On April 13, New York’s Black VegFest is expanding its events to the Bronx borough with Black Vegfest Co-op City. Hosted by the organizers of BlackFest and the African-American Association of Co-op City, the event will bring together vegan presenters, restaurants, and catering businesses to address the lack of plant-based nutrition information and food options in the area. The event will feature 25 vendors offering dishes such as vegan oxtail, mac and cheese, popcorn tofu, barbecue cauliflower wings, empanadas, and shawarma. “As a former Bronxite, I remember struggling to advance the conversation around healthier solutions within the poorest and unhealthiest borough in New York City,” Black VegFest founder Omowale Adewale told VegNews. “Too often, poor working-class people are ignored because we lack political influence. The Bronx doesn’t have the health advocacy of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams (an outspoken vegan who will be giving the event’s keynote speech). So, when the African-American Association of Co-Op City reached out to us in their 15th year of organizing health fairs, we accepted the partnership to bring veganism to the Bronx in a major way.” Black VegFest’s goal is to bring initiatives to communities of color that focus on personal wellness, self-determination, business development, and community action—all with an animal-friendly message. It is intended to bring attention to the experiences of communities of color and oppressed people in order to unite the public in the fight for animal rights. Black VegFest’s second-annual festival will also return to Brooklyn on August 10–11.
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