After watching family members suffer serious health consequences from the food they eat, she became frustrated.
Her aunt had multiple amputations from Type 2 diabetes and her grandfather had multiple heart attacks before he died of a heart attack.
She was able to see how limited their choices were due to their financial situation.
She made a decision to do something.
I started Plant-Based on a Budget because I was on a limited income with limited resources to eat healthy, and I saw how many people wanted to eat healthy but didn't know where to start.
The Mexican Japanese American has grown Plant-Based on a Budget into a website with free recipes, meal plans and resources to make it easier to eat plant-based.
There are many factors that can affect the decision to go vegan. It may be over concern for the safety of animals or the impact on the environment. Personal health or food costs may be the reason for others. It is a decision that affects the lifestyles of millions of Americans and often for communities of color.
White Americans are less likely to identify as vegetarian than nonwhite Americans. According to a Gallup Poll from 2020, nonwhite Americans reduce their meat intake at a higher rate than white Americans. The percentage of nonwhite Americans who said they had been eating less meat in the past year was more than the percentage of white Americans.
The number of nonwhite Americans who identify as vegetarian is increasing, according to the founder and executive director of the Black Veg Society.
A lot of the movement towards eating this way is due to the fact that people are dying.
She said it was a public health crisis at the moment.
The growth of vegan activists of color reflects an effort they've been part of and working on for a long time.
Wright-Brown said that everyone thinks this is a new thing.
The term "Ital lifestyle" for eating plant-based is not new.
Aph Ko has been trying to correct the misconception. After hearing that the vegan movement was a white space, Ko wanted to debunk stereotypes about who is vegan.
"When I looked around, all I saw were people of color who were vegan," Ko said.
Ko has spent a lot of time trying to raise awareness about black vegan practices.
After writing an article about the work of 100 Black vegan, she created Black Vegans Rock, a digital space to showcase the diversity and creativity of the Black vegan community.
The media doesn't know that this is a very nuanced, incredibly diverse movement of people who don't do the work the same, don't always agree the same, and there are theorists.
Wright-Brown's cholesterol was high when she first got into this lifestyle.
The founder of the Black Vegetarian Society of Georgia based her efforts on health issues.
The diseases that plague a lot of people of color are lifestyle diseases that are relatively easy to prevent and reverse.
According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death for Black and Latinx people.
Black and Latinx people are more likely to be affected by diabetes. According to research, Black and Latinx populations are less likely to get preventative care and experience problems with diabetes at a higher rate than whites.
The vegan activists of color are trying to promote plant-based eating with an understanding of the small steps people can take to implement the lifestyle.
Everyone isn't going vegan, but if we can get people to think about it for a day, a week, a month, they'll learn.
She believes in progress over perfection for people who want to live a plant based lifestyle.
It doesn't have to be all or nothing, if you make a mistake on purpose or by accident, you can continue changing your habits and get your health back.
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