black vegans rock: feature by gabby brielle on her journey to veganism

Lately, I’ve been remembering old questions from my childhood: why we eat some animals and not others, if the food we eat makes us sick, and if the animals care or feel pain when they’re killed. As I got older, I was intrigued by things vegetarians and vegans would say, saw the intense “behind the scenes” videos of fast food places. I did more research on nutrition and the treatment of the meat, animal rights, etc. I felt like by around year 2024, I would be vegan. Then, in 2014, my dad died after a 2 year fight against cancer. Around the time he was diagnosed, I was learning more, and I realized that there is a difference between vegans and non-vegans in diagnostic statistics for common diseases. I started internalizing my thoughts and spiritual beliefs, realizing how connected we are to Earth’s nature, the universe, and one another.

Plenty of the meat and dairy that is produced goes bad or is thrown away while people are starving, not to mention the resources that are used that contributes to environmental problems that are easy for some people to ignore now, but will have detrimental consequences in the future caused by our decisions.

I realized a better way for ME to live, and I took the opportunity to enroll in a free vegan workshop. It normalized the idea, gave me more vegan friends, shed more light on the the harm to both animals and the planet that the meat/dairy industry causes, and then took me to an animal sanctuary where I met actual rescue animals from farms. I’m a spiritual person, and I got the messages I needed from the Holy one I pray to and connect with, and I know that I don’t need something that craves relationship, just like me, to be bred, tortured, and killed before its time, to THEN be altered and modified (with all of its terrorized, sad energy still in place) in order for me to live happily, healthily, and enjoy meals. It only took that day for my diet to shift from limited meat and non-dairy milk to no meat and no dairy. I’m loving it!

What I give to the world and to my God will be given back to me one way or another. I did my research, made my observations, and had my personal experiences. This is for me, and I encourage everyone to ignore the myths and stigmas and honestly explore the option to see if it’s best for them as well. Believing that something like this shouldn’t even be an option for you is evidence that you have been well-conditioned into thinking one way, probably to make someone else money, who also wants to make someone else money, and so on…and that someone else is not you.

Veganism isn’t just for the privileged white folk, and diabetes and high blood pressure are not just hereditary destinies for black families. Don’t believe the hype. Knowledge is power and purpose is key!

This post is in partnership with Black Vegans Rock