Young
vegan
and Black
by Kian McKoy
Scanning the aisles of her local beauty supply store, Jody Senior, a registered nurse, takes her time examining the colorful labels of Influencer-approved conditioners and hair butters her best friend recommended after her own journey back to natural hair. Relaxed hair no longer fit into Senior’s perception of healthy living. As she zigzags between aisles, from one towering wall of products to the next, she considers the different sized tubes and tubs of eye-creams, foaming face washes and moisturizers with the same scrutiny.
“When I returned natural, I was particular about every little thing I would put in my hair,” Senior said. “I would spend 15 minutes on each product, reading the ingredients before I considered buying it and this automatically led me to be more conscious about what I put in my body.”
Over the last 10 years, after being encouraged by her best friend to live a more health conscious lifestyle, Senior has gradually transitioned from a typical meat diet, to pescatarian, then into a strict vegan lifestyle. For the last two years, she hasn’t consumed or worn anything derived from or tested on animals. Although only an estimated 6.5 million people living in the U.S. follow a strictly vegan lifestyle, like Senior, more plant-based or “meatless” lifestyles are trending upward, according to statistics from The Vegan Society. The statistics show veganism quadrupled between 2012 and 2017. The lifestyle is a hallmark of millennial culture, whether or not it’s teasingly as the latest meme, or seriously as a means to combat environmental issues such as animal cruelty and climate change. The Economist even dubbed 2019 “the year of the vegan” in a recent article.
For Senior, one particular challenge at first was maintaining certain aspects of her Jamaican heritage because of the tensions between her vegan lifestyle and some cultural foods and traditions. Many black and Caribbean communities are known for their animal-protein powered meals. Jerk chicken, Griot, a Haitian dish of spicy, crispy pork, and the seafood, meat and rice combo Paella are meaty staples immediately associated with their region. In the U.S, black and Hispanic people account for about 13% of the non-meat eating population. This leaves many people of these diasporas with alternative diets, like Tiana Chung, with a weakened sense of connection to home.
Chung returned to Jamaica in the summer of 2019, after completing her bachelor’s degree at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Her Instagram food blog, Wonga Gyal, pays homage to her love of food and her Jamaican roots. “Wonga” is a Jamaican Creole word which means to have a deep love of food; a glutton who respects what they eat.
“It's definitely hard making the adjustment [to meatless eating],” Chung said. “Being away from home for so long has created a warped relationship for me with Jamaican food. I crave chicken and rice and peas, curry goat, KFC and patties so frequently, and choosing not to indulge in those things can be hard.” She recognized the health benefits of cutting down animal protein after spending time with her cousin, who went vegetarian for health reasons. Now, Chung eats predominantly plant-based meals during the week and treats herself with meat dishes on the weekend. She uses her blog to keep the momentum of her new diet going.
"It has definitely helped me to stay on track and to go out of my way to look for meatless alternatives in home cooking," Chung said. "Knowing that I will post the food that I make to share with others really helps me to be innovative with meatless dishes especially given that there is a stereotype that meatless eating is bland, basic and repetitive." She dedicates a section on her Instagram page to vegetarian dishes, and often posts the meatless dishes she finds while dining at restaurants worldwide.
Dialogue around veganism often gives the illusion that there aren’t many black vegans. A simple Google search for "popular vegans" turns up a list of mostly white, older men, meanwhile most vegans are determined to be women under the age of 34. Rastafari heritage and practices in Jamaica challenges this illusion. Along with a global push towards healthier living and the rise of vegan consumer products, meatless diets are now more accessible to communities of color.
“Rasta culture is Jamaican, they are some of the original vegans,” Dean Morris, a farmer and business analyst said. “They just don’t see themselves as vegans, they are Ital.” The Ital diet is essentially vegetarian or vegan, however the choice for living Ital is purely about wellness or “Livity” as described by the Rastas. For them, what you put into your body must enhance Livity and the best way to do this is to eat clean foods and live naturally. Senior also noticed this trend for meatless eating in the culture.
“Believe it or not there is a large number of Jamaicans who have a plant-based diet but just never add a title to it,” she said. “I was always drawn to spiritual people such as yogis and Rastafarians, as well as people who lived off the land such as the farmers we have in Jamaica. They tend to live a lifestyle of little to no meat.”
The transition to plant-based eating doesn’t have to be drastic for newbie vegans struggling to keep the connection. “Simple things like ackee, callaloo, collard greens and rice and peas are easily vegan and those are some of the fundamental foods of both black and Caribbean cultures,” Chef Nicole McDonald said. “I try to remind [vegans of color] that things they eat everyday can be easily vegan and flavorful.” Her Jamaican heritage has been very influential in her career as a chef, as she often serves traditional dishes for her vegan customers. “You can make simple substitutions like making ackee without saltfish or collard greens without the ham or turkey.”
Pictures of vegan meals courtesy of Nicole McDonald
People typically choose to go vegan for animal rights, to protest mass production’s effect on the environment or to improve their health. Vegans of color are acutely aware of the advantages veganism can offer for their communities, given the high rates of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
“For so long the health of communities of color was not a priority and so it definitely forced us to develop a culture around unhealthy food,” Chung who is only recently meatless said. “It's no secret that communities of color are largely disenfranchised and so the food that tends to be available to us is mass produced, chemically processed portions of meat based products that are heavily marketed right to our faces.”
Senior emphasized that studies have shown that people of color are at a higher risk of lifestyle diseases such as heart attacks, obesity and certain cancers. “I believe that the common factor is simply the food we eat,” she said. “[We should educate] people of color on the importance of letting food become our medicine, and not living to eat but eating to live.”
Another vegan newbie, Horace Collins, decided to go vegan after two years of gradually swapping out meat dishes for plant-based ones. The idea of animals dying for his meals became repulsive to Collins, and after doing extensive research on the impacts of a plant-based diet on his health, he committed to his new lifestyle. “We would definitely have a healthier community given more people follow a vegan diet,” Collins said. “Veganism could help reduce diabetes and cancers that affect our community.” He also stressed the importance of researching new foods, noting that going vegan doesn’t automatically make you healthy.
“Nutrition is not being meat free,” Sandra Hamer, curator of the Leafy Green Things food blog, said. “When you omit something from your diet, you have to replace it with its nutritional equivalent, not just some random food item that you think is OK because it's meat or dairy free.”
@leafygreenthings on Instagram
Hamer wanted to take control of her health after having her own complications with weight. “I used to be over 300 pounds, so I switched up my diet -100% vegetarian, with occasional six-week vegan challenges- to get my health on the right track,” she said. “Since 2012, I have lost over 100 pounds and I no longer have weight induced asthma or complications with my monthly cycle.”
Following a plant-based diet has been linked to a multitude of health benefits, but it's much more than just getting in your veggies.
"Organic and plant based meals are rich in fiber, pigments and phytonutrients which are instrumental in preventing metabolic and lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes," Mark Miller, certified personal trainer and co-owner of MonkFit, said. The CDC reports that younger African Americans are afflicted by lifestyle diseases, like diabetes and high blood pressure, typically found in white Americans at older ages. In her experience as a nurse at a cardiology center in Kingston, Jamaica, Senior noticed young doctors are now encouraging patients to be more plant-based.
"If we're being honest, people of color cook with so much flavor," Dr. Jéan-Paul Martin said. "Preparing foods and drinks with so much salt, sugar, oils and butters contribute tremendously to the triple threat of hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol. Adding plant-based meals would definitely benefit us in reducing the occurrence, or severity of these diseases, especially if we prepare them unlike we prepare or meat dishes." Dr. Martin also said vegetarian and vegan diets are shown to have positive effects on energy levels and encourages clear skin. During consultations, he often discusses the benefits of veganism to his patients but encourages them to start with adding more vegetables and eating less meat instead of cutting it completely before committing to a diet overhaul.
"I would actually prefer my patients try some vegan meals to recognize how tasty they can be, not necessarily buy products or try to make meals regularly because it would require a cultural change. That's way harder than saying 'eat more veggies.'"
On the other hand, Dr. Jade Jeffery stressed that people who suffer from chronic illnesses should always consult their physicians before making any cuts from their diets.
"If you're an insulin dependent diabetic, the keto diet may not be for you," she said. Because a vegan diet limits iron and vitamin B12 intake, patients with certain anemias may be negatively impacted as well. "A patient with sickle cell, which affects 1 in 10 Jamaicans, should discuss a plan with a dietician or doctor before changing your diet, and how you will be adequately supplemented."
As the lifestyle gains popularity, food producers and providers worldwide have been making strides to cash in. American consumers spent close to $3.3 billion on plant-based foods in 2018, according to a recent article from Forbes. The number of exclusively vegan restaurants in the country stands at 1,474 as of August 2019, up from approximately 485 in 2014.
This trend is reflected in the Caribbean as well. Senior said a significant number of vegan restaurants have opened up in Jamaica.
“I can go to nearly every restaurant and they have vegan options island-wide,” Senior said. “My favorite part of being vegan is going to a restaurant and seeing how creative they are with plant-based food. That definitely excites me and because of this I do not miss meat.”
Consumerism can be an asset for vegans, as companies and restaurants introduce plant-based products into their offerings. Beyond Meat’s line of plant-based versions of meat-lover favorites like burgers and sausages, are now featured in vegetarian versions of menu items at McDonald’s, Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts and several other popular chain restaurants. These new products aim to help vegans who need food on the go, but the stricter practitioners tout the value of organic or raw foods like ground provisions and plant proteins, and the value of preparing your own meals. Also, instead of eating a meat replica which might not be available outside of the U.S., vegans can transform existing ingredients, like shredding and seasoning jackfruit to use as a chicken substitute.
"These foods can be stripped of plenty micronutrients. Processed foods just aren't good," Mark Miller said.
The Beyond Sausage breakfast sandwich from Dunkin' runs for $4.99
Thanks to innovations in the food industry, the biggest hurdle for vegans isn’t necessarily finding food but showing non-vegans that plant-based living is worthwhile and isn’t lacking in flavor. “Take your time to adjust and listen to your body,” Arielle Oliver, a vegan of three years, said. “Do it a meal at a time, a day at a time and see how you respond, and connect with other vegans who can help you along the way. Whatever you do, don’t quit cold turkey!”