FEATURE: Crystal Polyi

My name is Crystal Polyi, I am a 37 year old Black Vegan. I turned vegan two years ago. I always saw myself as a natural person, from running track in high school to my first born. When I was pregnant the doctors pressured me to take the pregnancy pills, I refused but agreed to replace the pills with natural foods. I was given a list of food I must eat every month, and overtime they checked my blood, and I met my target. The doctors were shocked and amazed when I did make it happen. This was about 12 years ago, I had food stamp cards and I only used the cards for dairy and juice, anything unhealthy I wouldn’t buy or I gave away for free to other mothers in the market. So, healthy eating and living is possible even if you are broke.

Holistic health is preventive care, we don’t wait until we are sick to seek help. This is why Preventive care is so important in the black communities or any community. Most, people will say, “why should I eat healthy ?” or “I don’t need that”, not knowing you should be feeding your body healthy foods and herbs. Prevention is KEY, and we need to educate our black community on this.  

 I decided to turn away from meat, and fast. I also have a daily yoga practice, morning meditation, and I eat Vegan. Vegan is not a diet, it is a lifestyle. I am currently in school at “Ayurveda World” in NYC to become a Board Certified “Holistic Health Practitioner”. I graduate this October in 2016. My goal is to create a natural healing cure for Cancer & HIV/AIDS…also Diabetes and other chronic conditions. I have a natural way to prevent some of these diseases. I have healthy options for most chronic disease, such as herbs, vitamins, foods and other natural healing therapies. Currently, I’m looking to work with other Holistic Doctors or Practitioners in the field. When clients come to work with me, I treat the patient, not the disease. My website will be coming soon, where I will hold Consultations. 

Social Media Links

Instagram: @NamasteCrystal

Twitter: Namaste Crystal

Facebook| www.facebook.com/crystl320   

FEATURE: Cazoshay Marie

Hello! My name is Cazoshay Marie and I am so excited about the Black Vegans Rock movement! As an Alaska-grown wellness professional, my mission is to make holistic health and wellness available to all communities and individuals, especially the black community and others marginalized within our society. I travel all over teaching my customized wellness events and classes to communities, groups and organizations to include Black Lives Matter Portland, Covenant House Alaska and the International Center for Traditional Childbearing’s Black Midwives and Healers Conference.

I am a certified raw vegan chef, sharing delicious and flavorful vegan recipes on my blog, DID with Cazoshay. I want the single mom in the ‘hood supporting her family on minimum wage and the young political science major paying off their tuition to be able to afford and create healthy vegan food for themselves and their families. I keep it very simple and make the instructions doable without fancy or expensive equipment. I post a lot of my tips and recipes with full instructions on Instagram, frequently using hashtags like "#hiphop" and "#melaninpoppin" to have them show up on the timelines of those who may not have otherwise considered healthy vegan eating as the radical and necessary act of preservational self-care that it is. One of my blog posts, entitled #AfroVeganista, specifically addresses attaining holistic health and wellness for ourselves and our communities in a fun and fabulous way.

In addition to being a raw vegan chef, I am also a certified yoga instructor. I teach weekly community hip hop yoga classes in Portland, Oregon. The first fifteen minutes of the classes are for community engagement; I encourage my students to interact and communicate with each other in this time period before we begin the physical portion of the class. We sing, we rap, we heal…but most importantly, we have a good time taking care of our bodies. Yoga, like veganism, can be extremely exclusionary; I am an outside-the-box instructor who teaches it in a way that is fun, relevant and approachable. I offer these classes at a discounted rate to make them more accessible to those who may not be able to afford standard yoga class fees.

I am so encouraged by the creation of Black Vegans Rock, and I look forward to being a part of the growth and sustainability of this movement! Namaste.

Support Cazoshay's Work

Check out her gofundme page and donate anything you can. She is raising mone so that she can take her classes on the road. Funds raised through her campaign will be used for travel and location expenses that come from bringing her class to other states. She also wants to upgrade her equipment so that she can offer better quality videos. Click HERE to donate.

Links to websites and articles:

Website: www.DIDwithCazoshay.com

Facebook: www.Facebook.com.DIDwithCazoshay 

YouTube: www.Youtube.com/DIDbyShay

Recipes: www.DIDwithCazoshay.com/recipes

Instagram/Twitter/Periscope: @Cazoshay_Marie

FEATURE: Khepra's Raw Food Juice Bar

Our goal is simple, provide the best food for your priceless body temple. We go the extra mile in our food preparation to bring succulent entreés, luscious salads and side dishes, satisfying desserts, and of course the most refreshing juices. 

Raw living foods have proven over and over that the Raw Food Diet is the optimal diet for living human beings. We are the only living creatures that bring additional heat to foods for consumption. 99% of restaurants will rely on the worst cooking methods, which are deep frying and microwaving, for convenience, speed, and cost. What is convenience for most restaurants will end up inconveniencing your health and vitality. We are dedicated to using the best ingredients, no matter the cost, and the best methods for optimal flavor, textures, and presentation.

A key component to our business is providing fresh juice and coconut water for those looking to fast for healing, maintenance and optimal health. Fasting with the coconut water is second to none. We don’t believe in using carrots or wheatgrass. Carrots are a man created food that you will never find growing wild in nature and wheatgrass is for four legged animals. We can drink chlorophyl from land vegetation as well as sea vegetation combined with the coconut water to provide a true natural blood transfusion via our juice.

As a devoted Raw Foodist, Khepra Anu has dedicated his life to sharing his knowledge of the power that the Live Food lifestyle combined with systematic fasting has on the body. Over the past 15 years he has hosted numerous health retreats in the U.S. and internationally, during which he guides participants through his unique approach to repairing and detoxifying the human body through the scientific and mechanical application of coconut water, fresh juices, and living food. In 2011 Khepra expanded his platform by opening Khepra’s Raw Food Juice Bar in Washington, D.C., which was featured in the Washington Post’s Best Eats in 2012. In 2013 Khepra was a featured speaker at the Green Earth Festival in the Bahamas and a panel guest speaker at the Natural Living Seminar at Howard University. In the same year Khepra’s designer Raw Burger not only won him the Best Raw Cuisine award in the Best Food on the Planet competition in Ocean City, MD, but it was also featured on WETA’s Best Burgers in Washington television program.

His Raw Food creations have continued to earn him accolades with his most recent honor being from the ECAC 2014 Raw Food Festival, whose attendees voted his cuisine number one in four different categories: Best Dish, Best Savory dish, Best Dessert, and Best Juice. Khepra can often be heard on Washington D.C.’s public radio station WPFW where he is often invited to speak about the wonders of Raw Food living. In 2012 Khepra added author to his list of accomplishments by releasing his first book: Paradise Health: A Feasting and Fasting Guide to Optimal Health through Detoxification. Recently, Khepra was featured in the acclaimed hit documentary, The Healing Effect, released early 2014 by director Drew Scott Pearlman.

Khepra is available for private consultations, raw food certifications, lectures, classes, and health presentations. Please contact him at khepra@chefkhepra.com.

Khepra's Raw Food Juice Bar 

402 H St NE

Washington, DC 20002

www.kheprasrawfoodjuicebar.com

202-803-2063

Mon - Sat 11am to 8:30pm

Sunday 12pm to 7pm

 

Links to Khepra's work:

kheprasrawfoodjuicebar.com

youtube.com/khepra

https://www.facebook.com/khepra

https://www.facebook.com/ChefKhepra

https://www.facebook.com/KheprasRawFoodJuiceBar

twitter; @chefkhepra & @kheprarawbar

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

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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

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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).

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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