The Afro-Vegan Society is marking Black History Month with an online campaign to celebrate Black veganism and educate communities on plant-based living.
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The Afro-Vegan Society (AVS) is a US-based national nonprofit organisation that promotes vegan living to Black communities.
This February, AVS will mark Black History Month with Veguary, an online educational campaign to celebrate Black vegan trailblazers and provide culturally relevant workshops on plant-based eating.
The month-long program is free and will feature daily social media content, cooking demonstrations, educational videos, weekly emails, a Facebook support group, and interactive video live streams.
AVS will also highlight the contributions of experts and inspirational figures throughout the Veguary campaign.
People that will feature include author and activist Tracye McQuirter (By Any Greens Necessary, Ageless Vegan), Olympian Seba Johnson, a lifelong vegan and the youngest and only Black woman to compete in the alpine skiing event, and plant-based nutrition expert Dr. Milton Mills.
AVS’s Veguary program is designed to create a pathway to vegan living for people who are interested in making a lifestyle change, but who need support from a community that understands and centres the Black experience.
“Veguary is one of Afro-Vegan Society’s most impactful programs,” said the group’s founder and executive director Brenda Sanders.
“It’s deeply rewarding to connect so many people with information and encouragement to begin making healthier, more sustainable choices.”
The program is open to everyone via the Afro-Vegan Society website.
Veganism in the Black community
According to AVS, African Americans are currently the fastest-growing population of new vegans. But that’s not to say that the notion of veganism is new to Black communities.
Plant-based traditions have been prominent in African-originated cultures for centuries.
In the US, civil rights leaders made some of the earliest and most concise assessments of the connections between our society’s systemic racial violence, and the cruelty of the animal agriculture industry.
Should we be doing more to promote diversity in mainstream veganism? Read about the role of race in the movement.
