FEATURE: Ashleigh Mott

I’ve loved animals for as long as I can remember (my first word, according to my baby book, was “kitty”!). But I also grew up on the Standard American diet, which included dairy, eggs, and especially meat (one of my earliest memories is eating a bit of raw ground beef off a cutting board when I was 4, only to be lightly scolded by my mother, and told “that will make you sick!”). It wasn’t until I was 12 years old that I made the connection between my love for animals and the animals I ate.

I remember the day it happened. My parents took my brothers and me to the county fair late in August 1999. After some rides and games, we made our way to the 4-H part of the fair, with all the pigs, cows, chickens, rabbits, and other animals raised for the program. Still being the animal lover I was, I was enthused over seeing farm animals so full of life. Right after that, though, my parents went to buy us hot dogs for lunch…at which point I asked for just French fries.

I was a typical junk food vegetarian. I ate only side dishes for dinner, supplementing with a lot of chips, cookies, ice cream, and at school, Little Debbie snack cakes. It wasn’t easy, since I didn’t know much about cooking, and was the only vegetarian in the family. As such, I fell off the wagon by the end of high school (partly by my parents’ insistence that eating some fish and chicken might help my clinical depression).

Flash forward to my early 20s, when a lot had changed. I had realized that I was not Christian and didn’t believe in organized religion any longer, came out as queer, and went back to vegetarianism (but still not giving up eggs and dairy, especially cheese). This started to change when I came across several PETA videos, videos that were profoundly jarring (especially hearing the narrator of “Meet Your Meat” say “if you’re consuming milk, you’re supporting the veal industry” as images of baby boy calves chained by the neck flashed across the screen; I burst into tears, thinking “my God, what have I done?”). I didn’t become vegan right after that, but it was all a process for me (learning to buy nail polish, soap, deodorant, and lip gloss that are vegan-friendly and not animal-tested, learning to live with limited processed vegan meats to stay within my budget [which, by the way, is easy once you’re used to it!], and so forth). As of 2010, I am vegan!

Today, I run a blog called Everyone Deserves Justice, based around promoting justice causes, including veganism, with an intersectional approach. I also have a YouTube channel under the username ElectricMayhem87 (I’m a Muppet fan; does it show?) wherein I’m currently working on a series about intersectionality and veganism. That, and my blog, are mainly a response to rhetoric and ads I’ve seen since I’ve become involved in the animal rights movement that I feel are unproductive to our cause (fat-shaming, comparisons to black slavery and the Holocaust, use of misogyny to support the message, etc.). I am still a vegan for justice, and I want this movement to reflect justice, not other oppressive attitudes.

FEATURE: Ariole Dieujuste

Both ethics and health benefits are what interested me to adopt the vegan lifestyle. There were times where I suffered from throat and chest pains. A build-up of phlegm that lead to severe coughs and chest pains would attack me each week. I did not have asthma though.

Before going vegan, animal protein was a part of my diet. As I began to transition to a vegan diet in early 2015, the attacks became less severe and rare. I've been vegan for 7 months and have yet to experience an attack since mid-2015.

After going vegan, I began to do more research so that I could learn more about veganism. This lifestyle not only benefits me, but also the animals and the planet. Animal agriculture is a business. Cancer(s) and heart disease are also a business. The sicker we are (as a people), the more the industry profits. It makes sense to try to be healthy, but it doesn't make dollars for the industry. My only regret about going vegan is not doing it sooner.  

Social Media Links

Twitter: @ariole1984
Instagram: @ariole1984
Facebook: Facebook.com/Ariole.Dieujuste
Youtube: http://YouTube.com/c/Juice84

FEATURE: Brenda Sanders

Photo Credit: Pax Ahimsa Gethen

Brenda is a food justice activist in Baltimore City, MD, who advocates for social and environmental justice as well as animal rights through the framework of veganism. Her work ranges from vegan cooking demonstrations to lectures on animal rights to presentations exposing environmental racism. She also hosts a monthly vegan support group, organizes a vegan culture & food festival (Vegan Soulfest), manages community gardens in an economically depressed neighborhood, and is a founding member of a vegan food collective (PEP Foods) that is bringing affordable vegan food to low-income communities in Baltimore. Here’s a snapshot of her work.

Food Justice Activism

As Executive Director of Better Health, Better Life, Brenda coordinates Eating for Life, a series of workshops designed to expose families in low-income Baltimore communities to the many benefits of eating a healthy plant diet. Through these workshops, Brenda is able to address both the health disparities and the food access challenges in marginalized communities.

Through the Penn-North Community Gardens, Brenda helps to make fresh fruits and vegetables available to families in the Penn-North neighborhood of Baltimore City and assist them in taking back control of their access to healthy foods in their community.

As a founding member of the PEP Foods Collective, Brenda works to help bring affordable vegan food to low-income Baltimore communities. PEP Foods’ goal is to change the food landscape in marginalized communities by putting non-dairy cheeses, meat substitutes and healthy grab-n-go convenience foods into carry-outs, corner stores and mini-marts in the Baltimore communities where healthy foods aren’t made available.   

Animal Rights Activism

Brenda has done lectures on animal rights at conferences and colleges around the country. Her work as a social and environmental justice activist allows for a multi-faceted perspective on the various ways in which animal exploitation negatively impacts animals, humans and the planet we all inhabit.

Environmental Justice Activism

Brenda works with the environmental justice organization Energy Justice Network to help people in Baltimore communities to recognize the environmental racism at work in the targeting of low-income communities of color with environmental pollution - and how adopting a plant diet can improve the inevitable negative health impacts that result from this unfair targeting.

Vegan Education

As Co-Director of the animal advocacy organization Open the Cages Alliance, Brenda co-organizes the Vegan Living Program, a six-week vegan education program. Since 2011, the Vegan Living Program has engaged hundreds of people in the Baltimore area with information about the many benefits of the vegan lifestyle.

Brenda is also co-creator of Vegan SoulFest, an annual celebration of culture and the vegan lifestyle in Baltimore City. This festival brings together experts in vegan nutrition, vegan chefs, businesses and organizations that promote the vegan lifestyle to demonstrate all the benefits of the vegan lifestyle to the people of Baltimore City.

Links:

PEP Foods: www.pepfoodsinc.com

Better Health, Better Life: www.bhblnow.org

Vegan Living Program: http://www.openthecages.org/vlp/index.html

Penn-North Gardens: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1599377163668047

Vegan SoulFest: http://www.vegansoulfest.com

FEATURE: Anthony X. Jackson

Hello, I'm Anthony X.Jackson, a Black Vegan living in Vallejo, Ca. I am 44 years of age. I am currently employed as a Chef at Hiddenbrooke Golf Course. My passion is vegan food, though I work in an omnivorous environment at the time. My ambition is to start a vegan food enterprise, such as a food truck or bistro.

I have been vegan for nearly 9 months now and there's no looking back. I, like many, was vegetarian for years before. I am also in recovery from drug use, 19 months nearly. I was homeless and hooked on meth for many years. Strangely, sobriety was the onus of my vegan choice. I found out that cheese is just like a hard drug to the body... in my drive to be clean of any and all mind altering substances, well, vegan just clicked for me then.  Really. I have watched many documentaries in my time, but the cheese/drug thing did it for me.

As a chef, I take great joy in sharing the art of food not prepared using animal ingredients. I might add, this is my chosen form of culinary activism. I document my creations on my Facebook page and a few vegan food groups, but mostly in my profile. Over the last 9 months I have attained a tremendous wealth of gratitude and appreciation of veganism. I have been given the role of In-house Vegan Chef here at Hiddenbrooke. I have lobbied successfully to include vegan items on our menu. From homeless to culinary crafter. That's my story, thanks for letting me share.
 

FEATURE: Keith Tucker (Hip Hop is Green)

Keith Tucker is the Founder of Hip Hop is Green.

Tucker has been a committed community activist and businessman for over 20 years. He has worked hundreds of businesses, youth groups and community organizations throughout the years. He has worked with many icons in the entertainment business as a promoter, activist and culture builder. He spearheaded protests against the stereotyping of Hip Hop artists and mentored many youth over the years. He received the Martin Luther King County Executives Award for Community service, the African American Achievement Award, the Keep it Fresh award and the 2015 Jefferson Award and is responsible for the first ever Hip Hop Health day.

In 2008 Keith hosted his own radio show (the Keith Tucker Show) and subsequently embarked on a documentary film project entitled "Pursuit of a Green Planet" where he learned to live his life as a vegan. On his first research trip he visited the Seattle Vegfest and he tasted an assortment of vegan food for the first time. This experience was the catalyst for him to start serving free plant based meals to the youth in the community and bring Hip Hop performers to entertain and educate a new generation through Hip Hop culture.

So, in 2009 he held the first Hip Hop Green Dinner in history. Since then he has assembled the largest team of Hip Hop artists and educators in the world all with the goal of bringing health and wellness to youth and families around the country. In 2015 he was the architect of the Hip Hop is Green tour, first ever national plant based Hip Hop tour in history. And in 2016 he introduced the 10th Element of Hip Hop which is Health and Wellness. He went on to produce the 10th Element of Hip Hop Health and Wellness tour, reaching 14 cities around the country.

FEATURE: Carrie from So Freakin Vegan

“You’re a what!?” I asked my new graduate school roommate, demanding an explanation. “Why would anyone want to be a vegetarian,” I thought to myself. It was August 2011 and I was a whopping 22 years old. It’s amazing how far I was down the Standard American Diet rabbit hole, that I had actually never before even met a vegetarian, not to mention any vegans. After a couple months of contemplation, I decided to dabble into vegetarianism throughout my time in graduate school, and continue the dietary change for the next four years. It was interesting to me, and somewhat of a challenge. Abstaining from meat went against everything I was taught and believed about health and survival. And I’ll admit, I was one who loved to go off the beaten path.

In January of 2015, I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). I was prescribed multiple medications to help manage my horrendous symptoms. The side effects from the drugs actually caused me to feel worse. This was the lowest part of my life, as I not only felt physically ill, but also emotionally ill - struggling with the fact that I had an incurable disease. I began researching PCOS and found overwhelming information on the negative effects of dairy on women’s bodies and the healing benefits of raw fruits and veggies. Right then, I decided to go 100% raw vegan.

Within a few weeks of living on a raw vegan diet, every single PCOS symptom vanished. My energy skyrocketed. Issues were clearing up that I never even realized I had. I began learning more about how a whole foods vegan diet can prevent and even reverse many of the leading killers in our communities (heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes)! I realized that I had the power to take control of my own health.

After being vegan solely for health reasons for a few months, I came across a film called Earthlings on YouTube, which opened my eyes to the realities of how humans use and abuse animals for profit. Never before had I made the connection that as a meat eater, I was on the side of the oppressor. The animals weren’t just willingly giving their bodies to us. They were innocent beings who wanted to live, just like you and me. I became an ethical vegan, with the health benefits being an added bonus to my lifestyle.

Although no longer completely raw, I’ve maintained a whole foods vegan lifestyle for one year, and have decided to never touch animal products again. I started the So Freakin’ Vegan YouTube channel in March 2016 to bring awareness to veganism – the lifestyle that saved my life. Through parody videos, discussions, and of course food, I want people to know that veganism can be simple, healthy, satisfying, and a lot of fun! My goal is to help people help themselves, while making this world a better place for future generations

Social Media

Instagram
@SoFreakinVegan

YouTube
So Freakin Vegan

E-Mail
sofreakinv@gmail.com

FEATURE: Moniqua Sexton

My vegan journey started in 2012/2013. In 2012, I went to my gynecologist for my yearly women's exam. I expressed to her that I was having some digestive issues. I was only have a bowel movement once or twice a week, if that. I had severe gas buildup, meaning my stomach would bloat and ache with gas that I could feel in my shoulders and my back. I could not pass it unless I was laying down on my side, completely still for a long period of time. At this time, I was also having migraines. I'm talking about bed ridden migraines.

I had been on different medications and seen different doctors for my migraines and all they wanted to give me was medication. With my migraines worsening, having them a few times a week, and my digestive issues, I couldn't take it anymore. So, my gynecologist recommended I see a gastroenterologist. I went to see one and at first, he just wanted to give me medication. The medication didn't work and when I came back, the nurse was like, "It usually doesn't work." He then suggested that I cut out red meat and stop consuming dairy because I may have an intolerance for it.

Cutting out red meat was no big deal. I was fine with chicken, turkey and fish. Dairy was a little harder because I loved cheese. My digestive issues improved. I was still having migraines. Over time, I slowly gave up chicken and then turkey. For a while, the only meat I would consume was fish. My digestive system began to work so much better. My migraines had subsided and became more spread out. But there was still something, like a feeling inside that I shouldn't be eating fish. This is around the time I started finding more vegans on Instagram. 

After a while, I gave up fish, but I went back to consuming dairy and eggs. The thing is, I was becoming so nauseous after drinking milk or eating cheese. That was my body telling me to stop. By this point, my migraines had completely stopped. I was thankful for that. 

The final straw for me giving up all animal products is when I went on a college tour with my job at the time, with the kids from a local YMCA. All we had that weekend was pizza, donuts, and more pizza. When I got home, I became so sick, that the next day, November 17, 2013, I was done with all animal products. I just couldn't do it anymore. It finally registered in my mind that consuming animal products was the root to my ailments.

This journey has taught me so many things and I have met so many amazing people. I feel alive, vibrant, and energetic. I couldn't be happier. My body loves me for it and now, I have to say that health is the most important thing. You only get one body. Take care of it.  

LINKS

Twitter: @simplymoniqua

YouTube: @simplymoniquavegan

Pinterest: @simplymoniqua

Website: www.simplymoniqua.wordpress.com

FEATURE: Brian Hernandez

A mixed race military brat, I grew up all over the place.  Moving from Georgia (state) to Korea, back to Alaska, then Hawaii, then across the globe to Britain, then back to Florida. While always having a leaning toward film and video production (many final papers became final short films) I graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelors in Interpersonal Communication.

In 2007 I began independently studying film, all the while eating my favorite dishes of blackened shrimp and chicken adobo. That year I went to Sarasota, FL to visit some long time friends and among other things sit down to view a few films.  We first watched Oldboy by Park Chan-Wook, (later remade by Spike Lee), a fictional film that explores the idea of revenge and uses violence as the tool for said vengeance. One person condemned the film's use of stylistic violence on the grounds that it was unpleasant to see and devoid of any value.  Next, we watched Baraka by Ron Fricke, a non-narrative documentary of human activities shot in 24 countries. Though not aiming to address animals specifically, one scene of the documentary shows extreme close ups of baby chickens having their beaks melted off.

When it came time to discuss the film I asked "What did you think of the documentary's use of violence?" This question was met with disbelief and anger from the same person that condemned the fictional violence of the first film. In fact, they maintained that the documentary footage we'd just seen wasn't violence at all. Others remained silent during the debate. This is the moment when I first realized that I didn't want to perpetuate violence onto others. However, I also realized something equally as important. I realized that people possess both the ability to not see violence right before their eyes and the willingness to remove themselves from any personal responsibility for the violence they create. This day motivated me to closely examine this phenomenon and lead me somewhere that I hadn't expected. I found myself also studying the American political process.

I had never met or conversed with a vegan person before I decided to change my actions to align with my values. With the support of my wife Michelle, I decided to attempt what I thought was the impossible and change my diet. That was five years ago on Valentine’s day.  As it turns out, it's extremely easy to make chicken adobo or anything else I love eating without hurting anyone. Once I had the first hand experience I set out to tackle the issue in earnest.  In 2015 I created The Onion Knight Show, a free channel on Youtube dedicated to demystifying politics and educating people about how we can use the U.S. political process to end the oppression of people and animals alike. 

I published the first in depth policy interview with the first Vegan candidate for President; Clifton Roberts of the Humane Party.

 I also broke to the world the news of Dr. Breeze Harper’s nomination as Vice President of the Humane Party.

My advice to black folks that have reservations about going vegan is to stop selling yourself short.  You are so much stronger than a temporary urge you get to eat some particular thing over another or a stereotype that eating vegan is only for rich white folks. You can do ANYTHING you want to do.  Once you've transitioned, it comes effortlessly.

Follow Brian Here:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/theonionknightshow

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnionKnightsOath/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_TheOnionKnight

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onionknightsoath/