My name is Kiya. I am from Long Island, NY and December 31st will be three years since I have stopped eating meat. This journey has shaped the entire purpose of my YouTube channel and Instagram page called Vegans And Ventures. The platform’s purpose is to show all things vegan, where I can learn and teach others.
This is actually my second time taking a vegan journey. The first time was in high school when my teacher (who was vegan) showed the class a video on how they make the meat we eat. Seeing the process made my heart weak and right after that class, I stopped eating meat for three months.
Looking back, I didn’t know what I was doing because I went pescatarian and didn’t even know anything about it. I didn’t even know anything about the term vegan or vegetarian - I just knew I couldn’t eat the meat after seeing that video. This time, I ended up on the journey because my cousin started her journey and asked me to do it with her. So, in December 2017, I started again.
This journey has taught me so much. I am learning how to understand my body. I can literally be hungry or weak, but I understand my body wants greens like avocado or even fruits, and once I eat it my body feels rejuvenated and full on energy. It has taught me things about fruits that I never knew, like some fruits can be used to generate electrical currents.
This journey has also made me look more into my own community as far as why being vegan is considered a “white thing”, which I had kind of agreed with considering when I first started my journey I knew nothing about it. This time around, I feel like it is not just a “white thing”, but a human thing. I’ve met so many beautiful black vegans with their own businesses thats either work from their homes or have an official space. I feel like the Black vegan community has not only been discovered (because its been here for a while), but I feel like it is expanding. Social media has a huge impact on this generation. Therefore, in July 2019, I asked my friend Josh to help me start making YouTube videos where we go to vegan restaurants to promote healthy eating.
I also wanted viewers to see that vegan food is right in our neighborhoods and it is made by OUR people. I want people’s minds to be blown and expanded just like mine was while I was on this journey. I personally don’t plan to go back to eating meat because the growth that I’ve experienced mentally, physically, and spiritually has only encouraged me to continue.
Web Pages:
YouTube:Vegans and Ventures
IG: @VegansAndVentures
