Tag: Women in Sustainability

Black History Month: A Look Into the History of Black Veganism

I recently attended The Countdown: Exploring the Future of Plant-Centric Food Systems, which featured a session with Tracye McQuirter, a public health nutritionist, plant-based activist, author, and speaker. During the session, McQuirter described how she was moved by Dick Gregory’s speech about the health of African American women over 30 years ago. 

“[Gregory] talked about the politics of food, including why African Americans are often targeted for junk and fast food, along with the lack of availability of healthy foods in low-income communities. He traced the path of a hamburger from a cow at a factory farm through the slaughterhouse, to a fast-food restaurant, to a clogged artery, to a heart attack. I’d never thought about food that way.” 

Here are some resources to learn more about Tracye McQuirter’s work and trailblazers in the Black vegan movements:

  1. By Any Greens Necessary

This book by Tracye McQuirter was a national best-seller that was cited by The New York Times as a key reason for the popular rise of veganism among African Americans during the last decade. 

2. Ageless Vegan

Tracye McQuirter’s second book is a memoir-style cookbook that she wrote with her mother to mark 30 years of their veganism. 

3. 10 Million Black Vegan Women

Tracye McQuirter’s organization aims to help Black women improve their health outcomes through plant-based eating. It provides data and statistics about chronic conditions affecting Black women today, as well as programs that use plant-based nutrition and community support.

4. A Homecoming

In this detailed Eater article, Amirah Mercer highlights the long history of plant-based diets in the Black diaspora, which is often erased by the imagery of veganism propagated by the wellness industry. 

5. Black and vegan: Why so many Black Americans are embracing the plant-based life

Vidya Rao discusses veganism in Black pop culture and highlights the journey of Pinky Cole, a plant-based restaurateur in Atlanta. 

6. Bryant Terry

Bryant Terry is a celebrated cookbook author and has served since 2015 as the chef-in-residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora, in San Francisco. His (beautifully illustrated) books highlight vegetarian and vegan African American cooking, as well as recipes inspired by the African diaspora. Fun fact – Bryant Terry is an NYU alum! 

And here are some of New York City’s Black-Owned Plant-Based businesses to check out:

Listening to Tracye was eye-opening for me. Having grown up in India, I sometimes take access to fresh food for granted, so I wanted to know more about the disparity in food and health that disproportionately affects Black communities. Tracye’s passion and enthusiasm was infectious and inspired me to learn more – I hope this digest inspires you too.

 

– Avani Jalan, Food and Dining Coordinator at NYU Office of Sustainability 

NYU Votes

Inside NYU’s Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy, and Land Use Law

Are you interested in environmental law or policy? In a special interview with Danielle Spiegel-Feld, the Executive Director and an Adjunct Law Professor of the Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy, and Land Use Law, I got the inside scoop on environmental policies, how the NYU community can get involved at the Guarini Center, environmental policies under the current administration, what Danielle’s days look like, and much more. Why didn’t New York City ban plastic bags? You’ll have to keep reading to find out! 

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Design and Sustainability: An NYU Alumna Spotlight

Wendy Barnes who received her Master’s in Real Estate Development from NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate in 2007 explains to current students, “If you are not sure where you are headed, hold on and stay positive- building a career can be a wildly rewarding ride!” A passion in wildlife conservation sparked by her Master’s thesis at NYU, Barnes dives into her creative career path that led her to start a business with sustainability at its core. 

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Microplastics and the Fashion Industry: insights from leading NGOs

For Plastic Free July, the #NYUGreen team has primarily focused on reducing our single-use plastics and supplementing them with accessible alternatives. But as Plastic Free July comes to a close, we want to address other products that can contribute to microplastics and you might just be wearing them!  Read more