5 minute read
Athletes, Food & Diversity by Leila Dehghan
The video interview project “Athletes, Food & Diversity” is a response to systemic underrepresentation of people of colour in vegan subculture. I launched this project to shine a light on the contributions and achievements of vegans of colour, be it in the fitness industry, healthcare sector or social justice movement. While the project idea had been developed long before the pandemic, the events of last year instilled in me a sense of urgency.
Health inequities have recently been the subject of many heated debates, both locally and globally. As devastating as it has been, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted two important issues: the detrimental environmental repercussions and adverse health outcomes associated with the consumption of animal products, and the existing health inequities contributing to higher morbidity and mortality rates among ethnic minorities in high-income countries like the UK and USA. These ecological and socio-political realities attest to the urgent need to act to change our food culture. Adopting a plantbased diet not only reduces our collective environmental footprint but also reduces the risk of future pandemics. A plant-based diet carries individual benefits as well, as it assists weight loss and mitigates the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure – conditions that disproportionately affect ethnic minorities.
There is no denying the negative health impacts of systemic racism. Equally obvious is that people of colour have been often overlooked by the mainstream vegan movement, which is dominated by white middle-class people. If we Google ‘vegan food’ or ‘veganism’, we see images of white vegans, veganised Western foods – images that ethnic communities cannot identify with. This image of veganism as a ‘white thing’ stands in stark contrast to the fact that vegans of colour have been and continue to be active in the animal rights movement and plant-based scenes, but don’t receive the visibility, recognition or attention they deserve. They are excluded from the broader conversation, despite the high need for a healthier diet in their communities; the consumption of animal products is higher among ethnic minorities both in the UK and USA. Similarly, dairy and meat consumption are on the rise in countries like China and Brazil, as are the rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancers.
That is why I embarked on this project. I sought first to help remedy the lack of attention to vegans of colour and second to find out how we could best invite ethnic minority communities to consider a plant-based diet.
I interviewed eight vegan athletes and fitness professionals of colour - people who have proved through their lifestyles again and again that you can obtain enough protein on a plant-based diet to be strong and build muscles. Simultaneously, I invited vegan healthcare professionals and activists of colour to contribute to the series by speaking about all things vegan, from the science behind a plant-based diet to its ethics and socio-political aspects.
I strongly believe that people will feel informed by these amazing interviews and inspired to launch their own projects, be it in their individual lives or that of their communities and the larger vegan movement.
WILL TUCKER & THE PROTEIN MYTH
Will Tucker is a Four-Time Natural Bodybuilding Champion, America’s Vegan Trainer and founder of WTF! (Will Tucker Fitness). Among Will’s many achievements is building an outstanding physique and winning competitions on a 100% plant-based diet without any protein supplements.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/eNmFFZcCzVY
VANESSA ESPINOZA & THE PLANT POWERED ATHLETE
The movie “The Game Changers” dispelled the myth that ‘real men eat meat’; in fact, it demonstrated that a plant-based diet might just give athletes a winning edge. As an Ex-Division One basketball player, a state champion boxer and a pro power lifter, Vanessa Espinoza empowers women to be fit and strong on a plant-based diet.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/iOK4grJrjFc
KORIN SUTTON & THE VEGAN LIFESTYLE
Like many people, Korin Sutton, an ex-Marine Corps soldier, believed that veganisim was just for hippies until he learned the truth about animal agriculture and chose life and compassion over death and destruction. As a vegan professional bodybuilder and a fitness trainer he inspires other bodybuilder to ditch their whey protein shakes and helps his clients to get fit on a plant-based diet.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/l0yaaUjQi5Y
TABAY ATKINS & RAISING KIDS ON A VEGAN DIET
Tabay Atkins, a 15 year old yoga instructor, believes that young children and teenagers are open to changing their diets to stop animal cruelty and tackle climate change. As a young vegan chef, he likes to show his peers how easy it is to be vegan and healthy while Dr Yami, a paediatrician, reassures parents and offers the the tools to raise kids on a vegan diet.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/yJusGrAAiV8
TORRE WASHINGTON & THE SECRET TO LONGEVITY
Torre Washington, a vegan bodybuilding champion, attributes his professional success to his plantbased diet, rest, recuperation and lots of fresh air - lifestyle features of people in Blue Zones where people have low rates of chronic disease and live longer than anywhere else.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/fJXg6Rldpsk
DEVON BENNETT & HOW THE OVERLAPPING OF SOCIAL IDENTITIES SHAPE OUR EXPERIENCE
How do our different identities interact and shape our experience? And why is understanding intersectionality important when advocating for the animals? In this video Devon Bennett, a Black American fitness trainer, explores how his skin colour may have affected his career in the fitness industry.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/_PVaNwJ35As
JOHN LEWIS AKA BADASS VEGAN & SOCIAL JUSTICE
John Lewis, the co-director of the upcoming documentary “They’re Trying to Kill Us” explains why human rights and animal rights are interdependent and interrelated while Dr Naik discussed the environmental racism of animal agriculture.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/Js4k_zhXSt8
RAMONA ADELLE CADOGAN & VEGANISM
As an Olympic Weightlifter Ramona seeks to empower people to go vegan for the animals, the planet and their health. It’s a win-win situation all around.
WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/_wx-lVBYnL8
