On Saturday 12th August 2023, Black VegFest will hold the Spread Love 2 Vegan Festival at the Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn, New York, US, from 12 to 7 pm. This free indoor and outdoor event will focus on Black liberation, animal rights, healthier living, and the environment.
Over 75 vegan chefs and cooks will provide top vegan food and leading speakers, such as the famous vegan physician Dr Milton Mills will give talks. There will also be panel discussions on Black food cooperatives, animal liberation, and more.
Francis Peña, an organiser with Black VegFest, said, “At Black VegFest, we are engaging with our people, bringing them in and sharing and learning with each other. This is our power. And we want us, our people, to have that power and take it wherever it needs to go.”
Black VegFest was founded by Omowale Adewale when he found himself not reflected in mostly white vegan festivals and spaces. Grounded in intersectionality, the organisation highlights Black vegan vendors, artists, educators, activists, and community organizers. They support both new and veteran vegans and pay homage to Black August, a month dedicated to honouring freedom fighters and the collective movement against oppression.
In an interview with VegOut, he said “Vegan intersectionality is a safe and effective way to design community protection, love, and justice for all. This country doesn’t know what this looks like because we [revolve around] white supremacy, patriarchy, and ableism. Vegans practising intersectionality support other oppressed sentient beings, not just animals and white people’s purposes. What if we recognized the overlapping of oppression and [fought] to end [all] injustice[s], instead of ignoring some? Folks have experienced this reality at Black VegFest, where we struggle to ensure that folks have a voice + [access to] delicious vegan food.”
