Toni Okamoto was overwhelmed by frustration after seeing her family suffer serious health consequences due to the food they ate.
Her aunt had multiple amputations due to Type 2 diabetes before she died, and her grandfather suffered several heart attacks before he died in bypass surgery.
She saw that their financial situation limited their choices regarding food.
She decided to take action.
“That’s why I started Plant-Based on an Amount aEUR. I was on a low income and had limited resources to eat healthy. I began compiling recipes for my family and noticed how many people wanted to eat healthier, but weren’t sure where to start,” she explained.
The Mexican Japanese American started Plant-Based on A Budget in 2003. It now offers free recipes, meal plans, and other resources that make plant-based eating more affordable and accessible.
There are many reasons why you might decide to become vegan or vegetarian. Some people are concerned about the safety of animals and the environmental impacts associated with eating meat. Others might be motivated by rising food prices or personal health. It doesn’t matter what the reason, it is an important decision that affects the lives of millions of Americans and communities of color.
Nonwhite Americans are three times more likely to identify themselves as vegetarian than white Americans. Gallup polls from 2020 showed that nonwhite Americans have reported eating less meat than white Americans. 31% of non-white Americans reported eating less meat in the last 12 months when asked. This compares to 19% of white Americans.
Naijha Wright Brownn, founder and executive Director of the Black Veg Society is a non-profit that educates communities of color about the benefits of plant-based eating and veganism. She says the number of Americans who are reducing their meat intake and identifying themselves as vegetarians is on the rise.
Wright-Brown stated, “I know that most of the uptick in eating this way and the movement towards it is because people are dieting,” pointing out some of the health disparities that affect Black and Latinx communities.
She stated, “It’s an emergency in public health at this point.”
Vegan activists of color see the increase in plant-based diets as a result of an effort they have been involved with and worked on for a while aEUR”, one that was shaped by different beliefs, motivations and practices.
Wright-Brown said that everyone thinks this is new, but it is not.
Wright-Brown stated, “If you think about the Black Hebrew Israelites or the Seventh-day Adventists and if your mind goes to the Rastafarians aEUR,” who came up with the term “Ital lifestyle” for eating plant-based food, this is not a new concept.”
Aph Ko has been trying to change this misconception. Ko is a writer, anorist, and a digital media producer who wanted to dispel stereotypes about veganism after hearing that it was a white space.
Ko stated, “When I looked around, all that I saw was people of color who were vegetarians, and so I was like there’s clearly something wrong.”
Ko has spent the past seven years trying to spread awareness about Black Veganism.
She wrote an article about 100 Black vegans in 2015 and created Black Vegans Rock aEUR,” a digital space that showcases the creativity and diversity of the Black vegan community. It shares stories, books, and other initiatives.
Ko stated, “I believe that the media doesn’t know that this is an extremely nuanced and incredibly diverse movement. There are theorists and artists and food justice activists. So I think sometimes Black vegans can be seen as diversity tokens to diversify white [vegan] movements, while we’re leading our own [movement].”
Wright-Brown stated, “When I started this lifestyle in 2006, it was because of my health, my cholesterol had been high.”
Traci Thomas, the founder of Georgia’s Black Vegetarian Society, also relied on plant-based solutions for health-related issues.
She said, “The diseases that plague many people of color are what you would consider lifestyle diseases. This means that you might be eating too much or overeating. Very little exercise is required.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is still the leading cause for death for Black and Latinx people.
Diabetes is also more prevalent in Black and Latinx communities. Research has shown that Black and Latinx communities are less likely to receive preventive treatment and to experience complications from diabetes at higher rates than whites.
Vegan activists of color also work to promote plant-based diets with an understanding of the steps that people can take to make it happen.
Wright-Brown stated that there are many ways to promote this movement.
Okamoto stated that she believes in progress rather than perfection when it comes to people who are trying to live a plant-based life.
She said, “I want people to know that it doesn’t have to be all or none; even if you make an error on purpose or accidentally, you can still move forward, and you can continue to change these generational habits that could be harmful for your health, and really reclaim [your]health, despite [your] budgets.”
