- – Dr. Don C. Sawyer III, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Quinnipiac University (February 16, 2016)
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Dr. Anthony has been both of personal inspiration and in many ways a strong force behind the liberatory movements for social justice in Buffalo and western New York. I first met him through the work of Save the Kids, during the National Week of Action Against Incarcerating Youth, and was immediately impressed by how he is able to take the theory of the School to Prison Pipeline and translate it into real grassroots organizing on the ground. Through his books, workshops, conferences, and mentorship, I have been able to find my voice as an activist and organizer in this area. Especially, Dr. Anthony is able to find ways to bridge often seemingly disparate movements, engage, motivate and build coalitions and unity. His work is invaluable to a wide range of present, and future, movements for social justice.
- – A. Luana DeJesus, founder of the Buffalo Anti Racism Coalition and Local Representative for Buffalo Save The Kids (February 14, 2016)
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Anthony Nocella’s ongoing commitment as a peace and justice scholar to a community organizing for transformative justice and environmental sustainability is inspiring and infectious to those working for social justice around the world. He models for us all the importance of breaking down boundaries between the academy and the activists calling for us to value the lived-experiences of the diverse members, both human and more-than-human, suffering among us. Dr. Nocella is a prolific writer, an effective organizer, and a courageous and compassionate educator dedicated to teaching toward a socially-just and sustainable global community inclusive of all.
- – Dr. John Lupinacci, Assistant Professor, Washington State University (June 27, 2014)
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Dr. Anthony Nocella is not only a productive scholar and a vibrant and effective activist, but he is a compassionate person with an unwavering commitment to justice for all living beings. His scholarship elucidates the places that hierarchical ideologies and different forms of oppression intersect and clarifies the ways that neoliberal capitalism and the social and political forces and institutions that reinforce it perpetuate the exploitation of marginalized groups. His scholarship in critical animal studies, critical race studies, and transformative justice directly supports the programs he has developed to address zero tolerance policies in schools, the school to prison pipeline, and the mass incarceration of youth and people of color.
- – Dr. Scott Hurley, Assistant Professor of Religion, Luther College (September 24, 2013)
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Anthony Nocella is not your typical scholar! He is an activist, community organizer, and hands on educator. Anyone who has over 20 books published you would imagine would have their interests solely in academia, but that is not Anthony’s sole focus. His focus is on the people. The community. The strength of protest and resistances to hegemonic forces that threaten equality; that is where he resides. North Park Universities Center for Youth Ministry Studies is not only honored to have had him out, we were challenged by his message. Anthony is the next generation activist/ scholar!
- – Dr. Daniel White Hodge, Director of Center for Youth Ministry Studies and Assistant Professor of Youth Ministry at North Park University (December 2, 2013)
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Anthony’s excellent interpersonal skills, his ability to provide empathic support, his creativity, and his sensitivity to cultural nuances are the foundation for the trusting relationships that he has developed in the Twin Cities in such a short amount of time. Anthony is very skilled in applying social work principles of mutual aid, democracy, and youth empowerment with the groups of young people with whom he works. Anthony clearly enjoys working as a part of our community and an interdisciplinary team focused on promoting young people’s positive development and academic success. I believe that Anthony has the education, preparation, skills and energy needed to lead programming with vulnerable groups of youth, many of whom are likely to have had prior negative experience with educational and/or social service systems.
- – Nicole Randolph, Center Director, North Community YMCA Youth and Teen Enrichment Center and Facilitator, Lead Peace (July 30, 2012)
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Critical animal studies scholars and animal activists are need to thank Dr. Nocella for co-founding the Institute for Critical Animal Studies, which is a beacon for intersectional, social justice investigations regarding animal advocacy worldwide and its relations to other liberation movements. I am grateful to him for his scholarship and support.
- – Federico Alfredo Berghmans, Graduate Student, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (August 27, 2012)
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Personally, I wish I would have met Dr. Nocella before my senior year because he has taught me so much about my identity as a black man in America, and as an award-winning writer, he has brought me a whole new sense of what education means. Even though I wasn’t in any of his classes, he taught, trained, and helped me develop as a student with the programs he established at Hamline and throughout the Twin Cities. I went from not participating in any events at Hamline to hosting and coordinating events on sexual violence against women of color and gun violence against youth, networking with community members, addressing local issues, and learning the structure of nonprofit institutions.
- – Moses Jame, 2012 Undergraduate Alumnus, Business BA, Hamline University (June 24, 2012)
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Dr. Anthony Nocella is an erudite scholar, dedicated educator, and committed community organizer. Anthony challenges the traditional divide between scholar and activist, as he effectively connects and navigates both of those worlds while also inspiring others to foster social change. He does not limit his critical analysis or activism to one specific area of oppression; rather, he looks at cultural subjugation holistically, making him the epitome of an intersectional thinker and activist. I am especially impressed with the work he has done in the areas of Critical Animal Studies, Anarchist Studies and with Save the Kids, the organization he co-founded that is dedicated to challenging the school-to-prison pipeline.
- – Dr. Kim Socha, author of “Women, Destruction, and the Avant-Garde: A Paradigm for Animal Liberation” (February 8, 2012)
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Dr. Anthony Nocella has a demonstrated record of employing critical inquiry and social justice approaches to address some of the most urgent and complex problems of our time. His interdisciplinary educational perspective and holistic conception of peace and justice issues bridge the gap between spirituality and science which the Western world has historically treated as separate and unrelated. Dr. Nocella is an indefatigable and inspiring scholar-practitioner whose work continues to cultivate a much-needed awareness about the fundamental and fragile relationships that exist between and among human and natural systems. He consistently challenges and strives to eliminate the many anthropocentric beliefs and practices that are destroying our planet’s biosphere. Dr. Nocella’s authentic and transformative vision of a world absent of racism, discrimination, inequality and violence continue to help shape a more peaceful, just and sustainable future.
- – Brian J. Trautman, Instructor of Peace and World Order Studies, Berkshire Community College (September 28, 2012)
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Anthony Nocella is more than an educator. He is a visionary that is able to translate the struggles of countless generations and connect them with his passion for justice for all. Having worked with Anthony over five years on youth justice, I attest that his “walk the walk” approach to addressing social inequities motivates and creates an experience for his students for a lifetime beyond academia.
- – Hasan Stephens, Executive Director, Good Life Foundation (May 31, 2014)
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Anthony Nocella is not only the co-founder of critical animal studies, but strives to advance it by making new connections between fields and marginalized movements. His knowledge of the field and his contribution in activism is truly unmatched. There is no doubt that his contributions will go a long way in advancing social justice both in the halls of academia and on the ground.
- – Dr. Joe Leeson-Schatz, Director of Speech & Debate, Binghamton University (June 8, 2014)
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It has been many years since I have known Anthony Nocella, as both a close friend and colleague. I first had the pleasure of meeting Anthony when we worked as Instructors at SUNY Cortland and Le Moyne College. Even though we started out as cordial acquaintances, we were drawn to similar ideologies pertaining to social justice, sociology, and philosophy. As I got to know Anthony better, I came to realize how multifaceted he actually is. Anthony is like a kaleidoscope; a jack-of-all-trades, visionary, compassionate being, natural born leader, collaborator, and morale cheerleader. This man changes lives; human, nonhuman, and inorganic. Anthony’s life’s mission suggests that we are all but one of each other, interconnected and not existing alone, traveling down pathways constructed, all while reading welcoming signs hoisted in concrete pillars that are anchored in progress. He is concretely present yet always in transit. Mark my words; Anthony is going places. Anthony’s enthusiasm for achieving harmony means that he’s always working on exciting projects that illicit social change. Anthony’s passion inspired me to become more involved with social justice issues. We have worked on a number of important projects over the years for Critical Animal Studies, Peace Studies, and Eco-Ability Studies. I anticipate that he will be a life-long pursuer of these endeavors, and I a diligent supporter.
- – Dr. Amber E. George, Project Coordinator Intergroup Dialogue Project, Cornell University (June 15, 2014)
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I met Anthony Nocella at a nonprofit event, and felt his compassion and the sincerity in his work from our first connection. Since then I have come to know Anthony as a compelling and inspiring author, dedicated community organizer, gifted professor, Hip Hop cultural connoisseur, and a kind and thoughtful person to collaborate with. If there’s one thing I can say about Dr. Nocella professionally it is that he truly cares about peacemaking and promises to put his heart in everything he produces and coordinates.
- – Luke Reynolds, Co-founder of Progress Foundation, Founder of Prosaic Minds Movement (July 5, 2014)
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Dr. Anthony Noccella makes invaluable contributions to life on Earth. Through his community leadership and his critical role in academia, he inspires and ignites transformation within individuals and communities by bridging the gap between theory and practice through effective action. He masterfully and selflessly moves and empowers others to create transformation in the world for the benefit of all beings.
- – Jeni Haines, National Coordinator, National Week of Action Against Incarcerating Youth (July 10, 2014)
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- – Keno Evol, Artist, Producer, Activist, and Poet (February 21, 2016)