FEATURE: Martha Theus

On April 9, 1985 I ate my last animal at breakfast. It was a pig - or should I say a part of a pig - pork chops to be exact. I was raised in Detroit and grew up eating soul food because my parents were both from the south. We at meat at least three times a day...

In 1985, after moving to Los Angeles, I met (my husband) Londale who introduced me to the concept of vegetarianism and compassionate living which extended to all creatures, not just humans. I had never met an African American vegetarian before and did not think anyone could survive without eating meat! Nonetheless, my heart and soul were touched. How could I go on eating God's creatures if there was a kinder, gentler way to live? Something permanently shifted in my soul between breakfast and lunch on that April day in 1985 and I have not eaten poultry, fish, eggs, or any type of meat since. For the past six or seven years, we have followed a vegan diet, eliminating dairy for health and ethical reasons. 

Londale and I were married in September 1985, and our daughter (and my co-author) Kamaal was born in 1986, followed by our son, Londale Jr. in 1987. I maintained a vegetarian diet throughout both pregnancies. They were born healthy and strong, and did not have nearly the amount of childhood sicknesses that their peers did. Both Kamaal and Londale are STILL vegetarian (now vegan) to this day. We never focused our way of life on them but we never fed them animals either. If we considered something poison for us, why would we feed it to our kids? Even still, we as parents always gave them the right to choose when they became older - we believe in being living examples and not making undue restrictions on our kids. This is a personal choice and they had to choose their own path. The fact that they are vegan today is testament to them and their understanding of why we believe what we believe. 

The day after I stopped eating animals I was faced with a question I had NO IDEA how to answer: What do I eat if I don’t eat meat?  I was busy working (I’m still a practicing CPA) and providing nutritious, convenient, vegan meals for me (and eventually my family) was a top priority. Through a lot of trial and error (pre-internet!) I developed a system that our family still uses today, combining more than 30 years of experience living a vegetarian (now vegan) lifestyle.

Kamaal convinced me to write down our recipes when she went off to college. So many people were curious about HOW and WHAT we ate (and of course where we got our protein from!) so we wrote our first book, Throwin’ Down Vegetarian Style!, and most recently, The Vegan System, which has all of our original recipes and more.  Our system is to take mainstream, popular dishes and “veganize” them. Many of the recipes are veganized versions of my Mom’s southern favorites. It’s sort of like “Veganism 101” and is a great starting point for meat-eaters that need help with transitioning to a plant-based diet. Anyone can use this approach. We’ve been doing it for over 30 years and it’s much easier now than it was in 1985!

To find out more about us, our book, and for recipes and videos check us out at:

Website: VeggieSoulFood.com
Facebook: 21stCenturyVegetarians
Twitter: VegSoulFood
Instagram: VeggieSoulFood

FEATURE: Tai Grace

I'm Tai Grace and I'm 16 years old. I'm a Black Vegan!

I've been raised in a very health conscious household my whole life so I really thought there was nothing wrong with me consuming animal products. That all changed for me a few months ago starting with a project in my English 3 class called "Food Rules." To sum it all up, we read the The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and watched a film called Food Inc. These two really allowed me to see the horrors of the food industry and how they brainwash us into eating these egregious things. 

I thank my English teacher for this lesson and I couldn't have done it without her. In all honesty, I started this journey for health reasons but now it has spread for me morally, spiritually, and logically. I have more compassion in my heart than I have ever had. I feel awakened spiritually and I feel the need to fight for something now. I'm excited to see where this new branch of activism in my life takes me and I will do my best to spread the message of health, love, and compassion as I grow into a young adult. Black Vegans Rock!

Social Media Links

Facebook: Tyler Makayla Gracie Grace

Twitter: Heauxno1currr

Instagram: Heauxno1currr 

Sunday News Roundup

 

Dr. A. Breeze Harper Is the Official Vice Presidential Nominee for The Humane Party

 

The Humane Party is a political party that centers on animal rights and a sustainable economy. The party was founded in 2009 and Clifton Roberts (who has been vegan for 18 years) became the party's first presidential nominee in 2016. He chose Dr. A. Breeze Harper (the founder of Sistah Vegan) as his Vice Presidential Nominee. Check out the official announcement HERE. Congratulations Dr. Harper! This is historic--two BLACK VEGANS are running to be in the White House! #registertovote

Donate to MaituFoods: Local Food Worldwide 2 

MaituFoods, the vegan nutirition and meal provider of Grow Where You Are, will return to Kenya with a focus on vegan outreach and plant-based eating. Over a month-long period this August, and with the help of a vegan partner in Nairobi, Jo'Vonna will explore indigenous edible plants and local plant-based culinary traditions, recipes and nutrition knowledge. She will also work to connect and empower vegetarians adn vegans in Kenya through community vegan meals and informations meet-ups, with discussions about local plant-based cuisine, veganic growing techniques, and why plant-based approaches to hunger and food sovereignty are also important to local environmental initiatives. 

Pleaes donate anything you can HERE. All contributions to the campaign will be DOUBLED by A Well-Fed World (up to $5,000).

Obama to Set GroundBreaking Limit on Animal Testing

Richard Bowie, a writer for VegNews, reported on a story about a provision to a 40-year-old act that will restrict animal testing. Bowie writes:

"A new piece of legislation is on its way toward providing unprecedented protections for animals. A provision to the Toxic Substances Control Act-which would reduce the use of animals in laboratory experiments to test the safety of chemical-laden products-has been passed by the House of Representatives and is up for review by President Obama. The provision, drafted by vegan Senator Cory Booker, would also urge the Environmental Protection Agency to develop and use whatever possible non-animal alternatives." You can read more HERE. 

Seba Johnson, a Black Vegan Olympian and Animal Rights Activist, is Writing a Book

Seba Johnson is a well-known animal rights activist. In fact, she has been vegan her entire life! Seba was also the FIRST person we ever featured here at Black Vegans Rock. She wants to share her life story through a book, however, she needs your help to make this project come alive. Consider donating HERE today. 

Venus Williams and DJ Khaled Celebrate ‘The Power of Plants’ for Silk

According to Erik Oster of Agency Spy, "Fallon launched a new campaign for WhiteWave Foods soy, almond, cashew and coconut milk brand Silk with a pair of spots starring Venus Williams and DJ Khaled. The campaighn entited 'Do Plants,' arrives just ahead of the brand's 20th anniversary." Read more HERE. 

Huffington Post's 'Journey Beyond the Binary' Series Features Pax Ahimsa Gethen

Huffington Post's Journey Beyond the Binary blog series is an "editorial effort to bring diverse trans and gender non-conforming voices to the HuffPost Blog during and after Pride month."

Pax Ahimsa Gethen's piece "Men in Skirts" was chosen for the series. Read the piece HERE. 

FEATURE: Rodney

I'm the CEO and part owner of my own transportation company! I also am a Vegan Chef currently looking to own my own meals on wheels vegan food service truck!  I'm going into business with my brother who is also a Chef and culinary genius! We are looking to be serving the college students at the local university!

With that being said, I have been vegan for about 2 years. I was vegetarian at first and I haven't consumed meat in about 8 years, so the change from vegetarian to vegan was not difficult!

I made the choice to go vegan because I realized that consuming another living being as food (or what they produced, like milk, honey and eggs) was not a very responsible thing to do. I felt as though I was gambling with my body, especially not knowing exactly what animals were consuming. That scared me. I wanted to take my life and health into my own hands!

I began to research and one of the first videos I can remember seeing was "If Slaughterhouses Had Glass Walls." After that video, I was done. I began to really wake up and realized what I was really doing to myself, the animals, and even the planet! Eventually I saw the documentary Cowspiracy and it really helped to educate me on the effects of what a meat-based diet was doing to the planet! 

So, I used myself as an example to teach others how a plant based diet can turn your health around! 

I have gained a following and quite a few people come to me with curious questions and sincere gratitude for introducing them to the vegan lifestyle, but I know for all those that don't say anything, I know they're watching.  I will continue to spread this vegan message. I will do my part!

I thank you for the opportunity to express to you my thoughts and opinions on this matter! Much "Vegan Love."

Please follow me on:

Facebook: Rodney Vegan Muscle

Instagram: Vegan_Muscle74

Twitter: VeganHeartBeat

YouTube: http://youtu.be/w3cZYgpUz18

FEATURE: Funso Foluso-Henry

After struggling with my weight for almost all of my life, I was initially attracted to veganism due to the weight loss aspect, as it would mean I’d inevitably increase my fruit and vegetable intake. It wasn’t until I began to research further into the movement that I realized being vegan was more than just another fad diet. I spent a week watching the videos typically associated with transitioning to the vegan lifestyle...it seemed that every single argument you could think of for eating meat could be denounced by one in favor of a plant based diet. Another fact that I could not ignore was how consuming animal products is the cause of 14 out of 15 of the leading causes of death!

Coming from a mixed race background, my Nigerian dad took my abandoning of meat pretty personally, and I felt as if making the change was the equivalent to rejecting my African roots, where meat is even hidden in the most veggie sounding dishes! However, this changed when I made the link between colonialism and the consumption of meat and dairy. The European colonizers believed changing the diet of the indigenous people (which was typically plant-based for the most part) to theirs (meat, dairy, wine, oil etc.…) was one way they could fashion the colonial body. The egocentric view of nature, that puts humans as dominant to nature and ignores the fact that animals are sentient beings, also has colonial roots. So personally, becoming vegan is one of the ways I feel I am rejecting the ongoing realities of colonialism. 

I also heard about how cows are artificially inseminated so their pregnancy will result in the production of milk; not only this but also how their babies are then snatched away from them afterwards so they don’t drink their mother’s milk. I knew that it would be hypocritical of me to say I fight for intersectional feminism but dismiss situations like this. After all, animals are fellow sentient beings and express emotions like us despite not being able to communicate in the exact same way as us, making it even more important to fight for them!

A day never goes by without the mention of veganism, and I’m glad it’s such a huge part of my life after being vegan for only half a year! It’s amazing how much eating what you actually NEED can have such an effect on your body, mental health and appearance. I can’t even remember the last time I was angry! The meat and dairy industry is so corrupt. So I won’t give up on trying to show everyone that adopting a vegan lifestyle is accessible and beneficial to all: not only the animals, but your health and the planet. It is not simply a “white” lifestyle!  

Social Media Links

Instagram: www.instagram.com/pecasyrizos

Twitter: www.twitter.com/pecasyrizos

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010101225837

VeganSmart and John Lewis aka Bad Ass Vegan

VeganSmart is a black-owned company that creates low calorie, all-in-one nutritional protein powders made with all vegan ingredients. The plant-based protein powders are available in vanilla, chocolate, mixed berry and chai and are soy-, gluten-, and dairy- free. 

Here's a little more backstory on VeganSmart: 

VeganSmart's CMO Kareem Cook and CEO Claude Tellis have been entrepreneurs for years trying to change the face of health/wellness. Before creating VeganSmart  Kareem and Claude worked tirelessly to get junk food taken out of Los Angeles School Districts and created a healthy vending machine company as an alternative for the schools. Their passion for wellness successfully got junk foods removed from LAUSD, but their passion didn't stop with the kids. 

From diabetes to hypertension, the African American community is overwhelmed with poor eating choices thus resulting in higher risks of disease and death. Both Kareem and Claude experienced first-hand what the effects of food-related illnesses can have on a family and decided to create something that can make an impact in not only their lives, but in the lives of their community. 

VeganSmart is all about showing that there's more than one way to approach a plant-based lifestyle. Introducing veganism or the transition to veganism as an option through VeganSmart products has had such a positive effect on the way healthier eating patterns are viewed. Through hosting vegan brunches, attending green-focused conventions/expos and making appearances at local events, VeganSmart has shown that being vegan can be cool and isn't as difficult as one may think. 

Here's our interview with Kareem and Claude, the founders of Vegan Smart, as well as John Lewis from Bad Ass Vegan (who is a VeganSmart ambassador).

KAREEM & CLAUDE:

A) Why the decision to offer a vegan product? What inspired you to create VeganSmart?

Kareem and I both have multiple family members with diabetes and pre-diabetes. Once we did research, we learned that over 80mm people are pre-diabetic. This can be all solved if people eat more fruits, vegetables as well as eating a high protein, low sugar diet.

We therefore decided to offer a vegan product because it is the cleanest way to eat with the lowest amount of sugar. And since our product is less than $3/meal, it's affordable. We are like a Lexus...aspirational, but attainable...

B) What obstacles have you faced during your entrepreneurial journey with VeganSmart?

Everything...raising capital, hiring the right sales people and now marketing. Our current challenge is getting the word out on our product, and engaging the community. We are giving a $10k reward for the funniest/coolest 30 second cell phone video on our product. Please have your readers support us at www.areyouvegansmart.com.

C) What advice would you give to black people who are interested in the diet/lifestyle, but think it's a "white person's" thing?

Advice to black people: Diabetes is killing us at a faster pace than gun violence. Eating healthy isn't a white thing, it's the only thing. In the words of Tupac: "Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live,  and change the way we treat each other.The old way wasn't working, so we gotta do what we gotta do to survive!"

Black Vegans Rock also interviewed John Lewis from Bad Ass Vegan. He is an ambassador for the VeganSmart brand. 

JOHN LEWIS: 

(A) Why did you decide to go vegan and what has their vegan journey been like?

I decided to go vegan when my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer. After talking to her doctor and doing my own research I learned that  most cancer is related to the ingestion of animal protein and isn't hereditary like what we have been taught in the past, but more of a result of our lifestyle habits. 

(B) How did their friends and family react when they decided to go vegan? 

Oh boy, my friends and family still think I am a tad bit "crazy" and not normal, but I am a firm believer that just because something is "normal" doesn't make it right.  

(C) What advice would they give to black people who are interested in the diet/lifestyle, but think it's a "white person's" thing?

I would tell them that the diseases that are related to eating animal protein doesn't care what color you are. It doesn't care if you are from the suburbs or from the projects. It's not a black or white thing... Cancer never cared what your race was, neither has heart disease or hypertension or the countless other diseases. No one else is responsible for our well being. It's time to take control of our own health.

FEATURE: Mark Blake

Mark aka "Mr.VeggieMan" has been vegan for approximately 19 years. He's been a raw vegan for 15 years. Currently, he does wellness coaching, nutritional counseling, international healing retreats, and he's creating a sustainable community in Nicaragua. He's also a DJ.

My journey to being a vegan is a byproduct of my search to answers for health challenges. At the age of 38 I was keenly aware of the rapid increase in grey hair, balding, low energy, and frequency of getting colds and flu. Doctors told me those were the result of normal aging, even though I had surpassed the aging of people who had started balding years before me. I picked up a book Back to Eden that was a gift for my 35th birthday and I finally read it. My eyes lit up.

Over the course of the next year I did a process of eliminating unhealthy and adding healthy to my life, especially my diet. I increasingly felt better and after a year I was a pescatarian, and looking and feeling much better. I still had some energy and emotional issues. I sought alternative treatment.. It was there that I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia, candida (severe), parasites, stagnant liver, pre-diabetes, and a host of other ailments. I changed my diet and eliminated most of those symptoms in less than a week.

After six months of eating fish as the only animal product, I simply lost the taste.

I became a high raw vegan about 15 years ago. At age 57, I feel incredible inside and out. I have enormous energy and feel rested with 5 to 6 hours of sleep.

I'm a certified raw food chef, I host a quarterly 21 day friends and family fast, and I'm in the renovation stages of a sustainable community in Nicaragua. I do Wellness and Nutritional counseling, and I host events on food preparation, sustainability, and breakthroughs. I travel across the globe tasting the most delicious fruits and vegetables, and the experiencing amazing people.

Website

www.spiritualmindandbody.com

FEATURE: Shannaire

It seemed like it was by accident that I stumbled across veganism. I truly dislike to box myself in when using the word "vegan." I am a free spirit so I dislike titles, however, it is what it is! My journey to veganism started with my hair. I was going natural and wanted natural remedies to maintain healthier hair. I was amazed that certain foods that I was consuming could either aid in healthy hair or aid in really unhealthy hair, and I prefer hair growth! I had to be honest with myself as well: I didn't have good eating habits, nor was I taught any. 

Anyways, I kept asking myself question after question. The biggest question I asked myself was: If food affects my hair, then how is it affecting me period? I started down the rabbit hole. I started off vegetarian first, researched some more information and was like "ewwww" no more animal byproducts like cheese and eggs. What really took the cake for me was when I watched a documentary called Vegucated. How the industry treated animals was horrible and inhumane. I wanted to cry and tears had begun to form. I was like hell naw!! That's it. I'm done. Vegan it is!!

It wasn't hard at all. You get the occasional jokes from friends and family about why you chose not to consume meat, especially chicken. It's really not a laughing matter when it comes to my health. I do believe the most challenging part of my journey was: what to eat now? I have conquered through that. My journey went from being health conscious to transforming into a spiritual journey. If someone would have told me about being vegan, and what it consists of, I would have transitioned a long time ago. I'm open-minded, so I know for sure I would have changed. 

So, now I have a blog at www.inhertherapy.com that informs people about health awareness, empowerment, etc. I also go into more detail on why I chose a vegan lifestyle. I've decided to enroll in school to obtain my Holistic Nutrition certification to further my growth. I also want to assist people with transitioning to a healthier lifestyle. I sometimes volunteer as a nutritionist at a women's shelter and have decided to teach classes on health, especially food and how it plays a major role in death and disease. If you would like to follow me or reach out to me please check out the information below:

Social Media Links

Facebook: InHer Therapy

Subscribe at: www.inhertherapy.com

Instagram: inher_Therapy

Email: Lotihlotih@gmail.com

Cart (0)