Follow These Twin Cities Black Vegans

VegNews assembled an awesome list of Black Vegan Instagrammers and I thought we could use a list exclusive to the Twin Cities. Now more than ever, it's important to listen to as well as #amplifymelanatedvoices so if you're in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area and want to support local Black vegans, here's a place to start.

This is not a comprehensive list, so if you know of others to add, please mention them in the comments.

Coco and Lala

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A post shared by CocoandLala (@realcocoandlala) on May 14, 2020 at 9:48am PDT

You can catch this vibrant duo cooking live on Facebook, along with posting other fun videos of things like trying new vegan foods. They also have a radio show on KMOJ called Healthin' It Up with Coco and Lala.

realcocoandlala.com

Keiko's Kitchen

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A post shared by Keiko’s Kitchen LLC (@keikoskitchen) on May 31, 2019 at 1:33pm PDT

Mykela is a young Black entrepreneuer, and she promotes an alkaline diet through her business.

keikoskitchen.com

Vegan Vibes

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A post shared by LaTia Jones (@veganvibes612) on Aug 28, 2019 at 9:07am PDT

LaTia had a few pop ups before the Covid lockdown, and I sadly hadn't been able to attend any of them. Recently, she offered vegan snack bags, so I ordered one and loved it!

ÑYUM

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Let’s try this again shall we? Welcome back to my 2nd page as my 1st was deleted due to a series of unfortunate events but I’ve since been able to move on from that defeat! • • My name is Julia, and I am both the owner and culinary artist for ÑYUM! Cooking for me began at an early age watching my mother prepare Kenyan foods from scratch with plants from her very own garden. She prepared dish with lots of love but also plenty of veggies, meat seen as a side. • • As I grew older I would put different spins on our traditional dishes adding and removing ingredients in order to mimic flavors of other cuisines I had admired such as Southeast Asian, Hispanic, and Italian to name a few! What I found was striking similarities between these cuisines, I could see how one would draw from another and or complement the other. • • It was in 7th grade that I stopped consuming meat and then later on dairy as I realized that it would trigger my eczema. As a result of omitting these very common ingredients, I found it difficult to enjoy food as I had before. Utilizing the cooking skills I’d picked up from home and the inspiration of foods I was once able to indulge on I began to craft plant-based meals that were far from bland but also bold and colorful. • • Years later I’m 100% eczema free, happy, and full! ÑYUM is the expression of years and years of my food, health, and wellness journey that I wish to share with you. Thank you for taking your time to read this long post and join me as I continue on this journey! With plants & love, ÑYUM! 🌱💚

A post shared by Ñ Y U M | plant kitchen 🌱 (@nyumco_) on Sep 16, 2019 at 6:18pm PDT

Julia's food looks so fresh and colorful. If you take a peek at their IG account, you'll see some posts offering each recipes. Try one out, then share it on social media and tag ÑYUM!

Miss Garrett's Vegan Soul

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We ordered some goodies from @missgarrettsvegansoul0717 this week for dinner, and this is the fried cauliflower meal. I’m not sure what the seasoning is but it’s delicious! It comes with a spicy dipping sauce that set my mouth on fire lol. 🥗🥗🥗 The salad was nice & fresh and came with a yummy raspberry dressing. 🥗🥗🥗 They have a @gofundme going to help them move into a physical location (she cooks out of her home right now) so check it out when you get the chance!

A post shared by Laura VZ (@bitesizedbeet) on Oct 11, 2019 at 4:44am PDT

Miss Garrett's doesn't have a physical location, so you have to pick up from her home in northeast Minneapolis. You can tell she makes her food with a lot of love. The Facebook page is much more active than Instagram, so I recommend following there.

Thandisizwe Jackson-Nisan

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A post shared by Vegan Byy Nature (@veganbyynature) on Jun 4, 2020 at 5:11pm PDT

Through Vegan Byy Nature, Thandisizwe offers vegan pop ups, wellness workshops, and other educations events.

Trio Plant-Based

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A post shared by Trio Plant-based (@trioplantbased) on May 29, 2020 at 4:53pm PDT

Trio is Minnesota's only vegan Black-owned restaurant, and owner Louis Hunter has a powerful story. They've been promoting a GoFundMe for a while to help the business stay afloat, and it's grown quickly with recent attention which hopefully means Trio is on its way to thriving.
Read more at bonappetit.com

trioplantbased.com

Carnage the Executioner

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A post shared by Carnage The E⚔️ecutioner (@carnagetheexecutioner) on Aug 27, 2019 at 7:59am PDT

Carnage has been part of the music scene for years, but he recently gained attention from vegans with the release of his music video "Eat to Live." He's a rapper, beatboxer, songwriter... you name it, he can probably do it.

carnagetheexecutioner.com

Bruce Leroy Williams

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A post shared by Legendary Bruce Leroy (@legendarybruce) on Jan 24, 2020 at 5:35pm PST

Bruce is a comedian and digital media specialist, and he organizes 50 day water and vegan challenges. He seems to have endless energy, and you never know what he'll be doing next.

The Stoned Alkali

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A post shared by Rosematic. Alkaline. 🌱⚡️ (@thestonedalkali) on Apr 27, 2020 at 8:24am PDT

The Stoned Alkali was suggested when I posted on Instagram, and I ended up drooling over all of their food pics.

Other resources:

EatOkra helps you find Black-owned restaurants near you.

VegNews Guide to Vegan Black-Owned Businesses

Black-Owned Businesses in the Twin Cities - not vegan specific, but I like that the list includes the arts, retail stores, salons and more

Again, if you have anyone to recommend, please share in the comments!