Press Release: BVSNY Participates in NYC's First Veggie Pride Parade

For Immediate Release:

Press Contact

NAkisha Henry
Communications Director
718-362-9552 or nakisha[at]bvsny.org



The Black Vegetarian Society of New York Participates in Veggie Pride Parade


New York, NY May 9, 2008 - The Black Vegetarian Society of New York (BVSNY) will participate in the first US-based Veggie Pride Parade in New York City on May 18, 2008. Originally conceived in Paris, France in 2001, BVSNY hopes its participation in the parade will show that vegetarianism is not just a European/Western ‘fringe diet’ but a delicious and holistic lifestyle which can assist in managing and preventing disease.

"BVSNY sees plant-based diets as part of a new revolution - reclaiming the body from our slave food legacy to build a healthy future. We want Black New Yorkers to know this way of living is for them," says Melissa D. Haile, Executive Director of The Black Vegetarian Society of New York. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 52% of Black women and 31% of Black men are overweight or obese. Obesity is a known factor in a number of chronic conditions such as diabetes and certain cancers, conditions that disproportionately affect Black Americans.

The parade kicks off at 12 noon in the Meat Packing District and ends at Washington Square Park. BVSNY will be in the exhibitor’s area with literature on vegetarianism as well as information on how to join. For more information about The Black Vegetarian Society of New York, please visit http://www.bvsny.org/. Information about the Veggie Pride Parade can be obtained at http://www.veggieprideparade.org/.

The Black Vegetarian Society of New York is a statewide, non-profit, member-based organization offering a culturally relevant and holistic approach to plant-based nutrition and lifestyles. Our organization seeks to fill the gaps that exist in our communities; particularly in meeting and addressing the concerns of chronic and degenerative diseases that communities of color are disproportionately affected by such has high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.

-end-