FEATURE: Jordan Cates aka babegloss

My name is Jordan. I'm black, I'm queer, I'm a punk and I'm a vegan.

I'm also a drummer. My band is called Roadkill. We're punk and emphasize animal rights and veganism in our music.

I went vegetarian when I was 15 in 2012. I watched Paul McCartney's "If Slaughterhouses Had Glass Walls" video on YouTube which highlights the ethical side of vegetarianism. I went vegetarian immediately but was conscious that I wanted to go vegan because the video touched on the cruelty of dairy too, I just couldn't because I had no money for groceries. When I got a job last year, I knew I wanted to go vegan soon. I'd already made the switch to non-dairy milk and joined a bunch of vegan groups on Facebook, but that was about it. I lived off of chips and salsa for two weeks because I had no idea what vegans ate. I went on Pinterest and also watched YouTube videos and finally gathered enough information to switch to a plant based diet to the best of my knowledge and I did it! I just recently cut out all palm oil because I found out that it's not cruelty-free.

I am plant based for ethics 100%. The health benefits are just an upside.
But don't get me wrong, veganism isn't just about eating a plant based diet. It's about doing the best you can to not contribute to animal suffering, which is why I think that anyone who is against exploiting animals and does their personal best to not participate in exploitation and advocates for animals is a vegan.

I personally have a pretty severe case of social anxiety, so I don't do much advocacy in real life, I do most of it on social media. I may go partly freegan in the near future because it fits with my ethics more perfectly and I believe it's the more cruelty-free option. I also buy fair trade and second hand as much as possible because my veganism extends to humans as well.

I might seem extreme to some, but I don't always think the same way other mainstream vegans on social media think. I believe that we as vegans should be more inclusive because consumerism seems to be taking over the term, and I don't believe in all these pseudo-sciencey claims that tend to be believed by many vegans.

Some vegans I really enjoy watching on YouTube and that inspire me to think outside the box are Unnatural Vegan, Privileged Vegan and Abantu May.

I really hope someday to live in a vegan world. I believe we should do anything in our power to stop the slaughter, the captivity, the exploitation and the slavery.

#BVR

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @babegloss
Instagram: @angeldrip

Roadkill
Twitter: @roadkillsucks
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/RoadkillMO/?ref=bookmarks
Instagram: @roadkilltheband
Tumblr: roadkilltheband.tumblr.com
YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCoZ-DT6xKtlEUngsiFBk7qA

Sunday Black Vegan News Roundup

Another week has passed, and we have some exciting recaps and news to share with you that you may have missed throughout the week! Check it out below:

Seba Johnson's Skis Will Be in The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture 

Screen shot taken from Seba Johnson Official Facebook page.

This is a super exciting announcement. As some of you may know, Seba Johnson is a life-long vegan and she was the world's first Black person to ever ski at the Olympics. The museum will be opening in September. 

Haile Thomas Meets Kevin Hart at HeatlhFest

Haile Thomas, a 15-year old vegan activist and chef who has already done ground-breaking work had a chance to meet Kevin Hart at HealthFest over the weekend as she served healthy delicious smoothies! Congratulations Haile!

Black Vegans Speak at World Vegan Summit

Black vegans were in attendance at the World Vegan Summit at the University of California Berkeley including Kirsten Ussery of Detroit Vegan Soul, Genesis Butler of A Vegan Child's Journey, Milton Mills, M.D., Kenneth G. Williams, and more.

Get Ready for the Happily Natural Day Festival

Founded in 2003, Happily Natural Day Focuses on Cultural Awareness, Holistic Health, and Social Justice. Happily Natural Day, originating in Richmond, Virginia, is an African Heritage festival committed to cultural awareness, holistic health and social change. Khepra Anu is going to be one of the speakers. The festival takes place on August 27, 2016! Mark your calendars. Click HERE to learn more. 

Get Ready for Vegan SoulFest

Vegan SoulFest officially kicks off on August 20th in Baltimore, MD. Be sure to read about the organizers Brenda Sanders and Naijha Wright-Brown. Check out the event HERE. 

Sistah Vegan Volume II Call For Papers

In 2010, Lantern Books published the groundbreaking anthology Sistah Vegan, edited by Dr. Amie Breeze Harper. Dr. Harper, of the Sistah Vegan Project, will be organizing and editing a sequel to Sistah Vegan called The Praxis of Justice In an Era of Black Lives Matter (working title). Deadlines for Abstracts are August 15, 2016. Read more about this project HERE. 

FEATURE: Reg Flowers

I’m uncomfortable sharing my vegan identity in the same way I’m uncomfortable discussing my sexuality, especially when I’m talking to people I don’t know well. The questioner will often insist on a “simple” answer when an intersectional analysis reveals these questions as infinitely complex. When asked “Are you vegan?” by vegans, I assume the primary concern is the consumption of “meat” or products made from animals, but my vegan identity goes deeper than that. My practice of veganism involves avoiding, as much as possible or practicable, the exploitation and suffering of others. My veganism includes the exploitation of humans (certain of whom are categorized as “less than” and labeled “animals”) as well. My veganism includes the environment, upon which we all depend to live, and whose misuse causes immense suffering for species of all kinds all over the world. I question whether vegans I encounter, care who picked their organic bananas or how much that person was exploited. Basically, I don’t experience the word “vegan”, as used in modern contexts, as sufficient.

I became a vegan for pretty much the same reason I’ve taken on any identity: Life punched me in the face and said “Welcome to who you are now”. I had been slowly awakening as a social justice advocate, mostly because it brought me into a community where I was welcome even though I was of African ancestry, same-gender-loving, not-quite-cis-not-quite-trans, raised in a working poor family and other aspects I’m still not as comfortable sharing. Exposed to that community, I discovered tools for better understanding the systems that made moving through life just a bit more challenging than I believed it should be—certainly more challenging than the dominant narrative would have me believe. Going vegan, which I did initially for health reasons, created the space to get perspective on beings I had only allowed myself to be conscious of as food. It wasn’t that hard to make the association between the treatment of non-human animals and the treatment of “sub-human” humans.

As an artist, an activist and an educator I find myself engaging more around issues of structural racism and patriarchy than I do focusing on animal-rights advocacy. The people I care about most, the people who are suffering in front of my face are under siege by the police, under threat of eviction, assaulted because of gender-nonconformity, and targets of other forms of structural violence. Many in the vegan community (at least as I encounter it through my engagement with social media and the internet) don’t get that. It makes it frustrating and it makes the space pretty hostile for anyone trying to draw these lines of connection. I come into these spaces to expand myself and see the movement grow and, instead, often find myself under attack. As a result, I’m working to create a physical space in Detroit (altspacedetroit.org) where I hope to provide safe space for people who have historically been on the margins so we might better center ourselves in our activism, creativity and personal development.

Here are some videos from Reg's YouTube Channel: 

FEATURE: Holly Draper

In February I was in the midst of emotional turmoil. I was losing my job, going through heartache with a failed relationship, and felt lost on which direction in life I should go. The only thing I did know was that I needed some form of healing. After starting counseling sessions to heal emotionally, I sat around and thought about a more physical approach to recovery.

As a former vegetarian, I especially noticed with my return to meat-eating that I felt nauseated, and plain disgusting internally and externally. I was binge eating, and my skin was constantly breaking out. I decided that if I truly wanted to heal holistically, I should start internally with what I eat. With plans of returning to vegetarianism, I found a great 30 day detox that would help me transition back into the plant-based world. The detox required me to maintain a mostly raw vegan diet and even provided great recipes and a schedule to go by.

By the middle of my detox, I realized that being a vegan isn't as hard as I originally thought and continued to maintain the vegan aspect of my diet. My journey as a vegan so far has been very fulfilling. I've inspired others around me to up their intake of fruits and vegetables. When I'm traveling I love to bring friends with me to black-owned vegan restaurants so they can feed their curiosity. Most of the time they really enjoy their meals. My personal goal is to eventually become raw vegan. I have a long way to go within my journey to reach that place, but I will slowly but surely get there.

Social Media:

Personal: 
Instagram: @loveearthsista
Website: www.loveearthsista.com

Business:
Instagram: @shopdraped
Website: www.shopdraped.com

FEATURE: Tracye McQuirter, MPH

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A vegan trailblazer, public health nutritionist, author, international lecturer, and 30-year vegan, Tracye McQuirter, MPH, has been teaching people how to become healthy vegans for more than 25 years. She was named a national food hero changing the way America eats for the better by Vegetarian Times and her national best-seller, By Any Greens Necessary, was the number one recommended vegan book on The Huffington Post.

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Tracye co-founded the first vegan website by and for African Americans nearly 20 years ago with her sister, Marya McQuirter, PhD, and has been credited in part with increasing the number of African American vegans and vegetarians to more than 3 million people. 

Tracye's been featured in more than 100 media outlets, including CBS News, Fox News, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, NPR, Ebony, Essence, and VegNews. She was also featured on the cover of Barefoot Vegan magazine.

She has a master’s degree in public health nutrition from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College. Tracye served as program director of the nation’s first federally funded vegan nutrition program, the Vegetarian Society of DC Eat Smart Program. She also served as a policy advisor for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, helping to create the strategy for a groundbreaking lawsuit proving food industry bias in the formation of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

As a national authority on preventing and reversing chronic diseases in African American women using plant-based nutrition, Tracye served as nutrition advisor for the Black Women’s Health Imperative, the largest health advocacy organization for black women.

As an adjunct professor at the University of the District of Columbia, Tracye designed and taught a plant-based nutrition curriculum for the District of Columbia Public Schools System to help prevent and reverse childhood obesity in Washington, DC, in partnership with the USDA and First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move Campaign.

Tracye is an advisory board member of the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food, the PlantPure Nation Foundation, Black Vegans Rock, and Hip Hop is Green, and is a co-founder of We Feed Our People and the Black Vegetarian Society of New York. Learn more about Tracye at byanygreensnecessary.com.

"My being vegan, eating the healthiest way I can, is an act of self-love, self-care, self-preservation, and self-liberation. And when I help other people learn how to eat healthier, it's a communal and global act of love, care, preservation, and liberation."
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Black Vegans Rock Wins a 2016 VegNews Bloggy Award

By: Aph Ko

We are proud to announce that Black Vegans Rock is one of the 21 winners of the 2016 VegNews Bloggy Awards. This is a HUGE accomplishment considering we've only been around since January 2016. There were some blogs on the list that I've been following for years, so it's such an honor to be listed alongside them. We just want to say thank you to everyone who has voted for us! 

In their announcement, VegNews states:

"It’s 2016, and the ever-growing vegan landscape is changing at a rapid pace. With so much plant-based news breaking every day, we’re thankful for the myriad blogs keeping us up-to-date on the latest recipes, products, restaurants, and everything in between. But which are the best of the best? We wanted to know the vegan blogs you can’t live without, so we asked for your help in naming the best online destinations for all-things veg." 

In addition to Black Vegans Rock, here are some other Black vegan winners:

Sistah Vegan Project

Photo Credit: Pax Ahimsa Gethen

Congratulations to Dr. Amie Breeze Harper for her win! The Sistah Vegan Project has been such an influential space for the vegan community. Dr. Harper's unique insights and brilliant analyses has catapulted her into a spotlight that is well-deserved.

Sweet Potato Soul

Jenné Claiborne, who was recently featured on the Today Show, is an incredible source of vegan inspiration for those of us who are trying to cook delicious recipes. Check out her blog Sweet Potato Soul to learn more. Congratulations!

To check out the FULL list of winners, click HERE. 

FEATURE: Charles Waters

Charles Waters is a Children's Poet, Actor, and Educator who has performed in schools and universities across the country. His work has appeared in various textbooks and anthologies including The National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry edited by former Children's Poet Laureate of the United States, J. Patrick Lewis. 

His first book It's Not Black and White, co-written with Irene Latham, will be released by Milbrook Press in Fall 2017. 

Charles writes:

I went plant-based (well the first time) in December 2013 after friends of mine showed me videos and books that showed how animal agriculture was killing our planet and how it wasn't our moral right to consume or wear animals for our pleasure. It took two years from the date I went plant-based for me to make somewhat of a connection. 

I fell off the wagon in August 2014 for three months because I moved to NYC, didn't have the support I had from where I lived previously, or the finances to eat vegan foods. In other words, I made excuses for my less than ethical behavior. However, I soon realized that I actually could afford fruits, vegetables, rice, beans and pasta.  

In November 2014, I went back to plant-based eating out of guilt but went full vegan and never looked back in January 2015 when I took the Vegan Pledge in NYC. Through food seminars, speeches, mentors, and most importantly, a community of like-minded people, I made the connection that veganism is not about food, it's about ethics.  It's not our right, plus, it's gross to consume dead carcasses, eat chicken's periods, drink cow puss, and wear outfits made from innocent creatures.

Going vegan has been one of the more smarter decisions I've made in my life, I've met some cool, and not so cool, people along the way, and realized that the best way to stop the planet from hurting so much is to not eat animals. 

For more information, visit: http://www.charleswaterspoetry.com/

FEATURE: Lacresha Berry

Photo Credit: Kamau Ware for Warehouse Gallery Twitter: @kamauware 

Lacresha is a performer and teaching artist from Lexington, KY now residing in Queens. She is a proud graduate of the University of Kentucky where she received her B.A. in Theater.  She currently works as the musical director for BK Nation, a movement of people from all backgrounds that spark projects and campaigns, led by the people, for the people; where she curates the quarterly live music and culture sessions throughout the city. She is a regular host for the popular Inspired Word NYC Open Mic Series across the city. Berry recently released her album, "Daddy's Girl" on iTunes, Amazon, and CDBaby. She is currently performing in her one-woman show, BrownGirl. Bluegrass, an autobiographical story that examines the rarely documented cultural history of African-Americans in Kentucky through prose, poetry, and song.

Lacresha writes:

I went vegan in August of 2007. I had been toying with being vegetarian and mock meats for a while but I never fully committed.  And to be honest, it was over a period of several years that I transitioned. I sing and perform so milk went bye bye in 2004. Then, after doing this intense fast, all dairy was gone. That was 2006! Eggs and I didn't get along so I was just left with the meat. I gave up meat at first because my stomach troubles got the best of me. I have been sensitive since being a baby. I read a few books that woke me up and I haven't looked back since. 

My journey has been a process, for sure!  I was no longer in pain and I've reversed the aging process. My cholesterol is down, blood pressure is consistently low, and I'm stronger and more energetic than ever! I eat raw a lot and I am in love with dark leafy greens and bananas. I'm thankful for the change and now, there are so many mainstream options for vegans--so I'm definitely thankful for the cruelty free choices. 

I'm humbled by the opportunity to share my story and hopefully inspire someone else to go vegan! 

IG: @berryandco

Twitter: @berryandcompany

Website: www.berrryandcompany.com

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