Other Brown Vegans You Should Check Out

I started this blog back in 2011 because I didn't feel like there were a lot of vegans of color online...especially sharing from the family perspective. 

These days (mostly because of social media) I see so many black vegans doing their thing to make vegan life relatable to folks who look like us.

Striving with Systems recently posted 100 Black Vegans to Check Out to highlight many of us outchea!

Check out this amazing full list here 

With only about 2% of Americans identifying as vegan, being a black vegan can seem like such a drop in the bucket. We're probably only about .005 of that 2%. lol 

This is why I try so hard to be one of the faces of this amazing movement.

Breeze Harper was the person who motivated me to start this journey after reading her book, Sistah Vegan. It was the first time that I saw veganism from the perspective of black women in America (this book is an incredible collection of vegan stories).

I'm writing this post to not only share this amazing list, but I also want to encourage you to get out there and be a face of this movement.

Even if you haven't made the full transition to vegan life, your experiences are still so important. 

Share and connect! We need you!

How will you start sharing your vegan (or even vegetarian) experiences?

YouTube?

A blog?

Maybe a podcast sharing some of your own vegan tips?

Let me know by leaving a comment

 

Other Brown Vegan: Samuel L. Jackson

Here's a clip of Jackson telling Letterman about his plant-based diet....

He talks about eating oatmeal for breakfast with mango & banana and how much he misses "meat" lol

I'm sure a lot of people can relate but he'll be just fine. :-)

I holler every. single. time. I see this meme.....

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Brown Vegan Love: Kimberly Elise

Sometimes I feel like I don't "know" enough Black vegans.

Last I checked, only 2% of Americans identify as vegan, so just imagine how small our numbers are overall....

I was so excited to see actress Kimberly Elise featured in the latest PETA ad campaign. She's been on a vegan journey for 5 years after being a vegetarian for 10 years.

After learning about the harsh realities of animal suffering, Elise decided a vegan lifestyle is best for her life. 

In this video she talks about her transition and the perks....

She said the most ridiculous thing she's been asked on this journey is, "Black people are vegan?" Gurrl, I can relate!

Her fave vegan perks: Food taste better because your palate is cleansed since you're not eating meat, great energy and more youthful appearance.

Woohoo!

P.S. Is it me or did PETA do a terrible job of make-up/editing my boo's face in that pic? I almost didn't recognize her.

Other Brown Vegan: Gail Roddy

With only 2% of Americans identifying as vegan, it's no wonder most people don't feel this lifestyle relates to them. I use Other Brown Vegan to showcase famous and every day vegans who love this lifestyle.

Listen to the podcast episode I did with Gail here

This week, Gail Roddy is sharing her story....

*How long have you been a vegan?  

I’ve eaten 100% vegan since August 20, 2013—almost four months. While I haven’t eaten animal or fish flesh or eggs in over 30 years, off/on I’ve eaten dairy products (butter, cheese).  So I admit that I’ve struggled for 30 years to remain vegan. The longest I’ve remained diary-free at one time has been 3 years.

*What made you decide to embrace a plant-based diet?

Thirty-five years ago I was in my twenties and thought I was healthy. I weighed 125 lbs, had lush hair down to my waist. I looked GOOD. I ate the Standard American Diet. Intuitively, I knew something was very wrong that I had cramping in my stomach as my food was trying to digest.  Someone told me that indicated I might have trouble digesting meat. Made common sense to me. I stopped eating meat that day and the poor digestion and cramping ceased in less than a week! I’ve never returned to eating flesh-foods. A few years later, through iridology I discovered meat eating had me on my way to colon cancer—probably by the time I was 35.

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*What was the hardest food (meat, dairy, eggs, etc) to move away from?  

Meat, fish, and eggs were very easy to move away from. Butter and cheese have been my nemesis!

*Any advice for new vegans?

Oh, be gentle with yourself. No doubt you will backslide. I’d beat myself mercilessly when I did. It took me many years but I finally realized beating me up was a waste of energy. So I stopped being self-critical and returned to being self-loving/accepting. Less than optimal food, eaten with love and self-compassion, digests more efficiently than optimal food eaten under the fear and duress of perfectionism. Believe that.

*What are some of your favorite books/websites on veganism?  

Books: The Blending Book Ann Wigmore & Lee Pattinson, Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner, Living Cuisine by Renee Loux Underkoffler

Websites: Ohsheglows.com

                 Urbanvegan.net

                 Plantpoweredkitchen.com

               Olivesfordinner.com

And of course: Brownvegan.com

I especially love your website tag, “A down-to-earth approach.” I think that is sooo necessary. I can easily get bogged down in feeling a failure when I don’t execute any task “properly.” I’ve been that way my entire life and I extended that pattern to veganism. “Down to earth” is clear when you say you still eat flour and sugar and you are simply striving in the present moment to eat them as healthfully as you can. That must be such a relief for your peeps!!! It is a relief for me.

*Please share a recipe you enjoy.

Sunflower Seed Pate

1-cup raw sunflower seeds (soaked 6-8 hours)

1 medium-sized (or 2 small) jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3-4 T lime or lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

½ tsp sea salt

1 green onion

1 small sweet red pepper, chopped

A pinch of cayenne pepper powder (optional)

Drain sunflower seeds. Put all ingredients into blender or food processor. (The food processor works best.) Blend for about 10 seconds. Stop and push ingredients toward blades. Check consistency. Add a couple of teaspoons of water if you desire a thinner consistency. Repeat until blades have fully blended the mixture to smooth.

This pate is delicious with crackers or raw veggies. Will keep in refrigerator for 5- days. Your household will quickly gobble this pate way before the 5 days are up. Better double the recipe!

 *How can we reach you?

I’m on Facebook as Gail Roddy. At my website gailroddy.com, I blog about healthy eating for healthy mind and body, healthy marriages, and healthy sisterhood. When I sleep at night I dream dreams about living as a conscious, evolving, but-makes-plenty-of-mistakes woman. Blogging about this inspirational dreaming, so it’s shared with other women is why I’m called: The SisterWhisperer.

Other Brown Vegan: Asana Hamidu

With only about 2% of Americans identifying as vegan, it's no wonder many don't feel the lifestyle relates to them. I use Other Brown Vegan to profile famous and every day people living and loving this vegan life.

This week, Asana Hamidu shares her story.... 

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*How long have you been a vegan?  
I’ve been vegan since June 26, 2012

*What made you decide to embrace a plant-based diet?
In high school I was very depressed and was going through some emotional problems that made me unhappy. I remember feeling like I was living in a haze. Also, during my senior year in high school, I went in for a doctor’s visit and was told I was approaching obesity!! That was around the time I looking for information on natural hair (Hey naptural85!). Once I made the connection between what I ate, how I felt and looked, I was sold! I began researching the types of food I was eating and I remember being so disgusted by what was being put into the food and the conditions the animals were in. Most importantly I was shocked by how the lives of people living elsewhere and the environment was being altered by what I ate (i.e. the cutting of the Amazon forest).
 I transitioned slowly by cutting out soda, red meat, chicken. I then decided to be pescaterian for a while then got tired of eating seafood. So I cut out seafood and became vegetarian one month before my freshman year in college. Once I embraced this lifestyle, I felt great because along with working out, I was losing weight and feeling better. I became interested in veganism when I got more in touch with my spiritual side; I started to see the connection between our souls/spirits, and how what we consume affects the way feel. Also, I felt very hypocritical knowing all I knew about that was in the food while eating eggs, cheese and drinking milk. So after examining how far I had come as a vegetarian, I decided to transition to vegan lifestyle on June 26 2012. I knew I wanted to be vegan and I was committed to this lifestyle …I was sure of it! I knew I would feel so much better. I was right! I haven’t looked back since!
 
*What was the hardest food (meat, dairy, eggs, etc) to move away from?  
Surprisingly meat wasn’t hard for me to quit at all. Being from a Ghanaian family, every time my mom would make soup, some of the meat would go missing hehehe. The hardest foods for me to move away from was diary and eggs. I love dessert so most of the things I would cook and buy had one or both ingredients in it!

*Any advice for new vegans?
My advice for a new vegan would be trust the process and take it one step at a time. Another important advice is research different kinds of food and know what kinds of vitamins and nutrients are in it. Since this is a new lifestyle, you will start seeing some changes in the way you feel and look! Beware! This is normal too.
Don’t be hard on yourself if you err, mistakes are normal and are part of the journey. Also, don’t be afraid to tell others that you are vegan. I remember going to a traditional naming ceremony and fearing to tell my extended family about my lifestyle because I thought that they would question me or say something negative. But, it was alright, everyone was curious about what I ate and wanted to know what I could and couldn’t eat so they could serve me the right food. This brings me to my next point, which is always eat something before you go to an event or simply tell the host about what your diet is all about and they might be happy to accommodate you! Before going out to eat at a restaurant, look at their menu online or call in to check out the types of vegan options available. Remember, just because something is vegan does not mean it is healthy!
Eat a variety of nutritious foods to ensure that you are getting your daily vitamins!  Don’t forget to workout out! You will feel and look great!
Remember why you are doing this, trust me there will be many people out there who will question your decision (and there are many who will support you) but you have to be your biggest supporter and be steadfast in the belief that this is the right thing for you.
Lastly, Stay True, Be You, Trust the Process and Live life to the fullest!
 
*What are some of your favorite books/websites on veganism?  
The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone - Great book!
 Love Food Eat
 Sistah Vegan
 Oh She Glows
 Vegan Yum Yum

*Please share a recipe you enjoy.
Healthy Banana Bread (Whole Wheat, Vegan, Oil-free & Sugar-free) Ohh my goodness this is sooooo delicious!

 *How can we reach you?
You can reach me on my blog
Facebook page
Email: whatshetaughther@yahoo.com

Thanks, Asana!

If you're a brown vegan interested in being featured on the blog, send me a message on the contact page.