Vegan lifestyle articles that discuss ways of living in peace with humans, animals, and the environment.
Black Vegans
Rock
June 2018
I am a product of the system I am designed to destroy. Human privilege has been the worst privilege of all time.... I had to recondition my mind from the systems I was plugged into. Veganism as a black man was the very first step.
Black first. Vegan second. My name is Shaun Flores and I’m a pro-black
actor, model and intersectional vegan. I am a product of the system I am
designed to destroy. Human privilege has been the worst privilege of all
time. We render ourselves superior to those who do not speak our language.
Because of this, we live in a world with stark injustices vividly painted
before our eyes. But due to hyper-normalization, we remain oblivious to
this. I had to re-condition my mind from the systems I was plugged into.
Veganism as a black man was the very first step.
My vegan journey began three years ago. Becoming vegan showed me there is a
world beyond meat. Growing up in a Caribbean household I have consumed all
types of meat, from chicken, lamb, beef, fish and exotic meats such as deer,
possum (tattoo) and iguana. As young men, we are indoctrinated to believe
that strength comes from the consumption of meat, which I adhered to as a
religion. Young men need “meat” to qualify as “real men." Imagine, I am
6'3'' with a slim, long, athletic build. When I became vegan for health
reasons, I was told I needed “meat” to put on weight. Society has
conditioned us to genuinely believe that weight can only be achieved when we
have meat on our plates. Hegemonic toxic black masculinity is in dire need
of decolonization for us as black people. My manhood is not determined by my
meat consumption. I am my own man. Manhood is taking care of my environment
and my temple which is my body.
The reality is that you are either the oppressor or the one who is being
oppressed. To truly become a conscious responsible person who cares about
Mother Nature, we have to became responsible inhabitants of Earth. Mother
Nature, to me, is the real God who dictates the course of life. It’s time to
value life over taste. We were once, and are still, dehumanized as a people,
and animalized. We are likened to all breeds of animals, yet we consume
them.
How can we attach such a powerful and positive adjective like “humane” to
slaughter? Slaughter is slaughter. Rape is rape. Veganism is trending and we
are morally waking up from the meat matrix we reside in. I took a pill and I
have never slept since. I am also a master's student in race, media, and
social justice. I study colonialism, and I have learned that the ecology of
the planet has changed, in addition to our diets as black people. It's
imperative that we return to our roots.
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