Brotha Vegan and Alternative Forms of Black Masculinity: New Sistah Vegan Project Anthology

First of all, thank you for my birthday wish coming true. As of this morning, I have received the $900 I need to pay for my tuition, which is due today. I made the online payment and I’m good to go.

 Click on the above video to hear about Brotha Vegan , the sibling to Sistah Vegan book.

Update: on the video I don’t speak of a deadline, but here it is now: August 1 2012 for abstracts. February 2, 2013 for completed pieces.

This anthology isn’t only about veganism. It’s actually critical perspectives and arts coming from a black male vegan consciousness. You can talk about veganism, but you can also talk about other topics that intersect with your vegan consciousness. What are the ways in which black vegan males think about:

1. Hip hop culture and vegan activism
2. Environmental and nutritional racism
3. Meat eating as a “masculine” stereotype
4. Class and food access
5. Structural racism’s effects on food acces
6. “Obesity” and diabetes in the African American community
7. Access to clean water as a race, class, and gender issue.
8. PETA
9. Going Green; green jobs; green economy
10. Fatherhood
11. Teenhood
12. Ageism
13. Sexism
14. Food sovereignty
15. Occupy movement
16. Experiencing life as a black male who is queer and vegan
17. Disabilities studies and race
18. Prison industrial complex
19. Afrocentricism
20. Spirituality and consumption
21. Critical analysis of Afrocentric and Afrikan Holistic Health movement
22. Decolonizing the body
23. Animal liberation
24. Raising vegan children

This volume will be loving and open-minded. I am not going to accept media that is sexist, homophobic or anti-trans. This volume should be a safe artistic space for all black men, but in particular, marginalized black males such as sexuality minorities (black males who are gay, for example) and black men living with disabilities.

You can email me your abstracts (approximately 2 paragraphs) at the email address sistahvegan(at)gmail (dot) com by August 1 2012.

Veganism Beyond the white mid-class grammar: Language of the hip hop generation and Supanova Slom

In this video I explore the work of African American vegan, anti-corporate kitchen, hip hop conscious, holistic health activist Supa Nova Slom. He is focused on addressing hip hop generation of black and brown folk. I think that his work is great for this demographic, but I also feel strongly that it is necessary for the plethora of white middle class able-bodied ‘post-racial’ vegans who send me messages or come up to me after I give a lecture, claiming that black and brown people aren’t interested in veganism, animal liberation, or holistic health activism. Usually, I let them know, “They most likely aren’t interested in YOUR white middle class framing of ‘the problem’; this is separate from them ‘not being interested in veganism, animal liberation, or holistic health activism.’” So, what this means to me is: if YOU don’t understand that than it is YOU who is the potential barrier, not necessarily US BLACK AND BROWN FOLK. I also have added Supernova Slom’s video “Sugar Crack” from his latest album.

• Book: The Remedy by Supa Nova Slom
• MP3 Album: Wholistic Wellness for the Hip Hop Generation (January 2011) by Supa Nova Slom
• DVD: Wholistic Wellness for the Hip Hop Generation by Supa Nova Slom
• Music CD: The Remedy by Supa Nova Slom
• Book: The Hood Health Handbook: Volume One

“Vegan Pregnancies and Homebirths are Dangerous, C-Sections are Normal” Misguided Fear in Prenatal Care USA

Update: Before watching the video about ‘vegan pregnancies’ I just wanted to say that if my work has benefited you, or you have enjoyed watching my health advice over the past few years, I’m wondering if you can return a favor. My fellowship to pursue critical race and critical vegan studies at the doctoral level was not renewed for 2011-2012, through University of California, Davis. I would like to finish my PhD and need some help. I know the goal may seem overwhelming, but I have about a combined support network/friends/followers of 1000 people (through Facebook, blog subscribers, and Twitter followers). If you could spare $10 to $25 a piece, then this goal could be met I think.

Paypal email donation: breezeharper (at) gmail (dot) com or go to the right side top of the screen and click on donation link.

UPDATE: As of June 9, 2011:

Donated: $1970

Needed for completion of goal: $8,030

Deadline: September 2011 (so I Can register for 2011-2012 academic year)

In this video, I share information about doing a plant-based dietary pregnancy, opting to do a homebirth with a midwife, and reflecting on how in the West, allopathic medicine has determined that pregnancy is, “always an emergency waiting to happen.”

• Sun Chlorella or Now Foods Organic Chlorella (I take 1tsp of the Now each day, mixed with my Spirulina. Don’t let the $33 scare you, as it lasts 151 days.)
• Pacfiica Hawaiian Organic Spirulina (This has about 150 days of usage. Expensive up front but it lasts 1/2 year; I take 1 tsp per day)
• Hemp Nutiva Protein Power 50% (1/2 c per day for me)
• Salus Haus Floradix Iron + Herbs 17-Ounce Glass Bottle (10ml in the morning 2nd trimester; then 10ml twice a day starting week 28 for me because I was at risk for anemia)
• Book: Childbearing Year by Susun Weed
• Book: Sacred Woman by Queen Afua
• Book: Painless Childbirth
• Vegan Pregnancy Nutrition Information from VegFamily Online URL : http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-pregnancy/super-foods-pregnancy-lactation.htm
• Vegan DHA + EPA Ovega-3. 2 capsules per day: http://www.ovega.com/what_is_ovega3
• Nutiva Hemp Seed oil (1-2 tbsp per day)
• Exercise Exercise Exercise every day!
• 2-3 cups of Nettles tea each day
• Kale (I make kale smoothies), Collards, Rhubarb,
• Reduce or eliminate intake of refined sugar, refined flour, fried foods (that was HARD for me), chocolate, caffeine
• Tempeh (better than tofu in my opinion because it’s fermented)
• 1 Avocado daily
• 1/4 c of Jarrow Brown Rice Protein Per day (You can mix it with the hemp protein if you want)
• Health Alliance Lecithin (1 tbsp)
• Walnuts are a good nut with healthy oils. I’ll eat them raw or I’ll throw them in my soups. They are GREAT in soups.
• A Prenatal vitamin
• Shea butter to rub on growing belly
• If you have problems with finding plant-based source of calcium, you will probably need to take a calcium supplement if the kale and collards and other foods in calcium isn’t enough. You’ll need about 1500mg of Calcium per day . I recommend products that have Algaecal in them. Algaecal has algae based calcium and it’s really impressive they say it’s suitable for vegans and vegetarians!

Foods To Eat

• Quinoa
• .  Chia SeedsThey are incredibly rich in calcium. You get 344mg of Calcium for 2 ounces. Always soak your chia seeds for at least ten minutes before eating them. I put them in my smoothies sometimes. 2 tbsp gives you 42% of required fiber for the day. And this is an excellent source for EFAs and has a 4:1 ration of omega 3:Omega 6. profile.
• Tempeh
• 1 Gallon of water a day
• Coconut water if you feel water isn’t enough to hydrate you or replace electrolytes. Coconut water is the perfect isotonic beverage; especially to drink first thing in the morning if you wake up feeling dehydrated and also great to drink id you are working out or right after.
• Greens, greens, greens: Kale, mustard greens, okra, collards, chard. Kale is my favorite I have heard spinach should be avoided but can’t verify this.
• Legumes
• Whole Grains
• Wildwood Plain Soy Yogurt brand (only one in the USA that doesn’t add sugar and is organic)
• I make most of my baked goods from whole grains and sweeten them with apple juice, banana, or fresh pineapple or fresh dates.
• Walnuts are a very healthy nut with great oil. Almonds are great and so are sesame seeds (I eat them in the form of tahini)
• Papaya (have heard to avoid during 1st trimester, but not sure why)

This list is not nearly as extensive as I would like it to be, as there are many foods to eat, but I’m just going to say it straight up: AVOID THE SHIT if you can. Junk food, highly processed crap that has NO nutritional value at all. I know it’s hard when you have those cravings and I admit that I still eat french fries in moderation, but it really is best to try to avoid eating refined flour, refined salt, processed refined sugar products. Your meals should be whole grainy, high protein, and very colorful. And I can’t emphasize enough, those greens! Kale is exceptional for calcium. Okra is exceptional for childbirth prep and is very amazing. Whole grains will keep you regular. I  POOP 3 TIMES A DAY DURING PREGNANCY. They tell you constipation is ‘normal’, but it is not.

Hugs and baby blessings,

Breeze

I am not a doctor or practitioner of medicine. Please consult your doctor before attempting any of these suggestions. This is what worked for me, as each person is different.

Hood Health, Animal Defense, Feminist Ethics of Care

This video reviews the books that are adding to my epistemological foundation of intersections of animals, veganism, and critical race feminism. password to video is “hoodhealth”

(1) Carol J. Adam’s  Neither Man Nor Beast: Feminism and the Defense of Animals

(2) C’BS Alife Allah and Supreme Understanding’s The Hood Health Handbook: A Practical Guide to Health and Wellness in the Urban Community (Volume One)

Harper’s “whiteness and speciesism” essay in forthcoming book: Sister Species

New book coming out in June 2011 that I have contributed an essay to. My essay looks at intersections of whiteness and speciesism, as well as the necessity to engage in questions of white privilege within mainstream animal rights USA.

The book is called Sister Species: Women, Animals, and Social Justice edited by Lisa A. Kemmerer. It’s available for pre-order through Amazon.com. I am excited about this book since the ‘scholarly’ books that represent the philosophies of animal rights are dominated by mostly white male academics. This book has a racially and ethnically diverse body of contributors.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO PRE-ORDER FROM AMAZON

 

From Amazon, here is the Product Description:

Sister Species: Women, Animals, and Social Justice addresses interconnections between speciesism, sexism, racism, and homophobia, clarifying why social justice activists in the twenty-first century must challenge intersecting forms of oppression. This anthology presents bold and grippingosometimes horrifyingopersonal narratives from fourteen activists who have personally explored links of oppression between humans and animals, including such exploitative enterprises as cockfighting, factory farming, vivisection, and the bushmeat trade. Sister Species asks readers to rethink how they view “others,” how they affect animals with their daily choices, and how they might bring change for all who are abused. The astonishing honesty of these contributors demonstrates with painful clarity why every woman should be an animal activist and why every animal activist should be a feminist. Contributors are Carol J. Adams, Tara Sophia Bahna-James, Karen Davis, Elizabeth Jane Farians, Hope Ferdowsian, Linda Fisher, Twyla Francois, Christine Garcia, A. Breeze Harper, Sangamithra Iyer, Pattrice Jones, Lisa Kemmerer, Allison Lance, Ingrid Newkirk, Lauren Ornelas, and Miyun Park. Lisa Kemmerer, associate professor of philosophy and religion at Montana State University, Billings, is an artist, activist, and wilderness adventurer who has travelled the world extensively. She is the author of In Search of Consistency: Ethics and Animals and Curly Tails & Cloven Hooves, a poetry chapbook. (Source: http://www.amazon.com/Sister-Species-Animals-Social-Justice/dp/025207811X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292018808&sr=8-1)

Interrogating whiteness, geopolitical privilege, and consumption philosophy of “cruelty-free” products

Hot off the press is my new essay in the peer reviewed journal, Journal of Critical Animal Studies. The Title and abstract are below. You can click on the link after to access to journal.

Title: Race as a “Feeble Matter” in Veganism: Interrogating whiteness, geopolitical privilege, and consumption philosophy of “cruelty-free” products
Amie Breeze Harper

Abstract
Within the context of feminist geography, racial politics, and consumption studies, I have observed that mainstream vegan outreach models and top selling vegan-oriented books rarely, if ever, acknowledge the differing socio-historically racialized epistemologies among non-white racial groups. There is an underlying assumption among the white middle class mainstream vegan media that racialization and the production of vegan spaces are disconnected. However, space, vegan or not, is raced and simultaneously sexualized and gendered directly affecting individuals and place identities. Racialized places and spaces are at the foundation of how we develop our socio-spatial epistemologies; hence, these epistemologies are racialized. This paper will explore examples of how epistemologies of whiteness manifest within vegan rhetoric in the USA, and explain why a “post-racial” approach to vegan activism must be replaced by an anti-racist and color-conscious praxis.

Select Vol. VIII No. 3 from Link: http://www.criticalanimalstudies.org/cas-publications/journal-for-critical-animal-studies/about-jcas/

Sistah Vegan in Munich, Reading List Part II

Below is my new video of what I’m reading in Munich Germany, where I’ll be for the summer. I wanted to talk about the current books that are shaping my consciousness around food, critical race theory, veganism, and feminisms.

By Any Greens Necessary

Obamistan! Land Without Racism

Food of Bodhisattvas: Buddhist Teachins on Abstaining from Meat

Pedagogies of Crossin: Meditations on Feminism, Sexual Politics, Memory, and the Sacred

By Any Greens Necessary: A Revolutionary Guide for Black Women Who Want to Eat Great, Get Healthy, Lose Weight, and Look Phat

Sistah Vegan Talks: Food, Critical Race, Black Feminist Reading List

People ask me what I read as a PhD Candidate working on my dissertation that looks at critical race theory, black feminisms, and critical food studies. Well, here it is in 10 minutes to give you an idea of what I read to develop my work and consciousness!

Sistah Vegan Book and Events Calendar

April 5, 2010: Inspirasoul Blog Talk Radio: “Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans on Food, Identity, Health & Society”

Location: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/inspirasoul/2010/04/05/sistah-vegan-black-female-vegans-on-food-identity-

Time: 10:00 AM PST/1:00 PM PST

Talk/Interview: Breeze Harper will be interviewed for an hour about her book and research work. This will be a Live show, so the audience is invited to call in at 347-205-9904

April 8, 2010: Berkeley CA Sistah Vegan Book Release Celebration, Talk, and Signing with Breeze Harper.

Location: Guerilla Cafe, 1620 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley CA. Time: 7-9pm. Books available for purchase.

April 10, 2010: San Francisco GreenFest. 2-3pm Talk: “Grub and Eco-Politics”.

Go to: http://www.greenfestivals.org/speaker-directory/san-francisco-spring-2010/a.-breeze-harper/

April 14, 2010: Earthsave Radio Interview with Caryn Hartglass (host)

Location: http://www.earthsave.org/radio.html Time : 12-1pm PST.

Talk: Breeze Harper will be interviewed about Sistah Vegan and the work she is doing as a PhD Candidate at UC Davis, focusing on intersections of critical race and vegan studies.

April 15, 2010: OAKLAND , CA PREMIERE OF SISTAH VEGAN BOOK

Location: AK Press 674-A 23rd St., Oakland CA 94612. 7-9pm

Talk: “Sistah Vegan: Breeze Harper Talks About the Intersection of Critical Race and Food Studies.” Book will be available for purchase and she will be signing.

URL: http://www.revolutionbythebook.akpress.org/sistah-vegan-breeze-harper-speaks-on-the-intersection-of-critical-race-food-studies/

April 17, 2010: “The Future of Health Care: Eat Well, Be Well” Holistic Health Conference at San Francisco State University

Location: San Francisco State University, San Francisco CA. Jack Adams Halls, Cesar Chavez Student Center. 1130am- 12:45pm.

Talk: Vegetarian, Vegan, and Raw Diets- Benefits and Concerns (Breeze Harper and Dr. Will Tuttle)

April 29, 2010: “Breeze Harper Book Talk and Signing of Sistah Vegan“

Time: 6:00 pm – 7:30pm

Location: Cafe Gratitude, 1730 Shattuck Avenue Berkeley, CA 94709 (415) 824-4652 http://www.cafegratitude.com/

May 1-2, 2010: Farm Sanctuary’s Annual “Hoe Down”.

Location: Orland, CA. Farm Sanctuary.

Talk: “A Compassionate Talk About Normative Whiteness in Veganism.”

URL: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/farm/calendar/ca_hoedown/speakers.html

Free Sistah Vegan Book Winner Results

(Source: http://www.steinerbooks.org/images/large/9781590561454.jpg)

Winner: Cy

These were all thoughtful entries and it was quite hard to make a decision, but I finally decided on Cy’s short essay which is below:

Cy xyzahira@gmail.com 96.224.231.121

2010/03/14 at 9:05pm My veganism originally emerged from a health-centered perspective due to necessity and my family health history as a woman of color. Today I struggle with economic and racial barriers to healthy food. Where I live, in the tri-state area, extremely high housing expenses affect how easily I and many others can access healthy, fresh, organic foods. There is too much of a correlation between high income, whiteness, safety and fresh, high-quality foods. Having lived in neighborhoods on frontier of gentrification, I have come in close contact with the contrast. One subway stop can mean the difference between overpriced overly processed pseudo-foods at C-Town and organic fruits, veggies and fresh salads at a local co-op. I find some refuge in Caribbean areas where the beauty and richness of island bounty peeks its head out in Coconut water and Mangos being sold from street crates in the summer. These experiences inspire and expand my energy and commitment to being creative and pioneering new ways of accessing healthy vegan foods without having to double my income, bleach my skin or rent a luxury apartment in the East Village. It also shapes the lives of those I am in contact with even through simple acts like inviting guests over for dinner or juice, or bringing a grapefruit to a friend when she’s sick. Pioneering (raw) veganism within my community will ultimately have a greater impact and expand the geography of healthy living to transcend many of the boundaries it presently faces.

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I am going to give away ONE free signed copy of Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans Speak on Food, Identity, Health & Society. If you would like to be considered for this, please answer this essay question in 250 words or less and POST it on this blog.

Sistah Vegan project was created to tackle the question of the racialized experience within veganism, with an emphasis on people who identify as black women. Give an example of how issues of race (racialization, anti-racism, ‘whiteness as the norm,’ racial formation or colorism) and veganism intersect(ed) in YOUR own lived experience.

Deadline: April 1, 2010.

Winner Announcement : April 5, 2010. Check back here at this blog to see if your essay was selected!