfish producer Manny Oteyza, and Rose McCoy (shown above), who was honored at age 12 for starting an animal rights club at her school, persuading her teacher to go vegan, and speaking out in behalf of chickens at one of McDonald’s annual meetings.

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VEGAN VISIONARY