Afro-Vegan Society's "Plant Power to the People!" celebration of UN World Food Day is tomorrow, October 16th. We're hosting a free online event exploring approaches to addressing food insecurity and access to nutrient-rich plant foods in our communities. We've got an amazing line-up of plant-based medical professionals, health and wellness experts, and food justice activists presenting on virtual panels and cooking demos throughout the day! Keep reading to learn more about their work and how you can connect with them.
You can register for the event today HERE and read more about the presenters you'll have a chance to learn from below.
Dr. Judy Brangman, MD, is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician. Dr. Brangman obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from Wake Forest School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency at East Carolina University/Vidant Hospital. She is also certified in Lifestyle Medicine by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and holds a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. Dr. Brangman is the CEO and founder of Newell Health, a lifestyle medicine practice, where she offers virtual consultations in addition to wellness programs. Dr. Brangman also works as a hospitalist in the Raleigh area. Dr. Brangman is known on social media as The Plant Based MD. Dr. Judy’s goal is to inspire others to be the best version of themselves inside and out so they can walk in their God given purpose. She believes that in order to fully live the life you were intended to live on this earth, you need to be in good health (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). She is originally from Bermuda and currently resides in Raleigh, NC.
Connect with Dr. Judy
Website: https://theplantbasedmd.com/
Dr. Qadira Huff is a Washington, DC native who has been mostly plant-based since birth. She is a Pediatrician and Lifestyle Medicine Physician who focuses on whole plant foods and uplifting daily regimens to promote healthy lifestyles for families. Dr. Qadira is a proud wife, mother, and founder of online educational platform Sprouting Wellness (sproutingwellness.com).
Brooklynne Palmer is a vegan medical student and content creator (@beetsbybrooke) passionate about bringing awareness of the impact that food, mental health, culture and more have on overall wellbeing. With additional education such as her master of public health in the process, she aims to explore social determinants of health and create a more welcoming online health
Community.
With over 15 years of experience in the public health industry, Dr. Tionna Jenkins has been responsible for directing and successfully leading organizations to new levels of growth and sustainable impact. Dr. Jenkins develops and advises on social impact initiatives, policies and procedures, providing technical guidance to health programs, applying expertise in disparities, equity, inclusion, underserved, and poverty issues and has worked with and alongside global, national and state initiatives.
With her personal lifestyle change of losing over 80 pounds, she founded Plate It Healthy with Dr. Tionna Jenkins, a holistic wellness company that uses its platform to educate and consult on behavior change, policy and practice for both organizations, communities and individuals regarding wellness, plant-based inclusion and food systems.
She earned a Ph.D. in public policy from the University of Arkansas, a Master’s of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and a Bachelor’s of Science (B.S.) from Philander Smith College. She also holds a non-profit graduate certification from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and certifications from both T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell University (New York) and Emory University (Georgia) in plant-based nutrition and diabetes management.
Connect with Dr. Jenkins
Instagram: @drtionnajenkins
Facebook: @PlateItHealthy
YouTube: PlateItHealthy
Website: www.plateithealthy.com
Email: info@plateithealthy.com
Jessica Carter is a vegan recipe developer and wellness educator on a mission to make plant-based eating more accessible for everyone. She is Director of Programming at Afro-Vegan Society, where she creates, curates, and coordinates digital workshops and resources that highlight how plant-based living can improve the health, environment and communities of people of African descent. She created her plant-powered brand, Love Vegan Soul, to explore global flavors, ingredients, and plant-based traditions. Jessica creates simple and delicious vegan dishes, recipe videos, and conducts cooking demos and wellness workshops across the country - virtually and in-person - to help people make more sustainable and nourishing food and lifestyle choices. Her recipes have been featured on FOX45 Baltimore, Let’s Talk Live, and Good Morning Washington.
She received her Bachelor's Degree in African American Studies from Ohio University in 2009 and her Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate in March 2019 through the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.
Connect with Jessica
YouTube Channel: Love Vegan Soul
Cooking Demos: Watch here!
Website: lovevegansoul@gmail.com
Instagram: @love.vegan.soul
Eugene Cooke is an American-born father of four, descended from Indigenous farmers and African refugees. His unique perspective is based on 20 years of growing food in urban areas, as well as work-study abroad in Africa, Jamaica, and Haiti.
He is a founding member of Grow Where You Are, a collective dynamic full-service social enterprise in the field of local food systems. Grow Where You Are partners with organizations and individuals to bring food abundance to communities who value real food. They design, install, and maintain multiple public and private spaces where food is produced using organic and natural principles. They have trained residents in this dynamic form of urban agriculture for over ten years. They partner with organizations, institutions and individuals to plant fruit orchards, develop farms and assist in ecological restoration in areas that enhance the health, economics, and environmental benefits by creating local food abundance systems.
Connect with Eugene
Website: https://www.growwhereyouare.farm/
lauren Ornelas is the Founder and President of Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.), a vegan food justice nonprofit that seeks to create a more just world by helping consumers recognize the power of their food choices. F.E.P. works in solidarity with farm workers, advocates for chocolate not sourced from the worst forms of child labor, and focuses on access to healthy foods in Black & Brown communities and low-income areas. Watch her TEDx talk on The Power of Our Food Choices. Learn more about F.E.P.’s work at www.foodispower.org, www.veganmexicanfood.com, and www.veganfilipinofood.com.
Jo'Vonna Johnson-Cooke is owner and co-founder of MaituFoods, LLC, a vegan meal delivery service and vegan nutrition education hub. Through MaituFoods, she is working to develop culturally appropriate and accessible educational materials that highlight the benefit of healthy nutrition through a vegan diet. The MaituFoods’ Mother’s Meal Program works to provide women, especially those in modest means households, with the knowledge and guidance to achieve a healthy pregnancy and optimal postpartum recovery through a vegan meal and nutrition program.
The overall mission of MaituFoods is to honor the art of food rituals, and to serve humanity in a way that promotes the least harm and the most good for people, animals, and the environment. As co-founder of Grow Where You Are, she works with a dynamic team of people committed to local food sovereignty by assisting individuals and communities in creating sustainable plant-based local food systems. Grow Where You Are has transformed numerous urban spaces in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Atlanta by establishing community food gardens & vegetable farms.
Connect with Jo’Vanna
Website: https://www.maitufoods.com/
Brenda Sanders is a vegan food justice activist who Co-Founded Thrive Baltimore, a community resource center that offers free classes, workshops, cooking demos and other programming that supports people in living a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. She’s also Executive Director of Afro-Vegan Society, a nonprofit organization that provides resources to people in marginalized communities to assist them in transitioning to veganism, Co-Creator of Vegan SoulFest, an annual festival that celebrates culture and all aspects of vegan living and Co-Owner of The Greener Kitchen, a vegan deli and food distributor that produces plant-based foods that are both affordable and accessible.
Connect with Brenda
Website: www.brendasanders.info
Instagram: @veganfoodjustice
Twitter: @veganqueenbee
