I am sixteen, black and vegan and have been vegan for over a year now, but people still find ways discredit me left and right. The only images of “vegan” are thin, white 20-25 year old yogis, and for some reason because I don’t fit into this stereotype, I am often not taken seriously when I talk about Veganism. I always hear “it’s just a phase” or that by being vegan I’m “acting white”. Not only this, but animal rights groups (ie PETA) constantly make it clear that I’m not welcome in the vegan community. How can I prove to people that being different doesn’t make me illegitimate, and are there even people like me that exist? […]