Wu-Tang’s RZA Backs NYC Fur Ban

Wu-Tang Clan founding member Robert Fitzgerald Diggs (known professionally as “RZA”) penned an email to New York City legislators in support of a bill, proposed by speaker Cory Johnson, to ban the sale and manufacture of fur citywide. “I am writing to ask that you support Speaker Johnson’s bill to ban fur sales in New York City. I am Brooklyn-born but have had deep ties to all five boroughs since my earliest days with Wu-Tang Clan,” Diggs wrote in the email supported by animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. In recent weeks, the bill has received pushback from Black NYC residents who oppose the ban of fur, citing that the material is a status symbol in the Black community—a sentiment Diggs refutes in his letter.  “Though it may be argued by some that fur used to show elite status in our community because of the inequality we face in society, those days are done,” Diggs wrote. “That’s reflected in a poll that shows 77 percent of Black NYC voters support the bill.” Diggs is a longtime vegan and frequently uses his fame to promote animal-rights issues and plant-based food. Last year, Diggs and fellow Wu-Tang members Ghostface Killa (Dennis Coles) and GZA (Gary E. Grice) worked with fast-food chain White Castle to create an interactive campaign to promote its vegan-friendly Impossible Sliders. Currently, 80 percent of Wu-Tang members are vegan according to group member Inspectah Deck (Jason Hunter), who is transitioning to a plant-based diet.