FEATURE: Khaleeqa L. Rouse

Khaleeqa is on a mission to help busy people find their signature healthy lifestyle!

Khaleeqa Rouse has had quite the journey to health. Founder of Paparoxi, a brand that encourages people to find their authentic healthy voice, Khaleeqa has motivated thousands of people to change their lives and find health. Khaleeqa understands the frustrations and failures of over-scheduled people when it comes to maintaining health. She was once on the brink of a health catastrophe. As a stock broker, MBA graduate and entrepreneur, Khaleeqa's health suffered greatly early in her professional carer. 

 However, her life turned around when she discovered the power of faith, whole foods, and endurance sports. She plans to inspire the world to drop the fad diets, quick weight loss tricks and fitness crazes and become authentically fit for life. 

As an executive director for a thriving non-profit school, Khaleeqa has become an expert at remaining healthy while juggling a full time schedule. In her role as executive director, she has transformed the health of an urban community. Khaleeqa has started a community vegetable garden, implemented employee health initiatives, started programs for families to get access to healthier food; presented cooking demonstrations and enacted pre-k curriculum geared toward hands-on-healthy eating and fitness education. She has also partnered with local government and health advocacy groups to bring about healthy change to underserved populations. 

Khaleeqa's thriving online community has allowed her to share simple fresh recipes; inspirational videos and thought provoking articles on how everyday people can change their lives for good. In 2014, Khaleeqa completed Ironman Lake Placid, a race which consists of a 2.5 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run in under 17 hours. She's went on to embrace a lifestyle of mostly raw fruits and vegetables which has afforded her freedom, energy, and profound health. 

Khaleeqa has been featured on multiple media outlets such as NBC News, Black Enterprise, The Rachel Ray Show, and Essence. Her story of faith, authentic hard work and change has resonated with audiences across America.

Khaleeqa's presentations are driven by the idea that health and fitness is not one size fits all; and that everyone must find their signature healthy voice. Her talks inspire and encourage crowds to discover what their healthy lifestyle may look like. Whether it's running a marathon, trying a juice cleanse or starting a garden, Khaleeqa wants audiences to get outside of their comfort zone and live in the unchartered waters of health authenticity. 

Khaleeqa is driven to serve and educate people because she remembers her life before she found health: the great burden she carried of stress, depression and low self-esteem. She knows what its like to go through a storm and come out victorious! Khaleeqa wants busy people everywhere to take up their healthy sword and fight for their lives. 

BVR Sunday News Roundup

Christopher Sebastian McJetters Will Be Speaking in Philly

Photo Credit: Pax Ahimsa Gethen

Photo Credit: Pax Ahimsa Gethen

PAN (Peace Advocacy Network) will be hosting a presentation by Christopher Sebastian McJetters about the intersections of racism, sexism, classism and speciesism, queering animal liberation, making veganism accessible for lower income families, and the importance of removing oppression from the vegan movement.  This takes place on April 15th from 6:00pm-8:00pm. Find out more HERE. 

Join By Any Greens Necessary and Take the Pledge to Go Veg

The By Any Greens Necessary Facebook page states:

"Join me and take the Pledge to Go Veg (at least) 1 week during US VegWeek. Sign up through my personal link and get free vegan recipes, tips, and the chance to win a free e-cookbook and tons of vegan swag!" Follow the link HERE to get more information.

Get Ready for the 10th Element of Hip Hop Health and Wellness Tour

Keith Tucker has been planning his historic event for quite some time and it's getting ready to kick off on April 21st-22nd in New York City. It's the first plant-based tour in history. Get details HERE and consider donating to the crowdfunding campaign HERE. 

Check out the Opare Institute (Food For the Soul) Website

If you're looking for some delicious new vegan recipes, make sure to head over to the Opare Institute's website for some fresh ideas. Also, check out their previous feature on Black Vegans Rock to learn more about the vegan duo. 

FEATURE: Kevin Tillman

Kevin is the founder of the Vegan Hip-Hop Movement, a space where food justice with a plant-based/decolonial perspective meets hip hop. The Vegan Hip-Hop Movement explores the intersections of other animal/human/earth liberation. He feels that hip-hop is rooted in resistance. The Vegan Hip-Hop Movement fuses veganism and hip hop to promote holistic activism. Kevin is a public speaker, animal rights activist, as well as a feminist.

In an interview with Vegan Straight Edge, he said:

"Hip Hop has historically served as the mouthpiece for oppressed groups in society (i.e. the poor and people of color). Veganism applied to this level of activism only expands the circle for other oppressed beings, and other animals. We are all animals, and the sooner folks make the connection, the better off we all are."

Here's a video with Keith Tucker (Hop Hop is Green) and Kevin Tillman presenting at the Resistance Ecology Conference. 

Links

Facebook: The Vegan Hip Hop Movement 

Twitter: @lordvegan

FEATURE: Camille Holder-Brown

A photograph of Camille with two of her children.

A photograph of Camille with two of her children.

I have been a vegetarian since I was 17 and am now 37 and the transition to vegan was not an easy one for me as I loved eating cheese, especially pizza.  I think once I figured out how to make my own cheeses that I was more liberated to give up my cheese addiction.  I am not a huge fan of fake cheese and prefer cashew cheese or a tofu and nutritional yeast combo.

Honestly, I never considered myself a vegan back in the day when I first did it and also ate only raw, it was just me trying to learn what worked best in my body.  Eating raw grated white potatoes was not a winner, note to self. However I do continue to eat at east 50% raw foods daily.

I evolved from being a starchatarian in college (a word I made up for vegetarians that just live on bread and pasta products, potatoes, etc,) to being a rich soyatarian.  LOL.  That is another word I gave myself when I ate soy yogurt, tofurkey sandwich, and yet more soy for dinner!  Talk about overkill.  Moderation takes time and I think we go through phases as we give up meat, I think we replace things with other things.  However I realized my personal favorite vegan protein is BEANS ( about 20 different ones I adore) and NUTS and then homemade seitan and finally TOFU.

I do not knock folks wherever they are at on that journey of weaning themselves off the meat and dairy.  Actually, I big up all the courageous mommies who have had vegan pregnancies and now vegan children.  Not an easy job.

As a mother of 5 grazing/greedy homeschooled children, my love of cooking and their insatiable desire to eat, coupled with my husband being laid off, made us open a vegan cafe and juice bar.  We own together 2 shops that are completely vegan called Kale Cafe Juice Bar & Vegan Cuisine or Kale Cafe for short.  We serve amazing Caribbean Vegan Food and freshly made juices and smoothies, and yes organic and NON GMO as well.  We serve what we feed our family at home.  We are based in Daytona Beach, FL.

Food Stamps?  Yup, we did that too and you can totally feed a big family vegan like that too.  (Beans, whole grains, make seitan yourself, tofu, lots of produce from stores like Aldis and make friends at the farmer's markets!) Processed food is wack and expensive so stay away from that, especially if you are on a budget.

Lastly, I think the biggest thing to do is not fool yourself.  My husband is all or nothing, I am more gradual and consistent.  For me, veganism was a long process of me trying it and then running away, and repeating that for a decade at least.  I needed to be able to personally make everything my family needed as vegetarians in a vegan way.  Scrambled tofu, pizza, curry chick'n, cupcakes, spring rolls, miso, you name it, I make it vegan.  For me that was the key to the excuses I would make.  Also planning my meals a bit in advance, ie. Always soaking some damn beans and nuts. lol

Got children?  Let them cook with you, take them shopping for food, they will be more likely to eat stuff and make sure you bring them stuff everywhere so they do not feel left out and hungry in social settings, be that mom...that mom that brings the dope food that is better than all the crap the other kids are eating. 

An image of Camille with her whole family.

An image of Camille with her whole family.

FEATURE: Amanda Hinds

Hi, I'm Amanda Hinds from 365 Vegans.

I went vegan 4 years ago and it was the best change I’ve ever made. I’ve done so many exciting things and explored the world through my vegan journey. 

I tried going vegan when I was younger, since I really didn't like meat much and I felt uneasy about it. Unfortunately it didn't last long and it wasn't until I graduated and got a job that I started to think about what I was putting on my plate. I became pescetarian but slowly came to understand the harsh realities faced by sentient beings. 

 Later I studied social work. It is drilled into us that we have to speak out against the injustice and oppression that surrounds us. A friend sent me a YouTube video and as I watched it, nearly everything I ate was questioned. All the reasons I had formed for eating fish, milk and eggs were dismissed one by one. By midnight that evening (I was actually meant to be writing an essay) I had decided to begin my vegan journey. I knew I needed to learn how to cook vegan food and find a community to help me along the way, so the next month I set up a vegetarian society at my university. I quickly found some vegans and we set up a weekly cook and eat session every Monday. I give all credit to that group for teaching me how not to turn vegetables into mush, unless that was the intention. 

I became more and more passionate about veganism every day and wanted to be an activist in my own way. This led to my current project, which is to interview 365 Vegans around the world. 

 I want to create a space where people can share their own narratives about their vegan life. The project hopes to create new vegan role models that challenge the stereotypes perpetuated by non-vegans. Over time I became aware that the project lacked diversity. I am now focusing on interviewing vegans from different countries and cultures. I have recently returned from China and India, and I’m putting down plans to visit some African countries very soon. It can sometimes feel like we’re alone with our vegan lifestyles, but there are so many vegans from different backgrounds across the globe.

I have learned so much from others while doing this project, such as the importance of being intersectional in our activism. I wouldn’t have learned about the ways people are using food as a form of empowerment and individual activism, and I wouldn’t have found out about Black Vegans Rock if I hadn’t had a tip off. On the whole, my vegan journey has been the most wonderful and fulfilling experience I’ve ever had. It has been confusing at times and I’m always learning new forms of activism and how to empower others but I never regret the day I became vegan.

Health and Wellness: The 10th Element of Hip Hop Tour

Join Hip Hop Is Green and Vegan Outreach for Health and Wellness: The 10th Element of Hip Hop Tour in New York City during Earth Day weekend, from Thursday, April 21, to Friday, April 22, 2016.

 This historical celebration will officially declare “health and wellness” as the 10th Element of Hip Hop. Tour highlights include the Health and Wellness: 10th Element of Hip Hop Ceremony, a symposium, and a celebration. Confirmed participants include Hip Hop and NBA legends, chefs, and holistic practitioners who live vegan lifestyles including international Hip Hop artist Stic of Dead Prez, The Lox rapper Styles P, Cold Crush Brothers’ Supreme Easy A.D., legendary New York City breaker Mr. Wave, NBA legend and Brooklyn native John Salley, chef and author Lauren Von Der Pool, internationally renowned holistic practitioner Queen Afua, Raw Vegan Chef Chandra Lee, Harlem Grown founder Tony Hillary,and many others!

You can help move a whole culture towards health and wellness. This opportunity does not happen everyday. A real chance to make a real life difference in the lives of our youth in our communities, the animals, and our planet. 

You can help us serve healthy plant based meals and perform for youth and families as we embark on the 10th Element of Hip Hop Tour. We will visit many cities all around the country with the world's largest team of plant based hip hop artists, celebrity chefs, best selling authors, fitness experts and health speakers that perform and inspire youth and families to live healthy. 

Please follow this link to donate: 10th Element of Hip Hop Health and Wellness Tour.

Sunday Black Vegan News Roundup

Black Vegans at Intersectional Justice Conference

Christopher Sebastian McJetters, Pax Ahimsa Gethen, and Aph Ko. (Photo Credit: Ziggy Tomcich).

Christopher Sebastian McJetters, Pax Ahimsa Gethen, and Aph Ko. (Photo Credit: Ziggy Tomcich).

Last weekend, the Intersectional Justice Conference at Whidbey Island (Washington) featured many Black vegan speakers and guests. Aph Ko, Dr. Amie Breeze Harper, Pax Ahimsa Gethen, and Brenda Sanders gave powerful speeches. Black vegan guests included JoVonna Johnson-Cooke (MaituFoods), David and Paige Carter (300lb vegan), Unique Vance (Vegan Voices of Color), and Keith Tucker (Green Hip Hop Dinners). Christopher Sebastian McJetters was one of the organizers of the conference. You can find a writeup of the conference on the Funcrunch Files, and you find more pictures HERE. 

Brenda Sanders (Photo Credit: Pax Ahimsa Gethen)

Brenda Sanders (Photo Credit: Pax Ahimsa Gethen)

Dr. Amie Breeze Harper (Photo Credit: Pax Ahimsa Gethen)

Dr. Amie Breeze Harper (Photo Credit: Pax Ahimsa Gethen)

Group photo by Pax Ahimsa Gethen

Group photo by Pax Ahimsa Gethen

John Legend and "Scandal" Star Joe Morton Team Up for Play on Dick Gregory

Sergio of Shadow and Act writes:

"...It was announced today John Legend is producing an Off-Broadway production titled 'Turn Me Loose,' a comedy-drama written by Gretchen Law about the life of Gregory. Joe Morton (“Scandal”) is attached to star as the now 83-year-old." Dick Gregory is a famous civil rights activist and vegan! 

NYU Panel on Analogy Between Human Slavery and Animal Oppression

On April 22nd at 6:00pm, Steve Wise (President of NonHuman Rights Project), Aph Ko, and Christopher Sebastian McJetters will be presenting  their thoughts on the comparison between animal oppression and human slavery. If you live near NYU, consider dropping by! Here some more information about the event. 

Healthy Me Event on April 16th! 

Make sure to check out the Healthy Me event which is coming up soon! All attendees will receive a FREE gift bag and a cookbook with all of the food served during the event!

FEATURE: Jessica Norwood

I started my vegan journey because I was faced with horrible fibroid tumors. The doctor told me that I should consider getting a hysterectomy in order to restore my health. I was uninsured at the time so this was coming from a doctor I didn’t really know and I guess that really annoyed me because this stranger was telling me that my dream of being a mother was going to end before it could ever start. 

I was determined to not let this be my last chance at motherhood. So, I decided to take a step back and consult the tribe of women. It’s our cultural way to discuss big questions with our community because we can get advice on where to go, what to look for, and what to try. Sadly, patriarchy keeps sisters from sharing the struggles and learnings of our bodies with one another openly. It made sharing a bit awkward at first but slowly, I uncovered these powerful stories about how these women healed their bodies with plant-based diets. 

Within 30 days, my fibroid tumors shrank in size and I was officially about that vegan life!

More than just a tool for reclaiming my health, I began to see the power of reclaiming the food system and our culture with food as a strategy for building equitable local economies. What if we could reclaim our food sources? Could that create more jobs and more wealth for black communities? These are the questions that guide my thinking. Today, as a cultural investor and black business strategist and commentator, I am proud to showcase food, and other culturally based businesses, as a tool for wealth building.

For me, being vegan is about more than food, it is about liberation. As a vegan I am making a declaration about how I want to be seen, how I want to be treated and how I want to show up in the world. With every bite of food, I am practicing compassion and mindfulness and extending gratitude to myself, which I can then pour out to the world around me. 

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Jessica Norwood is the Nathan Cummings Foundation Fellow and the BALLE Fellow focusing on the intersection of culture in business as tool for local wealth creation. Follow her food journey on Instagram @JessicaNorwood

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