In honor of Black History Month, we thank the Black vegan activists dedicated to building an inclusive, equitable movement for all. From athletes proving we don’t need animal protein to be strong to activists fighting for accessibility, each of these remarkable people brings something vital to the table.

And though the list could be much longer, here are twelve inspiring Black vegan activists:

Aph Ko

In 2017, sisters Aph and Syl Ko released their book of essays on pop culture, feminism, and black veganism, Aphro-ism. This groundbreaking work is integral to the future of the animal rights movement. It discusses the animalization of Black bodies and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and understanding interconnected oppressions. Aph is also a digital media producer and the founder of Black Vegans Rock.

Dr. A Breeze Harper

Founder of the Sistah Vegan Project and creator and editor of Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans Speak On Food, Identity, Health, and Society, Dr. A. Breeze Harper addresses the intersections of race, class, health, parenting and veganism. Be sure to support her upcoming third book: Black Mama Scholar: On Black Feminism, Food Ethics, and Toddler Tantrums.

Danni McGhee

Danni McGhee, a plant-based nutrition coach, shares DAM Good Vegan food throughout the Washington, DC metro area. Her Jamaican mother and grandmother instilled in her a love of homemade food cooked with fresh ingredients. In 2015 Danni started her company, DAM Good Vegan. She offers online courses, personal coaching and cooking demos to make the transition to vegan eating simple and affordable. Learn more about what motivates Danni in her TryVeg interview.

Tracye McQuirter

Tracye is a 30+ year vegan, public health nutritionist, and author of By Any Greens Necessary and Ageless Vegan. In partnership with Farm Sanctuary, she authored the African American Vegan Starter Guide, available to download for free at TryVeg.com.

Grey

Grey, one of the hottest emerging artists at the intersection of activism, urban style and hip-hop, is a growing Atlanta institution in his own right. He became one of the most talked about acts of 2016 after his Vegan Thanksgiving freestyle took the internet by storm. He continues to stay involved in the vegan community, emceeing the 2017 DC VegFest. Plus, check out his clothing line launched with partner Chef Nikki: Plant Based Drippin.

Tambra Raye Stevenson

Tambra Raye Stevenson, founder of NativSol Kitchen and WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture, empowers women to create healthy, ethical food systems. This initiative includes a children’s book, Where’s Wanda?, which aims to cultivate the next generation of women leaders for food justice.

Torre Washington

Professional bodybuilder Torre Washington proves that you don’t need animal protein to be strong. Vegan since 1998, he’s been featured in various fitness and vegan media outlets, spreading his fitness and lifestyle ideology. Check out one of his amazing guides to vegan fitness.

Jessica Carter

Vegan influencer and activist Jessica Carter is committed to making plant-based eating more accessible for all. She hosts cooking demos, develops online training and multimedia content, and collaborates with other vegans. Her recipes have been featured on FOX45 Baltimore, Let’s Talk Live and Good Morning Washington.

Brenda Sanders

Based in Baltimore, MD, Brenda Sanders is on a mission to make a healthy and ethical diet more accessible for everyone. She founded and runs the Afro-Vegan Society and Thrive Baltimore, and also co-created groundbreaking outreach program Vegan SoulFest.

Genesis Butler

At age ten, Genesis became the youngest ever TEDx speaker when she gave her inspiring talk on healing the planet through vegan eating. Now, she advocates for animals through speaking engagements and social media, and has started her own foundation, Genesis For Animals. We caught up with her in 2018–check out the interview on TryVeg.com.

Seba Johnson

Vegan from birth, Seba Johnson is an Olympic skier and activist. The world’s first black female to ski in the Olympics, she has overcome many barriers, including being disqualified from a race for refusing to wear a piece of leather equipment. Learn more about Seba’s journey in her video with Switch4Good: athletes building a dairy-free future.

Jasmine C. Leyva

A black actress and filmmaker, Jasmine is behind The Invisible Vegan, a new documentary that explores her personal journey to veganism as well as the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle for the African-American community.