Welcome to r/BlackVegans!

Hey Everyone,

These are some thoughts about the significance of being Black and vegan that I've had for a little while. I first started being vegan on a level of health (i.e. alkaline eating, Dr. Sebi (rest in power), etc.), but that has changed over the years.

Essentially, I feel that as far as karma is concerned, when descendants of slavery, colonialism, the caste system, etc. eat and live vegan, it's like we're breaking a cycle where we contribute to oppression.

The animals are treated the way that we were (and still are) treated in different forms of slavery and oppression.

So I don't think it's a surprise that, poetically, more Black people are becoming vegan.

I'm not trying to move the goal posts and say now THIS is why we're still not free from oppression. However, in a mystical way I feel it's a missing key. When we can learn about our history, and stand on a better way of living and eating, we can then look at the oppressive world around us and demonstrate that we practice what we preach. I feel that there's immeasurable power in that.

I think it's the key to removing ourselves from a vicious cycle.

What do you all think about this?

Thank you very much for reading,

Peace

I know most of y’all should have heard of Dr.Sebi but who else might or have you looked to for guidance. I almost a year into being plant based and my main source of inspiration is Dr.Yahki. Also known as Yahki awakened he sites and mentions several over elders that have impacted his journey. So just curious to see what others perspectives have been.

On a side notes how much of your dietary journey is apart or effected by your spiritual one?

I am about a week into a living foods diet and plan to continue. I am pursuing a PhD in the alkaline diet actually and I am wondering if anyone else here eats similarly? I am looking for friends and people to chat with about it!

Peace family just showing love🤟🏾🙏🏾

I understand there are people who are plantbased and say they eat Vegan, but they are not Vegan for animals but for health which health is important. I happen to be a Naturopathic MD who helps people move towards 100% plantbased eating. However I am also an activist for Veganism and that mean it is my lifestyle. I have not met many Vegans who are actually ethical that are Black (Of African Descent) and I am interested in meeting them, at least online. I have been of Facebook in the Black Vegan Groups and still many are just plantbased, which by the true definition is not Vegan. This is why now Vegans have to clarify and say they are Ethical Vegans. It is confusing, because since Veganism has been trending over the years due to the media/pop culture changing the definition to only highlight the diet aspect it has been a challenge to meet and chat with people like me who have the same lifestyle. I have created r/EthicalBlackVegans for those conversations if anyone is interested. Anyone is obviously welcome, I am just hoping to meet more people following the same lifestyle as well.

So Chloe the r&b singer isn't Vegan after 11 years. She eats chicken now, but says that it. But my thoughts are if you can simply forget that animals are being harmed and go back to eating them, wearing them and using products by them perhaps you were not Vegan at all and just plantbased. I am not saying people don't go back and forward, slipping from time to time because being a real Vegan can be challenging for some. But she said, the chicken was good... (which yes, when I ate chicken it was good) and she said her body became more tone after eating chicken. So that is her reasoning. Now I am pretty sure she has seen Lenny Kravitz and Chef Babbette. Lenny is 60 and Babette is 72, I believe. How are they so tone and fit? Lenny Kravitz is mostly a raw Vegan at that. Also Chef Babbette turned her health around later in life. Also there is a Vegan named Koya Webb looking amazing. So I really wish these celebs, influencers and bloggers would stop saying they feel like they couldn't get to their goals when their are people who do it an maintain and that are even much older them prove them wrong. I think what trips me out more is the celebs have the money to hire the best of the best trainers and plantbased nutritionists and achieve the goals they desire. Whereas the rest of us have to do it 100% on our own. I am determined more that every because of this to get back in the gym and hike regular as will do lost of dancing to prove I can reach my goals.

I have been searching for haircare products that are

vegan affordable effective

I have very curly hair and need high quality conditioner and leave-in moisturizing products. I'm also looking for vegan hair gel similar to Eco gel, edge gel like got2be, and braid jelly.

It can be hard finding products that are vegan and cruelty free so if you know any brands that fit the above criteria please drop them below! Also if you know any brands that don't fit the above criteria for curly hair but you like them and they are vegan, drop those too, it could be helpful for someone else.

What is new Black Vegans? Any new products you are loving? Have you tried any new Vegan restaurants or a new recipe? Have you attending any Vegan Fests recently?

I don't have Vegan friends. I have a couple of Plantbased friends but not Vegan. Also my plantbased friends don't live in the same state as me, I moved a few months back to a very non-Vegan part of the Midwest. My husband is the only Vegan at his job and he is a chef. We have a Vegan culinary business, but currently as we transition or business from Cali to Wisconsin, he works in an elderly care home where he does his best to provide some plantbased meals when he can. The other chef fights him on it. I am a Naturopathic MD and I include teaching and guiding people to eat plants within my holistic services. So we are blessed and very lucky to have one another. We just wonder do people have Vegan friends they can hang with and chat with? Are there real friendships in the outside world? When I use to work in a dispensary in Cali, I worked with 3 other Vegans. We were so juiced to be together. We would go to lunch together go out to restaurants and events. Bring each other food and talk about new Vegan products we liked or go to events together sometimes. I also have a friend who is not Vegan in Cali, that supported our Vegan culinary business and also when we went out she would always want to eat plantbased and she completely understood why I am Vegan. I am always hopeful she will become Vegan, but she I know her husband and son would be what makes it a challenge. Tell me about your Vegan bestie if you have one or what is like for you being the solo Vegan friend.

Hey Black Vegans. I would love to know how you handle speaking to people about Veganism outside of the eating plants. So many that all we talk about because I know that food is so important to our diverse African Diaspora. I find many of us are plantbased, but not actually Vegan. Even though being Vegan is all inclusive and asks us to look at all the ways we can not support animals suffering. Like for instance I do not go to Zoos and I don't want to go to the aquarium although my daughter and her fiance want to. I don't mind going to ones that actually for research to keep the species alive. But when people talk about Zoos, I often recommend going too sanctuaries. As for activism, I have hosted the Toronto International Vegan Film Fest when I lived in Cali and my husband who is a Vegan Chef made awesome Vegan dinners for each guest. I also share knowledge on my IG and Facebook about food, slaughterhouses, farming, buying products that are Vegan, I show of my Vegan clothes and sometimes just share some fun Vegan info. Do you approach activism or talk to family or friends about it or is hard?

Veganism is a way of life that surpasses a diet. It is about no harm to animals, as much as practical and possible. Many don't realize that media and pop culture has made it trendy so lots of people say they eat Vegan when perhaps they should say they eat plantbased, since the actual definition includes not purchasing any products made of animals or tested on animals. It is not a perfect system. We understand animals will get hurt from just human existing on earth. Like how until we find a truly sustainably way to not use gas, most of us use it for our cars. The goal is to do as much as you can. So eating plants, buying clothes not made of animals, not supporting places like the Zoo and Sea World are things we can do. I am curious about what people think about this lifestyle. If you are a Black Vegan, how accepting is your family and friends in regards to the the lifestyle? Has it been a challenge in anyway? What helped you on your journey?

I am having Large Butter Beans and Basmati Rice with a Swiss Chard, Green Cabbage and Cucumber Salad. I put chopped Heirloom carrots, minced garlic, and green bell pepper in the beans and cook slow in a pot. Also going to make a smokey dressing with smoked salt, lemon juice, olive oil and red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar and nutritional yeast. For my drink, it will will water and pineapple beet root lemonade and if I feel up to it may make some cinnamon sugar cookies. Everything is homemade. I am a real big foodie and my husband is a Vegan Chef so we cook a lot and now that we live in a small town in the Midwest, we rarely go out to eat. We are even growing our own food now. SO... what are you having for dinner tonight or what have you had already depending on the time?

Hi y’all! Who are your favorite black creators on YouTube or Insta? I’ve been trying to only follow POC but only recently has the algorithm shown me more black vegans 😑 Some of them have a lot of followers so I’m pretty irritated they’ve been so hard for me to find.

You can include fave POC creators too. For example I like to follow people whose culture is reflected in their cooking like Rainbow Plant Life (Indian) & Pick Up Limes (Afghanistan), Dora’s Table (Mexican), and Yeung Man Cooking (variety but esp Ramen)

Black Creators: Tabitha Brown (of course); B Foreal; Ghetto Vegans; Sweet Potato Soul; Say What! It’s Vegan?; Rachel Ama; Shakayla Felice; The Divine Chef; Gabrielle Reyes; Diary of a Mad Black Vegan; Andrew Bernard/The Nard Dog Cooks; Dr. Bobby Price; I Can You Can Vegan; Young Black & Vegan.

I love a good Vegan restaurant when I go out of town. Where I live now there are not many Vegan options as for restaurants but there are many options in the markets which is nice. We don't eat all the alternatives all the time but it is nice to have them every once and a while. Our newest fave place to eat is Chicago called Planta Queen. We live in WI, so it is about a 4 hour trip. We also went to the oldest Vegan restaurant in Chicago called Soul Veg City. Which was pretty good too. Where are your fave places to eat.

Is this page still even active? I see something posted for 3 months ago. It would be great to chat with more Black Vegans.

Hi all! I am curious to see if my fellow black vegans are also vegans wit beauty products?
I am looking for recommendations on a high quality vegan/organic powder makeup that is made for skin of color. I also don't want it to have Titanium and Zinc, as they turn skin ashy.

Any vegan makeup recommendations are welcome!

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hi! I apologise if this is not a place I should occupy, in which case let me know and I'll be happy to move the post elsewhere (this is also my first ever post on Reddit so I'll figure out how that works). I'm white, but I would like to educate myself against "white veganism" and make sure I decolonise my approach to veganism. so I was wondering if you might share some sources/references/your experience, that I could start with.

thank you very much in advance!