Christopher D. Sims: Loving My Vegan Self

Christopher D. Sims is a poet, spoken word performer, and human rights activist. Christopher is also known as UniverSouLove. He has been vegan for eight years now. Check out his previous feature on Black Vegans Rock. Here is a poem that he wrote:

Loving My Vegan Self

I am loving my conscious,
collected, calm, cool
vegan self.

I am in touch and in tune
with all what I am and have
become.

A child of the sun, I am clean:
living a green lifestyle in more
ways than one.

The vegan lifestyle transformed
my way of thinking. I love eating
wholesome, fresh foods.

I am defeating the norms
by eating what I believe is
most necessary. The foods
I am eating are not Franken foods,
full of pesticides, or scary.

I am a soulful vegan on this
planet. I am not taking the

Earth or animals for granted.
I am living a lifestyle that is
spiritual and organic.

I am in love with all of the
sacred ingredients, plants, herbs
I indulge in. The healthiest crops
Earth has to offer are my best friends.

I am seeking a consciousness that
is respectful of my position in our
ecosystem. Between the birds, the bees,
the trees and I, there is no division.

I’ve learned that good health is wealth.

So I must love and take care of my vegan self.

 

© Christopher D. Sims
Edited on October 29th, 2015

Social Media Links

http://www.soundcloud.com/UniverSouLove

http://www.mixcloud.com/UniverSouLove 

"If Black Lives Mattered" by Christopher D. Sims is available at http://bit.ly/1Kbwn8U. 

FEATURE: Keja Bussey

Hey my name is Keja, and I began to make my transition to veganism in December 2015. My little 14 year old cousins told me previously in the summer of 2015 that they were going vegetarians. Initially, like many people, I felt that they were out of their right minds. Soon after, they showed me the documentary, Earthlings, and I was instantly turned off by the animal industry and their lack of care for the animals' pain and suffering. It also informed me of just how unhealthy it was to eat animals that could potentially be carrying diseases. If those animals were feeling bad throughout their lifetime, and I were to put that in my body, not only would I feel bad just like the sick animal that I ate, it would also be unhealthy for my digestive tract.

Truthfully, it is accurate to say that my conversion to veganism was both frightening because I felt that the people around me would not find my efforts to better the world relevant. I eventually just came to my senses and began to tell people that I was now a vegan and that was that because the decision that I was making would not only benefit my health, the poor animals being unnecessarily slaughtered in the factory farming system, but also the people around me because my imprint on the Earth would be less significant than someone who did consume diary, animal flesh, and animal byproducts.

My advice to other black vegans would be to not give into the consensus of your peers. There are not many vegans in the world, however, one person does make a difference. Remember why you are even being an advocate for Veganism and stay strong in the fact that what you are doing has positive outcomes for you and those around you. I continually preach this to my family because they often forget that what I’m doing is again benefitting my body, the earth, and animals. The experience of being a vegan is very uplifting. I feel that since December of 2015, I have made significant strides both spiritually and physically. Fruit on!

FEATURE: Monique Thomas

My name is Monique Thomas, I live in the Bronx, New York, and I am a Black Vegan who ROCKS!! I am a former professional dancer and now, I am a poet. My stage name is Lady Soul.

Here's my story:

I was preparing for Dance Africa's 25th anniversary show in 2002. 2 weeks before the show, I completely stopped eating meat. The night of the show, I was light as a feather on stage. I had so much energy, I felt invincible. I wasn't even breathing hard after our set was done. I wanted to do our set twice!! LOL

One year later, I decided to take the next step and go Vegan. I got sick of eating eggs and other dairy products. My biggest fight was to stop eating pizza. 13 years later, in 2016, I am pizza free. PRAISE GOD!! I turn 46 years old in July and my body belongs to me because I take care of it the right way thanks to my Vegan diet.

The discipline it took to go Vegan amazed my own self. I feel great and I've never been happier with my decision to go Vegan. For my health's sake, it's been worth it. I am 13 years into this journey and vowed that I will be a Vegan for LIFE. No apologies for that.

Lateefah: Founder of the Veggie Connection

Lateefah is the Founder of the Veggie Connection Event, which originated out of Atlanta, GA. The first event occurred on October 11, 2015 in Atlanta, and the next event is July 2, 2016 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. 

We asked Lateefah some questions about her event:

BVR: Could you tell our audience about the inspiration for this particular Veggie Connection event? 

L: The Veggie Connection Event was created to fill the space where these sorts of events are not occurring. We don't want people who are living this lifestyle to have to travel far just to experience an event. We also want to connect the attendees to businesses they may have never known existed.

BVR: What sets apart the Veggie Connection event from other health/food/vegan events?

L: Our events are based on a more intimate type setting. We like for our attendees to be able to take their time to talk and interact with each vendor and not be overcrowded. People can also network with other attendees as well.

BVR: Will there be any special guests/speakers?

L: For our Southern California Edition we will have special guest speaker Laureen Adams-Lateef, Ph.D. and Sahsha Campbell-Garbutt (Author, Life Coach, and Wellness Advocate of Life and Light Wellness). Other speakers will be announced shortly.

BVR: Could you provide us with details on the event date, time, and location?

L: The Southern California Edition of The Veggie Connection Event, will take place on Saturday, July 2nd 2016 at The Goldy S. Lewis Community Center (Mesa Courtyard) in Rancho Cucamonga from 10am-4pm. 

The 3rd Edition of The Veggie Connection Event will take place once again in Smyrna, Georgia in October. To be in the know interested individuals can check out our website at:  www.theveggieconnection.com or join our email list at info@theveggieconnection.com 

BVR: It seems like the first 300 people will get a free gift bag. Can you tell us some more details about what might be in that bag?

L: We have a host of goodies being added to the Veggie Bags! Just to name a few: Beanfields, Field Roast, Zevia, and more! For a sneak preview please go to our facebook page at:  www.facebook.com/therealveggieconnection

BVR: What do you want the BVR audience to know about this event?

L: It's easier than you think to achieve a vegan/vegetarian life style. It's very important to go at your own pace. You want to decide on a method that works best for you. By attending our events you will see that the progression to a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle is quite easy.

Addition: If you are a vegan/vegetarian, organic, natural, or eco-friendly business and you would like to have your product in our Veggie Wow Bags email us at info@theveggieconnection.com

Looking to get involved?

Lateefah is always looking for companies and organizations to be a part of her event. If you are interested email her for details at: info@theveggieconnection.com

Social Media Information:

www.theveggieconnection.com

www.theveggieconnectionca.eventbrite.com

www.facebook.com/therealveggieconnection

www.twitter.com/theveggieconnec

www.instagram.com/theveggieconnection

info@theveggieconnection.com

 

FEATURE: Demetrius Bagley

Demetrius Bagley is an award-winning movie producer (Vegucated), and nationally recognized events producer. He’s godfathered projects like Vegan Street Fair, SoCal VegFest, Veggie Conquest, and many others. Since 2004, he’s led NYC Vegan EatUP, one of the world’s largest vegan Meetups. Recently, he wrote about being a 20+ year vegan in Letters to a New Vegan.

Demetrius Bagley is also an internationally published astrologer who wrote Vibe Magazine's celebrity horoscope column from 2010 to 2011. He published and sold customized annual Personalized AstroDatebooks from 2007 to 2013. In 2012, he project coordinated the anthology book titled, Astrology: The New Generation. He is the marketing and design dude for the annual State of the Art (SOTA) astrology conference.

FEATURE: Tamara Evans

My name is Tamara (rhymes with camera) and I have been vegan since August 2009. Being born and raised in the Huntsville, Alabama, I grew up on a diet of fried chicken, hamburgers and other unhealthy animal based foods. When I started dating my boyfriend in 1998, although he was vegetarian his entire life, I still ate chicken because I felt it would help me lose weight. At the time, I was at my heaviest weight of 298lbs. In early 2007, I transitioned to a healthier lifestyle which included changing my hair from permed to Sisterlocks and looking for a way to eat healthier and lose weight.

On August 28, 2009, I read Diet for a New America, and after this, I immediately became vegan. As I read the book, I thought about how my food choices impact animals and realized that by eating animals, I was ingesting their pain and suffering and I didn’t want that in my body so I cut it out completely. Although my boyfriend was against it...over time my (now) husband has embraced the vegan lifestyle as well. He enjoys experimenting with tofu & seitan to create yummy foods that I post on my Instagram account. I love being vegan and breaking the stereotypes that vegans only eat salads and berries. 

An unconventional way I do vegan outreach is through my job as a librarian. As a librarian, one of my jobs is to purchase library materials for seven library locations and I make sure to purchase books and DVDs promoting vegan and plant based lifestyles. By putting this material in the library, I can plant seeds which can help people become the healthiest best versions of themselves.

My family in Alabama has embraced my vegan lifestyle and I was surprised a few Thanksgivings ago when my mom surprised me with a vegan field roast and other vegan foods. Since I live in California, there is a wide variety of places to find vegan food from vegan soul food, to upscale vegan food. Although I live in rural Central California, I am still able to find vegan options.

Since becoming vegan, I feel like I have more energy and don’t get sick as often as others around me do. The biggest misconception I’ve seen is that veganism is expensive and not for black people but what I’ve found is that you can be a 99 cent store vegan, a Whole Foods vegan, or somewhere in between. I am so happy that I live in a time that social media provides a way to contact and meet other black vegans and spread the word about getting healthy through food. Veganism to me is about making healthier plant based choices to honor your body, mind and spirit!

BVR Sunday News Roundup

Black Vegans Rock Featured in VegNews

BVR Founder, Aph Ko, was recently interviewed for VegNews Magazine. She states:

I don't want to 'rectify' the representation problem in veganism because that implies that the problematic Eurocentric framework stays intact and black and brown faces are added superficially. That's cosmetic diversity, which can only serve the oppressor. We need our own movements where the oppressed are the authors of the change.

Read the full interview HERE. 

Keith Tucker's Hip Hop Green Dinner Tour Spotlighted in New Article

Jadakiss, Keith Tucker, Styles P, and Easy AD (from left) receive the Hip Hop Is Green Community Health & Wellness Award. (Photo: Maureen Cohen Harrington)

Jadakiss, Keith Tucker, Styles P, and Easy AD (from left) receive the Hip Hop Is Green Community Health & Wellness Award. (Photo: Maureen Cohen Harrington)

Liz Dwyer of Takepart wrote an article spotlighting Keith Tucker and his ground-breaking tour, The 10th Element of Hip Hop and Wellness. She writes:

The inclusion of health and wellness in the elements is the direct result of 50-year-old Tucker's work through Hip Hop is Green, an organization he started in 2009. Since it's launch, Hip Hop is Green has served free vegan meals to roughly 4,000 people, mostly low-income youths of color on the West Coast, in the hopes of reducing rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and stroke. 

Congratulations Keith. Read the full article HERE. 

Check out MaituFoods Vegan Meal Delivery Service

Do you live in Atlanta or do you know someone who does? JoVonna Johnson-Cooke of MaituFoods has a weekly vegan meal delivery service that offers beautiful, flavorful plant-based meals prepared fresh from produce grown on her farm and delivered to your door within the metro Atlanta area. Visit maitufoods.com to learn more! 

Mark Your Calendars for The Veggie Connection Event!

The Veggie Connection presents the 2nd installment of a “Vegetarian/Vegan Network Event” This event kicks off on Saturday, July 2nd 2016 and you're invited to take part in the festivities. The event takes place at The Goldy S. Lewis Community Center (Mesa Courtyard) in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

The event will include healthy living, vegetarian/vegan-minded exhibitors; non-profits; local food enthusiasts, entertainment, and fun for everyone.

 RSVP for early-bird entry. Find out more information about the event HERE. 

Prominent Activists to Speak at Pro-Intersectional Vegan Conference

VegfestUK are thrilled to announce the first Pro-Intersectional Vegan Conference, to be held in the UK, at London in October, with a number of leading global pro-intersectional speakers already confirmed.

  • BVR founder Aph Ko,
  • Vegan Publishers staff writer Christopher-Sebastian McJetters,
  • Sistah Vegan's Dr. A. Breeze Harper,
  • Dr. Kim Socha, of Progress for Science and Minnesota Animal Liberation
  • Dr. Casey Taft of Vegan Publishers, author of the recently released book “Motivational Methods for Vegan Advocacy”,
  • lauren Ornelas, of the Food Empowerment Project
  • Sarah K. Woodcock, founder of the Advocacy of Veganism Society
  • Omowale Adewale, Boxing & Kickboxing Champion and author of "An Introduction to Veganism and Agricultural Globalism"
  • Katrina Fox, author, business and media coach from Vegan Business Media
  • Joe Brydon, of the Animal Alliance
  • Dr. Roger Yates, of the Vegan Information Project

Mark your calendars! You can find more information HERE. 

Meet NFL Defensive Lineman David Carter TODAY

Famous vegan activist, David Carter, also known as The 300lb vegan is going to be in Baltimore, MD today from 2:30-5:30pm. Stop by to say hello! 

FEATURE: Christopher D. Sims

I am poet, spoken word performer, and human rights activist Christopher D. Sims aka UniverSouLove. I have been vegan for eight years now. My journey started at Rust College in Holly Springs, MS in 1993 when two friends and I decided to stop eating red meat-we had already stopped eating pork. It was a gradual process.

We stopped eating beef, then turkey, and then chicken. We were all becoming very conscious about the food we were eating. It was educational rap music that helped us make these decisions. I finally became vegetarian in 1998 with the help of information provided in the books Eat to Live and African Holistic Health. It has been one of the best decisions I've made in my life thus far. Reading about how unhealthy pork was in high school has kept me on this journey. Also, viewing documentaries and the like about factory farms and animal cruelty has encouraged me to not only live a vegan lifestyle, but to write about it and become an advocate and educator for healthy living.

I've written poems and recorded songs about healthy eating, sustainable living, and environmental justice. I can't see turning back now. Especially with the knowledge I've gained and because of the many health benefits I'm experiencing being vegan. 

Social Media links:

http:/about.me/ChristopherDSims

http://www.facebook.com/christopher.d.sims/

http://www.twitter.com/UniverSouLove

http://www.soundcloud.com/UniverSouLove 

"If Black Lives Mattered" by Christopher D. Sims is available at http://bit.ly/1Kbwn8U. 

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