This blog was started (by me, Johanna, with the encouragement of some friends) to give a voice to vegans of color. Many vegan spaces seem to be assumed (consciously or not) to be white by default, with the dialogue within often coming from a place of white privilege. We’re not single-issue here. All oppressions are connected.
We are always looking for other vegans of color who might be interested in blogging here: get in touch!
Vegans of Color 
i just found you. i love what you’re doing. as a multi-colored vegan living in the mainly white city of portland, sometimes i get a little frustrated, and i don’t have anyone to understand where i’m coming from sometimes. it’s a weird catch-22 about portland (and any alternative movement in general i guess), that it’s so dang open-minded and vegan-friendly, but very very not diverse. it’s like being on the outside of the outside. blah, sometimes it depresses me. thanks for everything.
It does seem odd to me that Portland does not have more to offer for vegans of color. Emiko, it is nice to know htat you are out there!
Emiko — thanks for your comment! I’m glad you like the blog. If you ever want to blog here, let me know. 🙂
Hello – I also recently found you, by way of comments we left on An Animal Friendly Life’s post on Good magazine’s *grr* happy meat cover. What a great site and concept – I too am a vegan of color, in a non veg-friendly city. This is a great way to connect and stay afloat on issues affecting us all. I would offer to contribute, but I can barely keep up with my own blog, and am in the process of finding a job so I can get out of said non veg-friendly city. Please keep up the good work!
Word,
very interesting blog. I just found this and you’ve been linked to my blog (Afrikan Raw Vegan Talk) all this time. I’d def consider blogging here. I got other blogs – lionsroar.wordpress.com and hiphopdharma.wordpress.com. Let’s converse.
Meridith — thanks! I understand the busy thing… if you ever post stuff that you think would be relevant for this blog, feel free to shoot me the link & I can cross-post (or if you wanted to be added as an author of the blog so you could cross-post it yourself, either way).
Precision Afrikan — Actually your Afrikan Raw Vegan Talk blog is a fairly new discovery of mine. 🙂 I’m going to e-mail you about blogging here. Thanks!!
I stumbled across your blog and I’m interested in keeping up with your posts. Nice concept!
Thanks Mel! Glad to have you reading.
Nice blog.
Found you through a post on HappyCow.net
http://www.happycow.net/blog/?p=117
Myself –
Now eating only plants.
Not so colorful – quite white on the surface – ancestry – not sure about it – I have not had my DNA analysed – i believe part Burmese – approx. 1/512.
Hi Johanna,
Thank you for being a vegan voice. We need as many as we can get! Are you available for a short interview? Thank you for your consideration (and for your beautiful blog).
Aurelia
Hi Johnny — glad you found us!
Aurelia — thank you! I’d be willing to be interviewed… hehehe, I’ll e-mail you.
hey I just came across your blog and I’d love to join your team. I’m a totally tribal girl who has spent her adolescence being pissed off at the exclusive white representation (& presentation) of ‘natural’ living (which more often then not, features “wisdom” from non-anglo cultures)…. and that sentiment hasn’t tempered down one bit 😉
If there are any openings, please email me ~
Mia-do you have a blog?
Hey! I’m Kaitlin and I’m excited that such a blog exists! I would love to contribute so please let me know how I can get involved!
Hey Mia & Kaitlin, I’ve e-mailed you both. 🙂
Great blog and Thank you for providing a space for Vegans of Color!
Black Vegetarians are sprouting up!
The Black Vegetarian Society of Georgia
Thank you Traci! If any of the people in your group are vegan & would like to blog here, please let us know. 🙂
*
THERE ARE A WHOLE BUNCH OF BLACK RAW VEGAN WEBSITES AND BLACK RAW VEGAN SOCIETIES. CALL DR.NATURAL 718-783-3465.
“Black Raw Food History”
The History Makers who started it all…..
Dick Gregory
“I am willing to go to jail for you”
Interview/Article: http://www.satyamag.com/apr96/gregory.html
Dick Gregory’s Home Page: http://www.DickGregory.com
One of the founders of the raw vegan movement Gregory achieved fame with his popular Bahamian Diet in the 1960’s. Also a comedian, political activist, and marathon runner!
Aris Latham
http://www.sunfiredfood.com/Bio.htm
The 2004 Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America acclaims: ‘…the raw food movement owes much to Aris LaTham, a native of Panama, he is considered to be the father of gourmet ethical vegetarian raw foods cuisine in America. He debut his raw food creations in 1979, when he started Sunfired Foods, a live-foods company in New York City. In the years since he has trained thousands of raw food chefs and added innumerable recipes to his repertoire…’ Dr. Aris LaTham has a Master’s degree in Linguistics and a Ph.D. in Food Science. He has been featured on major television stations in the United States (ABC & NBC), and major publications (Essence magazine, Time magazine, Vegetarian Times). He has done seminars for the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and has done consultations for Strawberry Hill, Swept Away and the Golden Door, a spa in the United States and Mexico. Dr. LaTham currently lives and works in St. Mary and teaches food preparation courses, has chef/cook training, offers assistance in detoxifying the individual and kitchen (ridding the kitchen of toxic substances and restocking it with healthful food), and runs a spa.
Karyn Calabrese
http://www.karynraw.com/
A featured guest on Oprah’s Age Defying Women, Chicago raw restauranteur Karyn Calabrese was recently also showcased in Fearless Women over 50, an inspiring coffee table book with stories and wonderful photography.
Storm Talifero
http://www.TheGardenDiet
The muscular and forever young raw vegan, author of several eBooks on Raw Food, producer of the documentary “Breakthrough” about his raw vegan family, and developer of The Circular Workout for muscle-toning without stress for long-term fitness.
Annette Larkins
http://www.annettelarkins.com/
The Black Grandma who hands out her free raw food booklet to everyone who asks her why she looks so young, pretty much everywhere she goes!
DR.NATURAL
RAW VEGAN SINCE 1978
CREATOR OF MULTIPLE RAW VEGAN SOCIETIES ONLINE
RAW VEGAN CHEF
HOLISTIC HEALTH CONSULTANT
718-783-3465
http://WWW.TEMPLEOFILLUMINATION.NING.COM
And The New Breed…
Lillian Butler
Raw Soul Catering, Restaurant and Classes: http://www.rawsoul.com
Before and Afters and Story: http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/pictures/befafter_lillianbutler.html
Lillian Butler is the Raw Soul of NYC! After experiencing tremendous health and transformation on raw foods Lillian has planted and grown several raw food businesses to help bring this lifestyle to others!
Zakhah
http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/catalog/books_thejoyoflivinglive.html
Zakhah is the young author of The Joy of Living Live, A Raw Food Journey – a wonderful uncook book which also features a comprehensive photographic listing of Black raw foodists around the world.
Khepere Anu
http://www.supernaturallife.com/bios.html
Part of the wonderful crew at Veg Soul, a raw food retreat center in Jamaica! He is also a mathematician and professional investor who has devoted his life to following a path of greater enlightenment, prosperity, and expansion of consciousness. This path includes the practice of an exclusive live foods diet, daily yoga and meditation, and Capoeira Angola. Khepere is committed to sharing the live food lifestyle and a prosperous mentality in his quest to continue to heal and nourish himself and others.
Penny Powell
http://www.PearMagazine.com
The Editor in Chief of Pear Magazine, the Online Magazine of Fresh Organic Lifestyles covering Living Cuisine and Beyond. With her warm writing, communication, networking and leadership talents, Penny is a strong new voice in the raw food movement.
Black History Raw-Vegan Tribute
“I Stand In Awe”
by Penny Powell
I stand in awe of those who came
To pave the way for the raw-food name
For those who continually seek and share
For those who have not been afraid to dare.
I stand in awe of these Black raw-food greats
Who keep cooked and processed food off of their plates
Who understand the truth about optimum health
Whose wisdom about this subject is indeed their wealth.
I stand in awe of these creative gifts who are forever giving
Who easily delight the palette with food that is raw and living
Who understand precisely what the body needs
Fruit, vegetables, nuts, sprouted grains and seeds.
To Dick Gregory
To Dr. Aris LaTham
To Karyn Calabrese
To Storm Talifero
To Annette Larkins
To Lillian Butler
To Zakhah
To Khepere Anu
TO DR.NATURAL
I stand in awe of you
With love and admiration
Namaste and God Bless you!
*
You are saying some very important things, girl! Hope it’s cool that I added this blog to my blogroll. By the way, are you a student?
keep it up!!!!
Amara
Hi everyone,
I discovered this site when I was searching for a critique of Dr. Laurie Moore, “animal” communicator. when I emailed her asking if the dolphins in her $1,500 swimming with dolphins workshop were captive, and asked if she was a vegan this was her reply:
Captive? I am confused. All my animal friends are wild and free and come to swim with me when and only when they choose. My hawk friends
fly to me because they choose and the baby raccoons who nap by me choose and the insects who come in and out of my house to sit on my arm so when they choose.. I cannot imagine where you got the idea that anyone was held captive.
Is this an inquisition or are you a friend?
Love, Laurie
Dr Laurie Moore
The Miracle Ground
(831) 477-7007
http://www.AniMiracles.com
Needless to say when I emailed her to say that the response of they are happy to die for us was as ludicrous as saying that Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims were happy to be eaten by him, I have not heard from her again. Not only is she a coward, she’s a metaphysical coward.
Feel free to write to her maybe she will get the message.
I am a vegan of color of the hispanic persuasion, I must say I have never experienced racism from any vegan I’ve met.
Who said anything about dolphins dying for us? This is off the wall. Reread Dr. Laurie’s letter which you printed. Nobody said anything about dying.
Learned about your site in the latest issue of VegNews, which is the only “mainstream” magazine that I know that has had (so far) TWO Black women on its cover in the same year! Anyway – I’m on my path to becoming a vegan and as a Black woman, it’s nice to see this site. NOT because I feel that non-POC vegans are racist, but because it broadens the discussion of veganism to bring in POC issues. Thanks.
well, considering i’m best identified as an “other” in this country – i love this site! being brazilian-armenian in a family that spoke a mishmash of languages, growing up on the boundary lines of East LA and the (very Caucasian) OC was hard enough… then i told my parents i was vegan. my poor shish kebab and feijoada loving fundamentalist parents nearly had a heart attack… they keep waiting for me to go back in the meat and dairy closet but it ain’t happening. i got vegan pride! do i get a green triangle for that?
i actually took quite a feminist courses in uni btw, one of my favorites was “women of color in the U.S.” – one of the issues we learned that i can’t get out of my head is how the media tends to put women of color in animal prints on covers. we latinas tend to be put in red (because we’re y’know, “fiery” and “spicy”). the week we discussed this in class halle berry was on the cover of in style… in a leopard print dress.
ps. can anyone tell me of a site that sells vegan shirts that are actually cool? all the ones i see look pretty darn hokey.
When I first started considering veganism three or four years ago, I Googled every combination of “vegan” and anything related to black folks I could, and didn’t find much, which was incredibly disheartening to me.
It is so important that you’re here.
Thank you for this site.
Happened across you folks — excellent. About to start making my way through archives. Cheers …
I’m interested in becoming a “contributor”. Let me know.
thanks,
Breeze Harper
Sistah Vegan Project
A friend introduced me to your site. Thank you for providing such a fresh dialogue!
As a vegan of color(!) I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this blog. I wanted to let you know about a recent post that – while it’s not vegan specific – touches on many of the recurring themes of this blog:
http://peoplesgrocery.org/brahm/peoples-grocery/slow-food-nyt#more-213
ms. johanna,
how are you?
i dig the vibe of this blog. and the posts have much substance.
i’m an editor at opposingviews.com, and since we both cover animal rights, i thought i’d let you know about us.
we’re a debate website and we currently have a discussion on whether people should eat meat. our debaters are experts in their fields (such as gary francione), not just average joes.
if you’re interested, check it out here:
http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/should-we-eat-meat
if you’re into it, feel free to spread the word and participate. you can vote for your side and post comments on the experts’ various arguments.
we also have a new debate about whether people should own pets. francione says no, while the humane society says yes.
check it out if you’ve got a minute. shoot me an email if you have any questions.
thank you much!
Heya Johanna et al!
I just wrote a little post about the most amazingly scary & racist letter that my mother’s newspaper (she’s a journalist and wrote a long article on Obama recently) received. I don’t have the heart to unpack the many MANY levels of crazy going on in it, but in case any of you want to, here is the post: http://lagusta.wordpress.com/2008/09/10/obama-vs-the-jews-a-triple-threat/
Sadly and tragically, I think this person’s craziness is representative of a rather substantial group of far far right Orthodox Jews, which makes it hard to just dismiss it as the ranting of a crazy person – though it is that too.
My favorite line is that Obama is a “triple threat” to the Jews because he is “christian, black, and a moslem” (sic)!!!!!
I know this is an old post but thought I’d leave a response since I am African-American and I am also Israeli. My family and I support Obama and think the right wing Christian and Orthodox Jews are a non-inclusive racist and bigoted bunch. When those of us could not stand President Bush we did not attack him for his race or religion we attacked his policies. Its absolutely disgusting how they are treating President Obama! You have every right to disagree with his political views, policies and the way he is running this country….but from what I’ve seen it looks like blatant racism and bigotry.
This is an amazing site as a 18 y.o. aspiring Buddhist Vegan I am totally not like every other black person out there so just to find people who are interested can get sketchy even though i dont care what someones color is i still admire how there is a site for vegans of COLOR thats amazing i didnt even think there were out there since they make it seem like only white people care about the environment and animals which is so un true and i was truthfully starting to believe it until i first stumbled on the black vegetarians in new york site and then stumbled on this site by way of vegan.alltop.com its an excellent thing your doing and helps make me feel more comfortable as the person i am and that its ok and i will find more people out there who like the same things i like in all of the human color shades Thanks!
Hi Johanna,
Since you blog about animal issues, I thought you and your readers would like to know about a national animal event taking place this Sunday, October 19: a new round of Party Animals, centering on the theme of a “Humane Bloc Party.” This is a house party style fundraiser for the Humane Society Legislative Fund (www.hslf.org), which works to lobby for animal protection legislation, educate our supporters about animal protection issues, and elect humane lawmakers to public office.
Party hosts and their guests will dial in from all over the country to our conference call to hear from animal advocates about the importance of electing humane lawmakers. This round, we are pleased to have comedian and cartoon artist Dan Piraro join us on the call. As you may know, his internationally-syndicated “Bizarro” comic strip frequently features animal issues.
For more information about our Humane Bloc Party, please encourage your readers visit our website at http://www.hslf.org, or go directly to http://www.partyanimals.fund.org. It’s not too late to sign up to host your own party! (You can also search the site to find a party happening near you.)
If you have any other questions, please contact Colleen Crinion, Party Animals Coordinator, at 202.676.2314. Thanks so much for your time and attention!
I came across your site as I was trying to figure out if our next president to be is vegan. Can you imagine the next president of the free world being vegan, vegetarian or at least someone who eats vegetables? Amongst everything else about Obama, that would be very cool. I’ve added you to my blog roll.
Hi Johanna and everyone,
Lauren here, from Toronto’s ‘Animal Voices’ radio program and podcast. Would you or any of the contributors from the Vegans of Color blog be interested in being a guest(s) on the program? (We could have up to two people interviewed at the same time.) It would be an honor to have you on, and to promote the site!
If you’re interested, would this Tuesday November 11 at 11:15 am EST work for you? If not, would another Tuesday in November or December (before the 18th) be a possibility? Or we could do a pre-recorded program as opposed to the live show.
Thank you for your work!
Best,
Lauren
Oh! And I should mention, the email for the show is animalvoices@gmail.com
Thanks,
Lauren
Greetings,
…best of luck with your blog and making the vegan connection to all social justice issues and oppression. Meat and dairy are the root cause of world hunger, disease, poverty, energy crises, environmental devastation (including global warming, deforestation, and water and resource depletion), war and violence. These are issues discussed on my radio program GO VEGAN WITH BOB LINDEN. For stations and times, archives and podcasts, please visit http://www.GoVeganRadio.com. – open to your issues of concern – Bob@GoVeganRadio.com -VEGAN PEACE!
Hey fellow bloggers!
I’ll keep this quick: I’m currently writing a paper on blogging and feminist consciousness-raising and I’m contacting specific bloggers who I feel are important to have their voices included. So, I’ve come to you! If you’re interested or have questions about more details, please email me at .
If you decide to go through with it, we can then take care of the formalities (consent form), and send you the open-ended survey. Thanks so much for your time, and keep up the fantastic work.
Sorry, the email is
warwick.derek@gmail.com
Shouldn’t have put it in parentheses.
pattrice jones wanted to pass this message along:
I’ve got my composition students blogging and one has written a pro-vegan post. I wonder if it might be possible to mention her post on the VoC blog?
the blog:
http://readthisorelse.wordpress.com
Racquel’s post:
what I’m up to with all this:
I’m a vegan of color and would love to blog for you. Keep up the geat work and never miss the opportunity to plug veganism, a kinder way of being.
Hello! I’m a vegan of color and I would love the opportunity to be a contributing blogger for VOC. I absolutely love the premise of this blog and would love to ad another voice of color to the vegan movement. Here’s what I do on my current blog The Vegan GuineaPig http://veganguineapig.blogspot.com/
Hey! I’m a vegan of color(Colombian/Venezuelan) who also happens to be a dude and I’d love to contribute to your slice of the blogosphere. Currently, I work as a sportswriter for an ESPN affiliate website which does not fulfill my vegan blogging desire. Feel free to grill me at your leisure, can’t be anywhere near as bad as applying for citizenship.
thank you so much for this blog. i’ve been searching for spaces where people of color who believe in and practice animal rights can share views, opinions and generally commiserate. glad to finally find it. i’ll be visiting often and i apologize ahead of time for any rants i will likely be going off on! 😉
Hello Vegan of Color,
I just listened to Animal Voice and I enjoyed your interview. I always thought it is important to find a common ground to discuss and look at bigger pictures, in order to solve problems in front of you.
I am Japanese living in Tokyo. I often feel that it is hard to be vegan here, since there is no concept of, even, vegetarianism. The society expects you to be the same as the rest of the members, it is difficult to, for example, to attend business meetings etc. and announce that I am vegan. They look at me in a strange way and ask “you can eat fish with us, right?”.
I still stick with my belief, and say that I don’t eat animal products. But it is not easy sometimes.
I hope to introduce veganism and vegetarianism to Japanese people. (there are a lot of sites but there are not enough restaurants… )
I am honor to contribute to Vegan of Color, blog about what the norms with vegans or vegetarianism in Tokyo (and Japan).
So if need, please let me know!
I really enjoyed the show, again. Good luck and I will check the site regularly.
All best,
Maho
Tokyo, Japan
Hello Johanna,
How do you feel about cross-posting? I have a blog entry pending on L.O.V.E.’s site about relating as a POC with mainstream animal advocacy. I would very much like to share this with the community here. I can imagine more such entries in the future as well and would love to discuss with you the possibilities of dual-blogging when it feels appropriate.
Thank you for creating and maintaining such a wonderful, needed space.
Warmly,
Victor
Hello Johanna:
We just took a space on twitter at http://twitter.com/vegansofcolor . Is anybody interested in joining us on there? We are twitter newbies, and not even sure if we can emotionally handle the communication form on there. Or, is anybody of this blog interested in taking that space maybe???
Keep up the great work ladies! I added a link to VoC on my blog
peace:love:joy
Peace & Blessings,
Discovered your blog via Twitter…
Aris
Greetings and thanks for this great blog! I’m a former vegan of color, now just chilled-out vegetarian of color, haha… Anyways just wanted to share with you all a piece I wrote recently for Civileats.com. Cheers and take care.
http://civileats.com/2009/04/24/finding-a-model-in-japans-young-farmer-corps/
Dear Vegan of Color Admin,
I’m requesting you post my series of articles on Sex, Food & Health. I’m sure your readers would find these articles educational, as well as, entertaining. I am following you blog on twitter and facebook, Please feel free to subscribe to my feed.
Regards,
Carmela
Home Remedies to Rid Yourself of Danruff
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1719066/home_remedies_to_rid_yourself_of_dandruff.html
“Eat Your Sexy Back”. What you read might spice up your love life!
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1716463/do_vegans_have_better_sex.html?cat=22
Also read,
“Be Your Own Kitchen Pharmacist”
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1710537/healing_food_be_your_own_kitchen_pharmacist.html?cat=22
AND…..
“The Principles of a Natural Hygiene Diet”
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1709537/the_principles_of_a_natural_hygiene.html?cat=5
Don’t forget to get the Belly Fat MUFA Recipe..NUTTY BELLY-BUSTING COOKIE RECIPE
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1721646/nutty_bellybuster_breakfast_cookie.html?cat=51
BEACH BODY MUFA SMOOTHIE RECIPE
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1720042/beach_body_smoothie.html?cat=22
Here is the RSS feed for my articles. Again, it’s nice to connect with you. Have great week.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/rss/custom_496335_Articles+by+Carmela+Foster__article__.xml
Greetings. I was referred to this blog through a friend on facebook. I must say that this blog is a great idea and I would feel quite privileged to be able to contribute to it. I’m Filipino and I’ve been vegan for about seven years. Regarding my politics I consider myself to be a Marxist, but am by no means a dogmatic elitist. I support the liberation of the 3rd World as well as the destruction the white-supremacy, male supremacy, hetereosexism, and specieism.
In terms of what I usually blog about, tidbits of Ethnic Studies, western philosophy, and a lot of fru-fru postmodernist analysis of popular culture and political theory. http://50megatonpapertiger.wordpress.com
be healthy ya’ll.
This is a good resource for Vegans of Colour:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/myguide-monguide/index-eng.php
It’s a Canada’s Food Guide chart that you can customize with examples of vegan protein servings, and it’s available in English, French, Arabic, Chinese (traditional or simplified), Farsi, Korean, Russian, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, and Urdu. Your age and sex also factors into how many servings of each food group you need.
Hey Johanna,
Your blog is really interesting, and informative. I was wondering if you had seen our site? its http://www.human-animal-liberation.info? It ties together and compares different kinds of oppression facing humans and animals including racism, LGBTQ, sexism and animal rights. As well as several other related points of interest.
If you haven’t seen it, maybe you could check it out and maybe you could blog about it, or email me with some suggestions?
Thanks a lot and hopefully talk to you soon
Carley
hey! love what youall are doing in this blog. i wanted to bring to your attention (and your readers’ attention) a book which i just discovered today put out by ak press: it’s called “the little book of vegan poems” by benjamin zephaniah. the author is a vegan of color (a black man… and you can see his truly awesome (and funny!) picture by following the link and scrolling down to the back cover).
http://books.google.ca/books?id=bm1pIjcpPhgC&dq=the+little+book+of+vegan+poems&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=_TlQSovIOZaqtgf_uOW0BA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4
you also can read a few poems in the preview. keep in mind that, tho this book is for both kids and adults, he wrote it especially for children, and (judging from the preview) the poems have a sorta ‘nursery rhyme’ type feel. that doesn’t mean there’s no deepness, tho!
maybe someone might wanna do a review of this book in a future entry. or maybe someone already has. if so, sorry for the bother.
much love,
~H~
How do I get in touch with Johanna Palacios? Someone nominated this person to be profiled on a new resource tool
directing people to vegan websites, called Vegan Voices Around the World, seen here:
http://veganpoet.com/veganvoices/
Anyone else want to nominate those living a vegan lifestyle, promoting veganism in a non-violent way, please send them to me at veganpoet@hotmail.com
Johanna (me) & Joselle Palacios are two separate bloggers here. Which one are you looking for?
I run a site called Negotiation is Over (http://negotiationisover.com/) and am a pluralist in terms of my approach to abolition and veganism. As your site says, all oppression is related.
Currently, NIO is building alliances to try and break veganism out of the domain of the white middle class, as well as bridge boundaries between social movements.
Although I would prefer to communicate via email (camille@negotiationisover.com), I would like to invite you to contribute to my blog and use NIO as a platform to speak for vegans of color and the issues that are important from your perspective, some of which may be unique.
I would also like to know specifically, if you are interested in re-publishing this blog: https://vegansofcolor.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/for-as-long-as-my-skin-is-black-i-will-be-a-devoted-anti-speciesist/ on NIO.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Camille
Greetings,
I am a raw/ vegan of color and I have a recipe video that I would like to contribute.
Thanks,
Melba
Melba,
Thank you for your response.
I would love to publish your recipe. I’m actually thinking about going raw so I could kind of use all the help I can get anyway. lol
Please send me your blog at camille@negotiationisover.com and I’ll get it up within 24 hours of receipt.
I look forward to hearing from you, Camille
I am vegan and its quite an unusual thing in my community.
I am Native American and I doubt you will find a more meat driven culture than ours. I made the ethical choice to become a vegetarian several years and the recent leap into veganism. My reason being that as a society at large, we are very removed from our food and since I was not prepared to kill another living being,it was a logical choice for me.
I will state and this may be controversial with some vegans, that I cannot judge many traditional Indian people who grew up on reservations out here, dirt poor,who breed and slaughter their own sheep. I know many people who do this.
While I do not condone this practice, for many this is how they live, far from grocery stores and conveniences that most of us take for granted.
Alicia, I just bought your cookbook and my five year old and I cannot wait to heat up things in the kitchen this week.
Hello — not a vegan or person of color, but an editor for a scholarly journal: http://www.raceethnicity.org. We will be sending out our CFP (Call for Papers) in January of 2010 for our Summer 2011 issue on the intersection of race and food. Please feel free to look at our Website for updates this winter when the CFP should be complete.
Thanks,
Leslie Shortlidge
Managing Editor,
Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity
The Ohio State University
433 Mendenhall Laboratory
125 South Oval Mall
Columbus, OH 43210
Tel: (614) 292-4817
Web site: http://www.raceethnicity.org
Blog: http://kirwaninstitute.blogspot.com/
A vegan website for those of us who exude some “color”, lol! I recently went vegan and I have to say the vegan world is mostly… colorless. I will bookmark your page.
Solar….
What a great site!
I’m a Latino who immigrated to the US at an early age, and I’ve always been the one person of color in white settings. From grade school to college, this has been the dominant status quo. With a few exceptions during college where I met, befriended, and did actions with several radical people of color, my experience even now has been to travel from white areas where I live and work to segregated areas where other people of color live and work. This is the reality of living in the Metro Detroit area. Due to the nature of my work, I have to cross that threshold of color, a literal line that in Detroit-area actually includes the occasional wall, weekly.
On top of it, being vegan is one more way that my otherness as a person of color is magnified. Like the previous poster wrote, I’m on the outside of the outside.
Navigating waters on the margins has become my specialty. I feel most comfortable here than anywhere else. When I go back to Chile, I’m not quite “Chilean”, and when I’m in the US, I’m not quite “from the here” either. I’m not quite like other vegans, and I’m not quite like other anarchists, and I’m not quite like other triathletes, or quite like other Union activists, or 30-something straight edge adults. I’m in the margins everywhere. I both hate that I rarely have the support that comes with belonging, but I relish the freedom it has forced me to learn by not being fettered to one identity no matter how much society tries to pin on me.
I would *love* to blog on here if given the opportunity.
hi! i am a vegan of color and would love to blog here. i have a blog–chocolate & arugula–that covers the intersection between black folks and the environment. i write about veganism, animal rights, the cultural shift from identity to climate, sustainability at hbcus, etc.
i would also like to be added to the side bar under people of color and/or vegans of color.
http://www.chocolateyarugula.blogspot.com/
hi, breeze!!!
hey, all.
can you add my web site, by any greens necessary, to your blogroll for vegans of color? i’d love to be listed.
thanks,
tracye
Hi Tracye — adding it now. Apologies for the delay! Thanks.
Hello! I found this place earlier today from a friend on Twitter. What a great site! I have a diet that is largely vegan. I also have a blog with mostly vegan recipes. I have a dedicated vegan gluten-free kitchen in my home. I am VERY interested in contributing in any way that I can! 🙂 Please feel free to check us out! I’ve added you to our blog roll. 🙂
I just discovered Vegans of Color today. I think I’m in love. I can’t wait to start sharing you with all the brown veggie & animal lovers in my life. I am going to be writing a guest spot on another blog in the spring with a focus on women of color and vegetarianism. I’m so glad I found you. I’ve been in need of inspiration.
Johanna, I’d love to interview you for a series I’m doing about non-monolithic veganism. We have some mutual friends who said you were be a good person to speak with, and you and I breifly corresponded here in the past. I interviewed Breeze for an upcoming article about Sistah Vegan, so (hopefully!) she can vouch for me too. Please get in touch if you’re interested or available. I respectfully thank you in advance for considering.
I can vouch for her! She interviewed me for Make/Shift awesome feminist journal.
For me, a woman of color, this is a wonderful blog find. I am a vegan baker (I have a small sweet treats business) and I am a nutritionist. I have just relocated from D.C. to Seattle and have found that although Seattle is the Vegan capitol of the U.S., I have only found a handful of people of color practicing veganism or vegeterianism for that matter. I will be following this blog and look forward to posting some interesting finds and tidbits of my own. I am also excited about sharing my vegan experiences with you all.
healingthehappyheart@blogspot.com
Hello,
I would be interested in blogging here. I’ve been following this blog since before I became a vegan and now that I am I would love to contribute my voice.
great site; vegan for 25 years! would like to contribute; let me know
Hi – Rad vegan site! I’m planning to feature it on a VegVine.com browser bar for vegetarians. We are a group of vegan volunteers connecting people with veg resources like yours. Our goal is a world with greater compassion. It seems like we share that. If you can squeeze it into your schedule I’d love to chat. Ryan, president http://www.VegVine.com (Ryan@VegVine.com or 215-589-2437)
I reached out a while back, I’m interested in receiving your post.
Like to have http://www.BVSGA.org added to your side bar. We have place a link to VOC within our BVSGA YahooGroup links.
I just read about your blog on VegNews and it nearly made me cry… I’ve felt so alone in this “Vegan World”, and a few months ago I wrote a note on my FB lashing out about these frustrations- it seemed to go unnoticed by those vegans who were NOT vegans of color. Recently, those frustrations have only increased with what’s going on in Arizona & reading post by fellow vegans who advocate for the “rights of everything & everyone” everyday, in favor of SB 1070…. Thank you for starting this blog :)… PEACE!!!
I am writing you this evening because I am very interested in contributing to Vegans of Color. Earlier this year, I was experimenting with a blog that was becoming increasingly political (as opposed to review-oriented) before I lost personal internet access. In considering reviving that blog, I have decided to bring my interest in writing politicized pieces on food justice, veganism among people of color, popular culture, and other pertinent topics to the attention of Vegans of Color.
Now that I am back online (and feeling bold about pursuing my interests), I would like to ask you if it is possible for me to contribute to the blog. Please do let me know what you think about the possibility. I am not sure what the criteria are or the process is like, but I would very much like to have a conversation about joining the team. Here is a link to some of my favorite pre-hiatus writing that is thematically relevant to Vegans of Color if you are interested in my previous writings:
Thank you for your time!
Hello, I’m a producer for a national public radio program called Native America Calling. I’m working on a show about native americans and alternative diets. Do you know any Native Americans who practice an alternative diet? We’d be interested in having them n our show.
The show is scheduled for this Monday, June 7.
darla.antoine@gmail.com
or
505-999-2440
http://www.ieatgrass.com/
Another vegan blog run by a black man…just discovered it.
Thank you for your wonderful site. I am an African American physician and vegan with particular interest in improving access to plant based foods for disadvantaged minorities in order to reduce the burden of chronic disease and pregnancy complications. I will be following your blog with interest.
Thank you.
I’ve toyed with being a Vegan for a while now, but I’m fully committed to being one now. However, my hesitation was not due to the fact that I could not completely switch my vegetarian diet to a Vegan one, it was more so culturally inclined.
I’m Nigerian-American and in my culture whether it be back in Nigeria or in the United States being referred to as other is always complicated and not fully understood, as it makes you feel different (but sometimes not in a good way). I can relate to what Rodolfo Palma was referring to in trying to explain not been able to fit into the entire different social and cultural construct one has to deal with.
I had a conversation with Breeze (Sistah Vegan) years ago about the limitations of how our culture/environment- especially mine- impedes on us whether directly or indirectly and was summed up that maybe I should write a book depicting “How I was NOT Nigerian/American enough” to fit into the different social construct or burden I/we have to deal with.
It’s refreshing to have a blog where I can read and/or write my thoughts and just feel that I don’t have to explain why I’m choosing to be Vegan, without being scrutinized or having the right answers that would best satiate their quest for trying to live my best possible life.
I comprehend your conversation as I am Burkinabè-“American”..I’m dismissing the limited paradigm that is associated with veganism and adopting a holistic plant-based diet… it is in alignment with my mission…
http://www.yoliouiya.com is a site highlighting eco-chic living, green coupons, food tidbits, nutritional articles, reviews, and giveaways!
Facebook :: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yoli-Ouiya/306920806997
Twitter :: http://www.twitter.com/yoliouiya
Peace friends, I wonder if I could contact you about joining this blog as a contributer. I’ve shared comments very sporadically on this blog over the years, but, if you’re interested, I’d enjoy sharing more and broader thoughts, articles and reviews which align with the spirit of this blog and community.
I just came across this site and I think it’s great. I’m white and Jewish and know vegans from different parts of the world. There are compassionate people everywhere:)!
Yes, I would appreciate contributing to this blog.
What information would you be needing from me, i order to add to the blog.
Editing previous statement: Yes, I would appreciate contributing to this blog. What information would you be needing from me, i would be honored to add to your blog.
Hi ~
As a recent convert to the vegan lifestyle I am so happy I came across your blog. I agree that the vegan culture is commonly associated with Caucasian people and I have had my fair share of “interesting” situations. I think some people are so taken aback by the notion of a “vegan of color”, let alone my family of “vegans of color”. As an African-American, the concept of being vegan is even foreign to our own community. Perhaps what is even more shocking is that an African-American MALE is a vegan! Anyway, I would definitely love to contribute to this blog about my conversion and experience of being an African-American male vegan…oh, did I forget to mention I also live in Orange County, CA? Well, that alone has been experience! Hope to hear from you soon!
wordpress usually has an email subscription option. is there one for vegansofcolor? thanks
Thought you might be interested in commenting on this video that’s been floating around the vegan blogs: http://ohwhyohwhy.org/
There are certainly some deep-seated issues in it, and it’s semi-horrifying that this is supposed to represent the vegan perspective.
I only found you today. Thaaaaaaank you!!! I am an Arab Muslim Vegan in a mainly white environment, so again, thaaaaaank you!
hey moona, i’m a veg who found this site a few weeks ago but wanted to share another site you may be interested in. a hindu-muslim unity blog: dharmadeen.com. check it out if you like!
http://www.yoliouiya.com is a site highlighting eco-chic living, green coupons, food tidbits, nutritional articles, reviews, and giveaways!
Facebook :: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yoli-Ouiya/306920806997
Twitter :: http://www.twitter.com/yoliouiya
For anyone who has not read the “China Study” by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, it is a must read for everyone!! Does anyone have advice about easing my non vegan family into a vegan Thanksgiving? Thanks!
Hi Sheryl!
I will actual have a post on my site at the end of October about making a plant-based vegan Thanksgiving with some simple ideas etc.
http://www.yoliouiya.com
I also have reviews, coupons, giveaways, and nutritional eating posts…
Hello Vegans of Color!,
My sister Keyla and I recently started a blog that highlights healthy eating (vegetarian and vegan cuisine). We added your blog to our list of favorite blogs (would you do the same for us?). We wanted to give you a heads up. The address is: http://comowater-forchocolate.blogspot.com/. We’re also on facebook (the Like Water for Chocolate with three chili peppers).
Best,
Tiffany
do you consider males Native Americans ( Lakota-Sioux) ? Few of us have embraced veganism & for us who have, we meet with much chidind by the overwhelming carnivorous tribal brothers and even the ‘outside the rez’ people .
THANK YOU for putting together this site. I live in Minnesota and most of my family reside in Philadelphia. I am somewhat glad that I am not living near my family in order to avoid they: “You are trying to be white!!” comments or “You married a white man and now you want to be Vegan??” Ironically, I feel sadden that many of my extended family find something that is “good” as being “white”.
I am glad I found similar folks out there.
Your site is essential. Believe that!
Hello! I stumbled upon this blog and LOVE it! I would be interested in posting on this site. Let me know the details.
Namaste,
The Vegan Ilokana
Hello,
I love this blog. Please consider joining Vegan Mainstream’s Vegan Blog Network. http://www.veganblognetwork. We would love to include you!
Katie
My name is Alex Keipper and I’m a senior in the Film/TV program at NYU. I’ve been a sporadic reader of your blog, and I’ve really been moved to thought and action by previous conversations I’ve seen take place here. I wanted to talk to you about a film I’m making entitled “Skin and Bones”. It’s a narrative about animal liberation, veganism, animal rights, and human rights, as well as the importance of family and the challenges that our values can put us through. (As a side note: I actually turn to Vegans of Color in the beginning of developing my ideas for this film. It was one of the first online vegan communities I stumbled upon that broke the rich-white-vegan archetype I was looking to disrupt with this film).
I’ve been passionate about animal rights for many years, working to illustrate injustices in animal treatment and in food distribution in my personal life and through my work. I believe questions about food are some of the most important we can ask. In the course of preparing this film, I’ve spoken to many small scale farmers facing dire economic depression and bankruptcy in the face of large scale farming operations and unfair regulations. Ethical and healthy food is disappearing, and animal rights abuses are being trivialized in the face of incorrect assumptions about the best way to feed people. People justify mass murder with an idealistic vision of Americana farming that is both fictionalized and dying.
Film is the best way I personally have to communicate with the world at large. I want to address questions about food, poverty, and veganism, and create a conversation among people about how they intersect. I also want to bring animal rights into a realistic and compassionate narrative that everyone can relate to. I’ve met too many people in the past few years who turn their noses up to veganism as a product of privilege or a trivial cause. I want to make a film that they will sit through, and hopefully use as motivation for reconsideration down the line. I plan to use the film as a tool, and distribute it as widely and freely as possible.
It would be a tremendous help if you could take a look at my website and fundraising page. If you like what you see, I’d like to ask you to post it up on your blog and tell anyone you know who may be interested. I need to get the word out, and to raise some cash to make this film a reality. We’re doing everything we can on the cheap, and through NYU we’re able to get amazing insurance considerations. But equipment and travel aren’t cheap, and we need to raise some cash to make it happen.
Any acknowledgment would be extremely helpful and appreciated. I’d even simply enjoy a conversation being started about the effectiveness of tactics such as my film, and the potential for exploitation and misappropriation inherit in the process. Thanks in advance for taking a look at things. The links are below. And thanks as well for the excellent work you’ve been doing on your blog!
http://www.skinandbones.info
https://www.fracturedatlas.org/s/campaign/220
Hi- I’m a 12 year vegan, raising a 3 year old vegan mestiza. I have a cookzine called Vegan de Guadalupe which you’ve talked about on your site. I’d be interested in blogging here. Just started a blog after 2 years of being MIA, check it out.
Hi, I’m Chy and I have been a vegetarian for over six years. Recently (about five or six weeks ago), I became a vegan. I have recently written an article concerning Black women and eating problems. I am very interested in underscoring the link between overconsumption and stress / trauma in the Black female community. The article is on my blog (http://blacknectar.wordpress.com/), but I would love to share it here as well.
Peace
This is Lisa Kay from I Eat Grass (ieatgrass.com)– a vegan lifestyle blog. I am writing to let you know about WildFlower, NYC’s First Vegan Pop-up Restaurant.
For three full days, Chef Ayinde will serve the best in vegan fare, spanning brunch and dinner. The menu will include:
Southern Contemporary American Supper
Louisiana Cajun Brunch,Raw-Fusion (gluten free) Dinner
Chef Ayinde’s noted Petit Dejeuner Waffle Brunch
We’d love your support! Hope to see you there, too. Check out the event details here: http://wildflowerpopup.eventbrite.com/
I saw that is was excited… too bad I’m 3,000 miles away. The menu looks really good!
I really wanted this to be a private comment since I’m sure many people will disagree but I can’t see where to send an email and maybe there are others that feel this way. I wonder if maybe I am a product of my upbringing but I disagree with so many of the things on this blog. I grew up in a diverse town and it was not until I entered college (a diverse state school where all we do is talk about diversity) that I felt that the world talks so much about race rather than other things that bring people together. I never thought to myself “oh woe is me, I’m a woman AND I’m black, double gammy in the minority dept.” But most things about this blog seem to express that vegan people of color have to separate themselves from Caucasian vegans? A recent post about the LOLcat font poster (http://veganpeople.livejournal.com/4164145.html) that said “who do you want to feed” was annoying. I think this person that made the poster you were criticizing Googled these images and I do not think they intended that the starving children had to be a black and white image and the cow a color image. And in regards to the font, I do not think at all it was a punch line font. I think it is a font used in many quick message image, bold big letters. And based on the comments below that poster, there are many apprehensions from the actual maker that she/he was possibly offending someone out in the world, showing how the poster had no malicious intentions.
I am tired of looking at things in the world that take something and turn it into something based on race: vegans of color, engineers of color, honors students of color, left handed people of color, ping pong players of color! I understand this can bring together people that want to network or be acknowledged for being an engineer and maybe grew up in a difficult circumstance then was able to overcome that. But that is more about class/socio-economic status than race, and even though those can be linked factors, they are not all the time. If all we do is sit around talking about, the white middle class man, should I still feel bad even though I am a black middle class woman? I can afford the same materialistic crap he can, but does looking down at my darker skin mean I should feel sad or angry or constantly dissect everyone’s statements? To me, the answer is NO.
When I approached an acquittance about being vegan she recommended Sistah Vegan. A few months later when I talked to her she told me about a great vegan soul food restaurant. She is white and I am black. But I am Ugandan, and I don’t fully identify with Black American culture when we get past the skin and hair so I was a little offended that she was making these assumption because honestly my closest experience to soul food is from pictures. But alas I live in America and I’m black and until someone asks they don’t know the difference, and if they come across all these groups/websites that separate having a certain interest with having that same interest plus race, they will think the way my acquittance thought. But honestly, those two conversations make me think… maybe she just really thought those were the best resources/restaurants and I don’t need to sit around thinking she is using micro-agression by recommending these things (and it was only 2 things, I’ve found tens of non-race based resources on my own) that happen to be related to black culture.
you don’t need to feel bad about being black. i’ve never felt sad about my skin color. this group wasn’t formed so that everyone can feel sorry for themselves. my rule of thumb i tell folks when they get worked up on something like this is “is it posing any danger to anyone’s safety? is it denying someone their basic rights?” if the answer is no, then their passion or energy is misguided. they should refocus on more important things.
if you can find evidence that b/c there are groups such as vegans of color that white ppl now have hard lives (they are being harassed by cops, stopped by border patrol, being denied housing, passed up for a job, sexually harassed b/c of male gender) then i would take your argument seriously. a website such as this isn’t even on the radar (ask any person on the street – have you heard of “vegans of color”?)
i’m more concerned about REAL problems – like the fact that an arab woman was stripped searched at the airport for wearing a hijab, or that the majority of drug users in this country are white kids but all the ppl in jail for drug possession are black, or that my wife can be harassed while walking the streets b/c she’s female. my friend’s dad who’s indian was beaten by the cops – he’s a wealthy doctor driving an expensive car. hardly a “socio-economic class” issue! i would suggest that you focus your energy on fighting real problems such as these b/c groups like vegans of color don’t threaten white people’s safety.
this group isn’t formed for ppl to feel sorry for themselves for being black or whatever. it’s a support network. one can feel encouraged to stay on the path of veganism and get an alternate perspective on veganism. i was reading a thing on peta about india and there were multiple comments by white folks about how indian men were cruel and didn’t care about animals. now i could’ve gotten discouraged and said “f*** veganism, these white vegans are racist, i don’t want to be part of this community.” but rather then telling myself i was a victim of anti-indian male sentiment i chose to reply to their racist comments
please read the idiotic comments here http://prime.peta.org/2010/03/my-recent-trip-to-india
i can also come to a site such as this and tell other ppl about these comments and these folks will understand and offer support. a white vegan who says all indians, japanese, and chinese are cruel to animals b/c it’s in their genes is not someone i would want to talk to with about a plant-based diet. hell, i don’t want them to talk about veganism to other ppl of color b/c they’ll scare them away!
Thank you Ravi. I appreciate this comment and explication of the purpose of Vegans of Color very much.
Hi thanks for the response. I appreciate it as well. I am proud of who I am but in my experience separating my race from other things that make up who I am show that I am more than just a shade of brown. In my belief/experience, being vegan and being of color do not have to go together. But that is just my opinion and I understand that for others the two things do go together. I am happy to read your view. I agree that example of your friend’s dad shows that class doesn’t matter when it comes to racial discrimination. My father travels a lot for his job and not everyone will look at his wealth/success, just his skin. I just think that how does that correlate to veganism? If I’m discriminated against it has nothing to do with my choice to be a vegan, it’s because I’m a woman or black. No one knows I’m vegan so I still find myself at a loss for this site.
Also I just want to say thank you for your thoughtful responses past and future because often when people comment on blogs it turns into an intense argument and not a conversation and I really want to have that conversation.
Also I read the PETA article. Those poor animals, especially the emaciated bullocks… truly shocking. The comments by some of the readers were really unfair in the representation they made about “men of India” and overgeneralizing a large group of people like that when many men of India are working to stop animal cruelty with PETA India.
http://www.happycow.net/blog/?p=117 I just read this article reviewing Vegans of Color. It definitely gives me more prospective on the purpose of this website. It talked about a LiveJournal discussion about this site and I guess I would fall under the category of “those who disagreed with the idea that vegans of colour and vegans without colour had any relevant differences as veganism had nothing to do with race.” Anyway the article ends by saying that “The idea that race doesn’t enter into the equation is preposterous. Vegan is a descriptor used to describe ones views on cruelty to animals. But a complete person it does not make. Race, gender, sexuality, ability, age, education, class, religion – all of these things come together to define who you are. People are the sum of all their parts. Whether you’re a vegan of colour or not this blog has something to offer.” That is very true and pretty much discounts my last comment but I believe that to each his own and there are times when I separate some things about myself from other aspects of who I am and I think that is fine too.
Hi, my name is Cheyenne, I’m a regular reader and queer black woman vegan, and I’m excited about and wanted to share my new tumblr – Vegan Deliciousness!
It’s pictures of food I make, all vegan and gluten free, and I’d love to be linked on your link page – I noticed there aren’t any tumblrs, and it’s always fun and exciting to just look at pics. Thanks. 🙂
Love,
Cheyenne
Is there anyone who would like to review my book for this site? The award winning The Live Food Factor book includes two testimonials (with photos) of African American raw food vegans.
I will send them a kindle or hard back copy in exchange for a review on this blog and amazon.com.
I feel like things are just meant to be… I just RANDOMLY found this website (it was not even related to my google search.lol.) I recently became vegan (at the end of this past July) and have noticed some faults in it… Let’s just say I’ve just stepped into a very “White, upper-middle class” dominated space, which contradicts my identity as a black, working-class female”. Although I feel like I am being treated condescendingly by white vegetarian/vegans AND it’s a financially straining lifestyle (especially as a college student), I am LOVING the ethical and health benefits of this lifestyle. Additionally, the vocabulary that many of you are using (particularly Breeze) is soooo familiar. Ironically, I am now in training to become an Inter-group relations facilitator and am becoming familiar with the language of “Critical Race Theory.” I’m SOOO thankful that I have found this new haven!!! I feel so BLESSED!
As a white male who has been vegan for 21 years (a total of 33 years vegetarian), I want to thank you so much for your voices which only serve to enrich the dialogue re: veganism. Yes, white privilege (and the perception of that privilege) within the vegan community must be countered and all oppression must be seen as being connected. It is my desire to see veganism and animal rights embraced by all people who understand the connection between the oppression of animals and the oppression of humans and who realize that the corporate interests of the meat and dairy industries are antithetical to the health and welfare of all people, especially those who know of no other options.
I am so happy I found this blog! I am finding that there are many interrelated issues and connected conversations to be had regarding oppression of beings and not only non-humans. I am a Canadian aboriginal (First Nations) Vegan and I am finding that there is still much systemic oppression and also lateral violence within our communities that surfaces around the topic of vegan lifestyle. Like the assumptions that I’m native and I need to use animals for everything because that’s what all natives do. That real Indians still need to wear fur and hide and consume game because we need to in order to have a sense of identity. There’s just so much to write about…
I’d love to hear more Julie Snake. This is exactly one of the subjects that very much interests me as someone who is Latino, and thus partially native (South) America, and living in the US. Please write more! I would love to read it.
See youtube video entitled “The best speech you will ever hear” by Gary Yourofsky [animal activist]
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Peace and Love…just found this site. Love it! I am a Woman of Color…and a Chef of Vegan and Raw Cuisine. I would love to contribute to your efforts. Please check out my works: http://www.paradisewellness.wordpress.com and http://www.paradisewellness.net
I love what you are doing! We are launching a vegan site soon and it would be great to collaborate. Please email me and hopefully we can work together on ending all oppressions.
Best,
Sarit
Just found your site. Thank you for creating it and merging people of color and vegans.
I have been vegan since 2004. I moved to a small town in Oregon population 33,000 and the biggest thing I am discriminated for is being vegan. I receive comments on a weekly basis. Just being the vegan in the room, restaurant, at a house party….it really bothers people that I am vegan. I don’t get on a soapbox either. It just always comes up when food is around. I think its because when I state I am vegan its like holding up a mirror and people revisit their own values. I struggle with living in this small town for many reasons…. it is not diverse, I am part of only a handful of African-Americans…. I also am Jewish when most everyone here are Christians…..but the biggest struggle by far is the way people treat me and speak to me when they find out I am vegan. My only escape is when I travel to Portland, SF Bay Area or other major cities.
This is an interesing website. I read the book Cultivating Food Justice and found out about this blog in the chapter Vegans of Color.
Are there any UK based freegans on here. Looking for people to speak to in the Uk for a TV series
I’m a vegan of color and would be interested in blogging here. On my current blog Animal Visions, I talk more about intersectionality and animal-human relationships than I do veganism, but I do talk about it sometimes. Check out my blog and see if you think my voice would be a good addition.
Joanna, Eventhough I’m not a vegan, I do believe that dairy products may be killing black children. You might want to take a loook at my blog post: “Is the Dairy Industry Killing Black Children.” http://soul-wisdom.blogspot.com
I enjoy reading your blog! Also, I would like to know if it would be possible to add my blog to your blog roll! Thanks!
I love this site! i would love to blog/contribute to vegansofcolor anytime! I think i could add some very unique content to your site. Let me know
I’m commenting so you know I’m here, reading your thoughts and learning. Currently writing a thesis on the reproduction of systematic oppression in spaces of conflict resolution. Thinking there’s def. a solid link between well-meaning white folks who think their actions don’t have a racist impact just because they’re “spiritual” or a “mediator” – Stephanie, white female-identified vegan
Wow! Excited I found your page. I know this an old (and long post) but seems it was best place to comment. I am a ChicagoNow Blogger & I added your blog to my blog roll. I’d love to contribute! Great blog full of wonderful posts – very inspirational!
I’d also love it if you can add me to your blog roll as well. Others interested in being added to my blog roll on ChicagoNow should tweet me or comment on let me know by visiting my FB page or my new blow http://www.chicagonow.com/emerging-vegan-sistah
Love your blog! I’m not “of color” and I’m still working on the vegan thing… it’s tough (and expensive). But people like you keep me going! Thanks!
Dear Johanna,
I intend this as a private note rather than a public reply. I just wanted to pass along a call for submissions for an anthology I’m editing, The Disabled Vegan Reader. You had written so affectingly on intersectionality that I thought you (or colleagues you know) might want to submit. I’m interested in hearing from persons of color about experiences with veganism and ableism. Theory tends to homogenize (critiques of ableism tend to homogenize “disability”) and so I’m looking for personal narratives. More, I’m aware that, as a person with white privilege, my experience as a PWD and vegan may profoundly differ from that of a person of color who is also a PWD and vegan. And I think readers need to understand intersectionality in all its dimensions.
As the title of the anthology probably makes obvious, I’m particularly interested in essays from persons who identify as having “impairment,” but essays from allies and “healers” could work, too.
I thank you for any response. I regularly read this blog and appreciate the sometimes difficult, always important topics discussed here.
Sincerely,
A. Marie Houser
thedisabledveganreader@gmail.com
thedisabledveganreader.com
The Disabled Vegan Reader seeks creative nonfiction from vegans who are also persons with disabilities. Specifically, we seek essays that explore moments in which the confluences between the status of animals and of “impaired” persons become apparent. Within the frame of the personal experience, writers should explore ideas that bring dimension and depth to personal experience. For aesthetic and ethical reasons, we want specificity in the experience; generalizations should be avoided.
While we prefer first-person narrative essays, we can also be swayed by innovation. We invite writers to bring a critical framework to their essays, borrowing from cultural studies, cognitive science, feminism, critical race theory, and, of course, disability studies, but we do not privilege theoretical over practical and experiential knowledge.
Essays ideas could include:
a personal experience with confinement (e.g. in a hospital), analyzed for its similarity or dissimilarity with nonhuman animal confinement;
the ethical issues a writer faced as a vegan in evaluating treatment options;
an encounter with ableism within the AR community, viz. that community valorizing some forms of activism over others;
moments of being othered — or embraced — as a person with a disability and as a vegan by family, friends, activist communities, work supervisors, etc.;
dealing with the “virile figure,” the masculine, gender-normative ideal in disability and/or vegan communities;
and more.
Essays could be organized around such subthemes as:
Encounters with Clinicians
Dis/Engaging Activism
“The Animal” and “The Disabled”
Bodies/Minds in Pain
Whiteness and The Masculine Ideal
These are not fixed. The essays writers submit will help us to organize the book around subthemes. We encourage and invite your creativity.
Though we specifically invite persons with disabilities who are vegan to submit, we may consider submissions by allies, as long as their work demonstrates humility and care.
Formatting Requirements
Please send your essay as an MS Word file with 12-point Times New Roman font and margins of one inch. The page limit is twenty-five double-spaced pages. Please put the title and your name, along with pagination, in the header of the document only. We cannot read documents that do not conform to these specifications.
How to Submit
Send the MS Word file as an email attachment, with a short bio in the email, to “thedisabledveganreader” (no spaces) at gmail dot com.
Deadline
The deadline to submit is August 1, 2013.
Peace and Love! I am interested in being a contributor for your blog. Please let me know what I must do to accomplish this. My email is: skaijuicepr@gmail.com Thanks
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or
http://www.facebook.com/vegantourspanama
Thank you for the great work your doing and being a great example!