People of Color: Advocacy & Food Justice Conference Saturday, October 21, 2017 UCLA @ Covel Commons in Sunset Village

TIME + 9:00 – 10:00AM REGISTRATION 9:30 – Grand Horizon Room: Opening Remarks with Vegan Advocacy Initiative’s co-founders, Dr. Linda Alvarez and Liz Ross 9:50AM Grand Horizon Room Westcoast Room

Vegan Gains: Plant-based Muscle in a “Meat-based” World Raising a Vegan Child: A Mother’s Perspective, A Child’s Journey 10:00 – Description: This panel of health & fitness leaders will explore questions beyond Description: This session will explore what it’s like to raise a vegan family, and how children their diets and fitness regimen. Speakers will discuss questions never asked of can be role models for in an environment where they are already pressured to fit 10:40AM them before. Vanessa Espinoza, John Lewis (Badass Vegan), Will Tucker in. Kawani Brown, Genesis Butler Moderated by Dr. Linda Alvarez

A Perspective from Space: International Activism: Challenges & Successes Description: The vegan and animal rights movement has become a global movement. Is 10:50 – Why It’s More Important to Understand Our Home Description: In light of the natural disasters we’ve been experiencing, and will there a one-size-fits-all model of activism? Does the U.S. brand of activism work in other 11:30AM continue to experience, it is necessary to grasp the enormity of what we’re countries? In this session you will hear the experiences of 3 activists who work at major facing here for all living beings who share our planet. Watch NASA scientist animal rights organizations. Karen Yuen’s, amazing footage directly from NASA’s space station. Karen will Jaya Bhumitra, Emmanuel Marquez, Katia Rodriguez explore how our planet is changing and why. Karen Yuen

The Future of our Culture: Intersecting Health, Wellness & Hip Hop Practicing Animal Law & How You Can Make A Difference For The Animals Description: Hip Hop encompasses an entire culture that goes beyond music. It Description: The journey to becoming an animal rights attorney was a very exciting one for 11:40AM – is the world’s most popular genre and art form, simultaneously influencing Christine Garcia. This talk will share her journey and what inspired her to represent those 12:20PM social issues, and culture. However, over time, Hip Hop culture has been animals that are still underserved and underrepresented. This talk will empower you on devalued and degraded. The 10th Element reclaims Hip Hop culture from its ideas of what you can do to help animals too. This will also be an informative contribution commercialization that glamorizes violence and other unhealthy and destructive on the applicable laws for animals and how you can help enforce these laws for animals. habits that have become symbolic of hip hop culture. In this session you will Christine Garcia, Esq. learn how and why plant-based eating is an extension of Hip Hop culture and how vegans are building a new Hip Hop movement of health and wellness. Keith Tucker

12:20 – LUNCH: Bring-Your-Own-Bag Meet and Mingle at Sunset Village 1:30 PM Grand Horizon Room Westcoast Room

For Social Justice & Animal Liberation: Life Beyond Peas & Carrots: You Can’t Eat Grass, Grow Veggies Instead A Call For Radical Food Activism Description: In this session mycologist and Master Gardener, Florence Nishida, will discuss 1:30 – Description: Nassim Nobari will speak about the central role of our food how to empower communities to grow their own food and join the alternative food systems in today’s social justice and environmental issues. While it is important movement. The work of LA Green Grounds in South LA can spread to other communities. 2:10PM that we contribute to grassroots activism that aims to reclaim and defend food Let’s build a new food movement together. systems from corporate control, it can be difficult to plug into the food Florence Nishida movement as a vegan. Nassim will speak of the urgency for vegans to engage in radical food activism and to build a movement for veganic farming, both from a social justice and animal liberation perspective. Nassim Nobari

10 Steps To Help People Change What They Eat Consuming Animality: (Re)Articulating Food Politics As Race Politics 2:20 – Description: As a new or experienced vegan, it’s natural to want your loved Description: In her talk, will describe how 'animal' itself is a racial construct. She will 3:10PM ones to join you. You want them to know how healthy plant foods are; how also examine contemporary movement politics to show how we can further decolonize our unhealthy animal foods are; how cruel conditions are for chickens, cows, pigs, understanding of racial oppression and animal oppression. Aph Ko turkeys, and lambs on factory farms; how harmful factory farming is for people and the planet; about the inequity of our current food system; and more. But what do you say to your loved ones without turning them off? In this talk, Tracye McQuirter distills nearly 30 years of teaching people how to into 10 simple steps that will give you the ease and confidence to help the people you love change the way they eat for the better. Tracye McQuirter Grand Horizon Room

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: The State of the Vegan Movement: Considerations for Moving Forward 3:20 – Description: This all women of color panel will focus on a discussion surrounding the current state of the vegan movement. The panel will engage important questions such as 4:10 PM where do we stand in terms of animal liberation? What is the role of intersectionality in the movement? How do we address rising food-centered trends within the movement? And what does it really mean to be vegan? This will be an exiting and eye opening discussion. Strategies for moving forward will also be discussed. Jaya Bhumitra, Christine Garcia, Esq., Niloo Khodadadeh, Nasim Nobari, Liz Ross, Jessica Schoech Moderated by Dr. Linda Alvarez

4:10 – Presentation of Leadership Award, Raffle Prize Giveaways and Closing Remarks 4:30 PM With Vegan Advocacy Initiative’s co-founders, Dr. Linda Alvarez and Liz Ross 5:30 – AFTERPARTY CLOSING RECEPTION AT NATIVE FOODS (with passes only) Join us for the afterparty closing reception at Native Foods. Limited to 60 people. Passes available for conference ticket holders who registered for this event. 8:00 PM People of Color: Animal Rights Advocacy & Food Justice Conference Saturday, October 21, 2017 UCLA @ Covel Commons in Sunset Village 9:00AM – 4:30PM

DIRECTIONS See map attached for directions to: UCLA Covel Commons Building 330 DeNeve Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1492

PARKING Please park in Parking Bldg SV next to the conference building (see map attached). A parking permit is available for purchase at the entrance of the parking structure for your dashboard. Approx. $8 -12 for the day, with in and out privileges. Take the elevator or stairs up to Covel Commons Bldg.

LUNCH – Meet & Mingle Please bring your lunch, snacks and your reusable water container. We will be gathering outside in the Sunset Village area. There will be tables, chairs and shade from the sun. Nearby places to buy your lunch is approx. one mile away, so driving will be quicker getting there and back. NativeFoods, Veggie Grill, Ralph’s and WholdFoods Market are approx. 1 – 2 miles away.

AFTER PARTY CLOSING RECEPTION Native Foods Westwood. Sat, Oct 21, from 5:30PM – 8:00PM If you purchased a ticket for the conference, you will receive a link by Friday, October 20 to get your passes for this fun event. Music, food, drinks! Meet and Mingle! Space is limited to 60 people.