Food Justice Activist

2023

Here's what happened at Vegan Soul Fest with Founders Naijha Wright-Brown and Brenda Sanders
(Brown Vegan Podcast with Monique Koch, 8/26/23)
Join them at the next Vegan SoulFest. Follow Naijha on Instagram. Follow Brenda on Instagram

International Women's Day shout out and other news (Freedom of Species, 3/12/23)
International Women's Day is recognised each year on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence against women. 3CR Radical Radio has a long history of supporting IWD by hosting 24 hour broadcasting by women and non-binary people. On this show we discuss some inspirational women who are animal rights advocates and strive for collective liberation. We also discuss some other animal-related news.  We acknowledge the work of Brenda Sanders who founded the Afro-Vegan Society and works tirelessly in food justice and sharing knowledge about healthy vegan living. Here's Brenda's profile with the Unbound Project. Learn more about the Afro-Vegan Society here.
 
2022

Black vegans celebrate Black History Month by focusing on food justice, animal rights & making vegan living accessible to all (Your Call Hosted by Rose Aguilar, 2/7/23)
On this edition of Your Call, we celebrate Black History Month by speaking with Black vegan activists about Veguary, a month long event that encourages people to try vegan living. and highlights the contributions of Black vegan history, culture, and progress. Civil rights leaders made some of the earliest connections between systemic racial violence and animal cruelty. Today, Black people are the fastest growing population of new vegans. How are Black vegans working to ensure that communities of color and poor communities have access to healthy food? Guests: Gwenna Hunter, founder of Vegans of LA; Brenda Sanders, executive director of Afro Vegan Society, and co-founder of Vegan SoulFest, and Thrive Baltimore.

2022

Community Organizing with Brenda Sanders (In Context with Pattrice Jones, 6/15/22)
Brenda Sanders is a founder of Afro-Vegan Society and Greener Kitchen. She is an organizer of Vegan Soul Fest, a 3-day music and vegan food festival in Baltimore, coming up August 19-21, 2022.
 
2021
 
The Greener Kitchen, Brenda Sanders, and Vegan Delis (Believe in Baltimore, 11/15/21)
Pastors Tom and Billy interview Brenda Sanders of The Greener Kitchen), a plant-based cooperative kitchen, vegan food distributor, deli, and caterer.
 
Bringing Vegan to Baltimore: A Conversation with Food Justice Activist (Herd Around the Barn, 7/20/21)
Meet powerhouse Brenda Sanders, a Baltimore food justice activist, bringing veganism to her community and beyond. Kathy and Brenda discuss:
 
Brenda Sanders-Thrive Baltimore & Afro-Vegan Society (iEat Green with Bhavani Jaroff, 2/11/21)
Brenda Sanders is a vegan food justice activist in Baltimore City who Co-Founded Thrive Baltimore, a community resource center that offers 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."
 
Veguary: Brenda Sanders on Afro-Vegan Society’s Exciting New Campaign (Animal Voices, 2/5/21)
Our featured guest for this show is Brenda Sanders, a food justice activist from Baltimore, Maryland who promotes veganism to address environmental racism, health disparities, food access, and animal rights issues. Brenda is the founder and president of Afro-Vegan Society. The society’s brand new “Veguary” campaign is underway right now! February is Black History Month and Veguary - Veguary is a free month-long pledge campaign encouraging people to commit to vegan living during the month of February.  This campaign is purposefully situated in the month of February — Black History Month in the United States — to highlight the contributions of Black trailblazers and the many benefits of vegan living.In our feature interview, Brenda shares details on the many perks and resources included when you sign up for Veguary, as well as some of the rich history of plant-based eating and veganism across the African diaspora.|

Brenda Sanders, Veguary (It's All About Food with Caryn Hartglass, 2/2/21)
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.

2019
 
Brenda Sanders on Making Veganism Accessible to Black Communities and Using It to Help Overcome Race-Based Oppression (Animal Voices, 9/20/19) This show features an interview with powerhouse activist Brenda Sanders, founder and executive director of the Afro-Vegan Society and several other vegan food justice organizations in the Baltimore area.

EPISODE 483 (Our Hen House, 4/13/19)
"Brenda Sanders returns to the podcast to talk with Jasmin about The Greener Kitchen, Vegan SoulFest, and why creating an affordable, accessible plant-based food system is vital to vegan activism. (14:30)
 
2018
 
EPISODE 162: Vegan Food Justice W/ Brenda Sanders (The Bearded Vegans, 12/12/18)
"This week The Bearded Vegans continue their winter break interview series with the prolific vegan food justice activist Brenda Sanders. Having founded or co-founded The Afro Vegan Society, Thrive Vegan Community Center, The Greener Kitchen/PEP Foods, Better Health Better Life and Vegan Soulfest, we aren’t entirely sure how Brenda finds the time in the day to get everything done but we are thankful she took some time out of her busy schedule to sit down and talk with us. We discuss her journey to veganism, why health-motivated veganism can be considered a revolutionary act within marginalized communities, negative experiences in the mainstream animal rights movement, building local community and much much more!
 
2017

Sound Bites: Maryland Bills on Hunger & Pollution | Afro-Veganism (The Marc Steiner Show, 2/9/17)
We close the show with a conversation on Afro-veganism. With: Heru, owner of the GruB Factory; and Brenda Sanders, Executive Director of the Better Health Better Life Organization, Co-organizer of The Vegan SoulFest, and one of the Directors of Open the Cages Alliance. Baltimore Vegan Weekend takes place February 17-19, 2017. You can participate in the Vegan Food Crawl, the Mac ‘n Cheese Smackdown, the Vegan Pizza Fest and more! For more information visit the Facebook page or call 443-219-7971.

2016

Intersectionality Interview 6 - Brenda Sanders (ARZone, 9/2/16)
Episode 6 features Brenda Sanders, a food justice activist in Baltimore City who has dedicated her life to fighting for vulnerable populations. As a community organizer, Brenda has coordinated events like The Vegan Living Program - an annual 6-week vegan education program, Eating for Life - a plant-based cooking workshop, Vegan SoulFest - a festival that celebrates culture and the vegan lifestyle, and she’s a founding member of PEP Foods - a vegan food collective bringing affordable vegan food to marginalized communities in Baltimore. Brenda promotes veganism in her social justice work because it addresses health disparities, environmental destruction and animal exploitation while giving individuals the ability to effect real, positive change in the world.
 
Brenda Sanders (iEat Green with Bhavani Jaroff, 08/18/16)
Brenda Sanders is a food justice activist in Baltimore City who has dedicated her life to fighting for vulnerable populations. As a community organizer, Brenda has coordinated events like The Vegan Living Program, an annual 6-week vegan education program, Eating for Life, a plant-based cooking workshop and Vegan SoulFest, a festival that celebrates culture and the vegan lifestyle. Brenda promotes veganism in her social justice work because it's a lifestyle that addresses health issues, environmental destruction and animal abuse while giving individuals the ability to effect real, positive change in the world.

Sound Bites: The 300 Pound Vegan and a Seasonal Recipe (The Marc Steiner Show, 8/18/16)
We have our weekly installment of Sound Bites. The first segment of Sound Bites will have a guest host Denzel Mitchell, a Baltimore City resident, educator and farmer. Denzel speaks with Brenda Sanders, Executive Director of the Better Health Better Life organization and co-director of the Vegan Soulfest, Greg Brown, Co-owner and founder of Land of Kush, and David Carter, former NFL player Food justice and animal rights activist. The Vegan Soulfest is Saturday, August 20 at BCCC (2901 Liberty Heights Avenue) from 12pm-7:00pm.

Vegan Living (Connect the Dots, 08/17/16)
Vegan Living: Brenda Sanders, food justice activist in Baltimore City will discuss vegan living and her work to improve access to healthy foods in low-income communities, in conversation with Alison Rose Levy.
 
Brenda Sanders, Better Health, Better Life (It's All About Food with Caryn Hartglass, 8/16/16)
Brenda Sanders is a food justice activist in Baltimore City who has dedicated her life to fighting for vulnerable populations. As a community organizer, Brenda has coordinated events like The Vegan Living Program, an annual 6-week vegan education program, Eating for Life, a plant-based cooking workshop and Vegan SoulFest, a festival that celebrates culture and the vegan lifestyle. Brenda promotes veganism in her social justice work because it’s a lifestyle that addresses health disparities, environmental destruction and animal abuse and gives individuals the ability to effect real, positive change in the world.
 
Consequences of DOJ Report and FOP Report (The Marc Steiner Show, 8/15/16)
Our entire two-hour show will consider the consequences of the DOJ Report on Baltimore Police that will require mandated reforms. Our panel will examine the community role in police reform and what are some of the alternative models for public safety. We also discuss protests against the FOP that happened in Baltimore this weekend. Our guests will include: Todd Oppenheim, public defender and former candidate for judge in the Baltimore City Circuit Court; Michaela Duchess Brown, head of communications for Bmore Bloc; Doug Ward, Director of Johns Hopkins University’s Division of Public Safety Leadership; Tara Huffman, Director of the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program for OSI-Baltimore; and Brenda Sanders, Co-organizer of the Vegan Soul Fest and Executive Director of the Better Health Better Life organization.

Sound Bites: Vegan SoulFest / Clean Energy Jobs Act (The Marc Steiner Show, 8/11/16)
We have the latest episode of our series on our food and our world, Sound Bites. We begin the hour with a preview of the third annual Vegan Soul Fest! With: Brenda Sanders, Co-organizer of the Vegan Soul Fest, Executive Director of the Better Health Better Life organization, and one of the Directors of Open the Cages Alliance; Naijha Wright, Co-organizer of the Vegan Soul Fest, Co-owner of Land of Kush restaurant, and Executive Director of the Black Vegetarian Society of Maryland. The third annual Vegan Soul Fest is happening Saturday, Aug. 20 from noon to 7 p.m. on the BCCC Liberty campus, 2901 Liberty Heights Ave. in Baltimore. For more information about the festival, VeganSoulFest.com.

EPISODE 326  (Our Hen House, 4/9/16)
"featuring Brenda Sanders, whose multi-organizational work in Baltimore is changing countless lives."

2015

Food Security & Veganism Grows in Baltimore with Food Activist Brenda Sanders, (A Better World, 10/21/15)
The subject of food and food insecurity across America is of increasing discussion as the economic disparity continues to increase. Yet, in one of the more economically unjust areas in the country, Baltimore, MD, another stream that is building community around health and nutrition, veganism and food security is growing. The interest in learning about building and sustaining health is on the upswing. Mitchell will discuss the actions on the ground in Baltimore’s inner city with Food Justice Activist Brenda Sanders who is among a number of community organizers and activists leading the way in Baltimore. As Executive Director of the Better Health, Better Life organization, Brenda conducts educational workshops, urban garden building and other community-based programs to address issues of food insecurity and health disparities that exist in low income Baltimore communities. This work in Baltimore is quickly becoming a model for other cities across the country. Join us for an exciting conversation about this incredibly important subject that is coming to help thousands of people.

Sound Bites: Bottled Water | Vegan Soul Fest (The Marc Steiner Show, 9/3/15)
We’re joined by two of the organizers of this year’s Vegan Soul Fest: Brenda Sanders, Executive Director of the Better Health Better Life organization and one of the directors of Open the Cages Alliance, an ani mal advocacy organization in Baltimore that hosts the annual Vegan Living Program and does solidarity organizing with other social justice movements including Save The Kids and Black Lives Matter; and Naijha Wright, co-owner of Land of Kush.
 
Veganism and Animal Sentience (Part 2): Interview with Brenda Sanders and Naijha Wright (The Marc Steiner Show,  6/18/15)
Part two of our conversation on veganism and animal sentience, with: Brenda Sanders, Executive Director of the Better Health Better Life organization, co-organizer of the Vegan Soul Fest, and a Director of Open the Cages Alliance, an animal advocacy organization in Baltimore that hosts the annual Vegan Living Program; and Naijha Wright, co-Owner of Land of Kush Restaurant and co-organizer of the Vegan SoulFest.

Are Animals Sentient Beings? (Part 1): Interview with Brenda Sanders and Naijha Wright (The Marc Steiner Show, 6/4/15)
A question for meat eaters and vegetarians alike: Are Animals Sentient Beings? With two vegan leaders in our community: Brenda Sanders, Executive Director of the Better Health Better Life organization, Co-organizer of the Vegan Soul Fest and a Director for Open the Cages Alliance, an animal advocacy organization in Baltimore; and Naijha Wright, Co-Owner of Land of Kush Restaurant and Co-organizer of the Vegan Soul Fest.
 
Sound Bites: Vegan Living Program (The Marc Steiner Show, 3/24/15)
In our latest segment of Sound Bites, our series about our food and our world, we begin with a look at a free 6-session Vegan Living Program that begins this weekend at Mt. Royal Elementary School in Baltimore. With: Brenda Sanders, Executive Director of Better Health Better Life.
 
2014

Brenda Sanders, Naijha Wright, and Greg Brown Discuss Afro-Veganism & Baltimore’s Vegan SoulFest (The Marc Steiner Show, 10/22/14)
Listen to our conversation on Afro-Veganism and hear a sneak preview of an exciting and delicious festival taking place this weekend in Baltimore: Vegan SoulFest! The free event features vegan food, nutrition experts, vegan cooking demonstrations and more. Joining us to talk about the festival and about Afro-Veganism are: Brenda Sanders, Executive Director of the Better Health Better Life organization and co-organizer of the Vegan SoulFest; Naijha Wright, co-owner of Land of Kush vegan soul food restaurant and co-organizer of the Vegan SoulFest; and Greg Brown, co-owner and founder of Land of Kush restaurant.

Interview w/ Brenda Sanders & Naijha Wright Brown of Vegan SoulFest (Go Vegan Radio with Bob Linden, 10/9/14)
"Organizers of Saturday’s VEGAN SOULFEST in Baltimore, NAIJHA WRIGHT, co-owner of Land of Kush restaurant, and BRENDA SANDERS, Open the Cages Alliance & the Vegan Living Program, discuss the event and veganism in the Baltimore area + holistic nutrition and wellness consultant RUBY LATHON, former Nutrition Policy Manager for PCRM, who will be speaking at VEGAN SOULFEST."