Welcome to June! I’m excited to announce that this month’s article is “A Homecoming: How I Found Empowerment in the History of Black Veganism,” by Amirah Mercer. Even if you’re not a vegan, you’ll love this piece.

Here’s a quote from the article, which I featured in Issue #277 of The Highlighter:

“Plant-based eating has a long, radical history in Black American culture, preserved by institutions and individuals who have understood the power of food and nutrition in the fight against oppression. In an ideal world, our food would simply be a source of nutrition and fuel for the body, not a political statement. But four years into my plant-based eating journey, I now happily embrace the label of ‘vegan’ because I understand its legacy within Black culture. I also understand that, as a Black woman, any personal choice I make to celebrate my identity is inevitably political, and for that reason, plant-based eating is probably one of the Blackest things I could do. As a Black woman in America, my veganism is, in fact, a homecoming.”

Based in New York, Ms. Mercer is a writer, editor, and healer. Centering the beauty and depth of Black American culture, Ms. Mercer writes on a variety of topics, including spirituality, fashion, Black culture, creativity, wellness, self-empowerment, femininity, popular culture, film, and Black womanhood. She is the author of Other Suns, a wellness guide for Black women. Her work has appeared in Eater, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Vice.

I hope you’ll join me and fellow Article Clubbers in discussing this article! We will have two conversations on Sunday, June 27.

* Online via Zoom, 2:00 - 3:15 pm PT. Ms. Mercer will be joining us!

* In person in Oakland, 3:30 - 5:30 pm PT. Limited to 6 people. Snacks provided.

Are you IN? I hope so. If so, here’s what to do this week:

* Sign up for the discussion.

* Leave a comment. Say hi and share what drew you to this month’s discussion.

* Start reading! Highly encouraged: Let’s annotate this copy of the article together.

Coming up this month at Article Club

* This week: We’ll read the article and sign up for the discussion.

* Next week: We’ll annotate the article.

* Sunday 6/20: We’ll share our first impressions about the article.

* Sunday 6/27: We’ll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers.

Are you new to Article Club? If so, welcome! We look forward to meeting you and having your voice in the conversation. Feel free to reach out with questions: [email protected].

Article Club is a community of thoughtful people who read, annotate, and discuss one great article every month on race, education, or culture. Everyone is welcome. The author participates, too. Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe