Vegan Film About Race, Class, and Gender Debuts in LA
Hard-hitting new documentary The Invisible Vegan gives the African-American vegan community a unified voice.
New documentary The Invisible Vegan premieres tonight at The Colony Theater in Los Angeles. The 90-minute film features African-American vegan activists—including comedian Cedric the Entertainer, former NBA star John Salley, hip-hop artist Stic from the band Dead Prez, medical doctor Milton Mills, and many more—and explores how plant-based eating intersects with race, class, and gender. The Invisible Vegan is co-produced by actress/vegan advocate Jasmine Leyva, who addresses the health afflictions—such as heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes—that affect the African-American community, and how these diseases are related to unhealthy, animal-centric diets. “I grew up in Washington, DC, eating the standard American diet,” Leyva says. “I initially identified veganism as a white thing. It was because I didn’t know my history. All I knew was we turned scraps into soul food, and I thought that was our only culinary legacy.” The film establishes how foods African-Americans have eaten in the United States are far removed from their heritage of West African cuisine—which relies mostly on plant-based foods. With this documentary, Leyva exposes the discriminatory marketing techniques of the meat and dairy industries aimed at African-American consumers and inspires the community to choose plant-based foods to regain control of their health. Last year, vegan activist and author Tracye McQuirter (who is featured in the film) partnered with animal-rescue organization Farm Sanctuary to create the African American Vegan Starter Guide as a tool to help communities of color join the vegan movement.
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More Flashbacks
- Canada Gets Its First Vegan Vending Machine
- Anthony Bourdain Says Plant Foods Help End World Hunger
- France Bans Use of "Meat" for Plant-Based Products
- Israeli Salami Brand Debuts Vegan Meat Line
- Vegan Burger Bar Pops Up for Earth Day
- 100,000-Square-Foot Vegan Block Party Hits LA
- Luxe Shop Debuts Vegan Avocado-Shaped Ice Cream
- IKEA Promotes Plant-Based Eating for Earth Day
- '50s Style Vegan Diner Opens in Michigan
- Vegan Chicken Nugget Startup Raises $1 Million
- Impossible Foods Makes First International Debut
- Cleveland Chef Debuts Bitchy Vegan Homo Cooking Show
- Vegan Girl Scout Thin Mint Chickpea Snacks Debut in June
- Vegan Tacos Win Food Battle Against Fish Tacos
- Postmates Ends Deliveries of Foie Gras
- New Vegan Market Opens in South Florida
- Beyond Sausage Debuts at All Whole Foods Nationwide
- Harry Styles Ends European Tour with Vegan Pie Prank
- Students Develop Plant-Based Burger That Mimics Salmon
- Vegan Goth-Themed Café Opens in Arizona
