Rethink Norman Rockwell—PETA’s ‘ThanksVegan’ Table Features Ava, Cory, Tabitha, Mena, and Mayim

PETA Campaign Portrays a Modern Holiday—One That’s Fresh, Diverse, Animal-Friendly and Green

For Immediate Release:
November 24, 2020

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Wouldn’t you want a seat at Pinky Cole‘s table? The restauranteur behind celebrity hotspot Slutty Vegan appears in PETA’s twist on Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom From Want” featuring a Thanksgiving table surrounded by vegan superstars 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, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, and Grey (the rapper behind the viral “Vegan Thanksgiving” video).

The painting by artist Nikkolas Smith—known for his portraits of George Floyd, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Chadwick Boseman, and others—is part of PETA’s #ThanksVegan campaign, a nationwide push for everyone to give turkeys a break by celebrating with a vegan feast.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity from PETA to show people they can eat delicious food without harming animals or risking their health,” says Cole. “Serving vibrant vegan meals to my friends and community is what Slutty Vegan is all about, and it’s a joy to see my dream reflected in this re-envisioned painting this Thanksgiving.”

Bialik adds, “I am honored to be a part of this take on Norman Rockwell’s Thanksgiving. This new version is the world I want my children to grow up in—one that celebrates diversity and puts kindness to animals on the table.” Massoud agrees, telling PETA, “Vegan holiday meals are super-popular, and for good reason. That includes family gatherings like Thanksgiving and we want to celebrate that evolution!”

Dupri concludes, “I choose to eat plant-based on Thanksgiving, which to me is the healthier option. It gives me energy vs. making me want to take a nap! This painting shows off the best parts of Thanksgiving—family, friends, and all the cranberries, sweet potatoes, and greens anyone could want.”

To give home chefs some holiday inspiration, Cole also shares her recipe for Drunken Mushroom with Purple Potato Mash and a Green Pea Purée in this exclusive PETA video.

More than 46 million turkeys are killed each year for Thanksgiving alone, and most of them are just babies, under 26 weeks old, when they’re hung upside down and dragged through an electrified bath. They’re often still conscious when their throats are slit and they’re dumped into scalding-hot defeathering tanks. Today, there is a wealth of vegan holiday roasts and recipes to satisfy everyone and give birds something to be thankful for.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” and which opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview—offers a ThanksVegan menu and recipe guide. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.