Florida A&M’s Green Coalition hosted the “Color of Climate Change,” seminar with Zarakyah Ahmadiel,chairman of the RBG Environmental Restoration Agency, as the guest speaker on Thursday in the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication Lecture Hall. Ahmadiel proved to students that common health issues that afflict African-Americans could be eliminated if they become vegans.
Ahmadiel made a humorous and intellectual presentation about how the black community is the most affected by bad eating habits. One of his main arguments was that people should become vegans in order to decrease their carbon footprint and diminish the global warming phenomena.
“What people do not realize is that many of their diseases are caused by their bad eating decisions. If you go vegan you don’t get fat and rarely get sick,” Ahmadiel said in an attempt to emphasize that a change in diet could decrease the number of hypertension and diabetics episodes in the black community.
After his presentation Ahmadiel advised the FAMU Green Coalition members to create a food-tasting event bringing vegan celebrities such as Erykah Badu and Kanye West.
“Yes, Common is vegan. He goes to our restaurant all the time,” Ahmadiel said to the surprised audience.
Students were not the only ones concerned about changing their eating behavior.
Kwasi Densu, a professor of political science and African American studies, said that the Ahmadiel’s seminar was very enlightening.
” I learned how it is important our relationship with earth and how it is important for black people in general to change in order to survive.”
The FAMU president of the Vegetarian Student Alliance, Joy Dixon, is a proof that when someone has a will changes can be made.
” I became a vegan in 2006 when I watched my grandmother gradually die because of a heart complication and diabetics. I gradually took chicken and fish from my diet and started to read this book called ” Heal Thyself: For Health and Longevity,” by Queen Afua.
Dixon, 24, a first-year public health graduate student from Tampa, explained that VSA “advocates a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, educates others about nutrition and health, including the many vegetarian/vegan food options and serves as a resource for students who desire to improve their diet.
In addition she encouraged students who would like to know more about the organization to becoming a vegan and improving their health should go to their next meeting on Feb 24, on B.L Perry Room 210 at 6:30 p.m.