EVERYONE DESERVES TO BE HEALTHY: BLACK-OWNED JUICERY’S CONTRIBUTION TO NOURISHING FOOD DESERTS

​With the overall well-being of the Black community at the forefront of the brand’s mission, Matunda produces all natural juice blends named for pivotal moments and songs relative to Black culture. It’s iconic really. The image of juicing and health focused brands is continually white-washed. Not every plant based person is interested in looking or behaving in a way that isn’t characteristic to their culture of origin. 

It’s mainstream representation of juicing versus the dopeness of stopping by Matunda’s present selling location, Pause CINCY, to pick up a beverage named “Diced Pineapple” (inspired by a Rick Ross rap song featuring other rappers, Drake and Wale). A brand with this level of flavor would certainly attract a more diverse audience to health consciousness, which is the goal. Sometimes seeing a Black person in an ad or on a label isn't enough, cultural relevance should also be a main component of proper representation in a brand.

Matunda juicery is manifesting a reality in which food deserts are a past topic of conversation. Vegan & Black hopes to contribute to that manifestation alongside this Black-owned business. Over the next year Mansa Abdul Malik (Co-founder of Matunda) and Naimah Quinae (that’s me!) will be tackling tough conversations about food deserts and Black entrepreneurship, as well as bringing together people of color who are in alternative lifestyle spaces. As always the intention is to uplift rather than paint an outcome of lack and deprivation, especially as Matunda’s new venture grows.

Their tag line “Everyone Deserves To Be Healthy” is what attracted me to the idea of collaboration. Vegan & Black believes in that same value. It seems to be such an obvious statement, don’t we all deserve to take the best care of ourselves if that’s what we prioritize? However, for the average Black American, prioritizing health through food takes significant work. Therefore Matunda’s focus is on accessibility. 

​Their new project, Jumaiya, is a 13ft long, 7ft tall 1963 Shasta camper currently being updated for road travel. Mansa is steps closer to fulfilling a main company goal: bringing their juice straight to the people. “…That includes the food deserts in Cincinnati like Avondale, Bondhill, Evanston, Walnut Hills and more, who don’t have grocery stores or produce markets to go to. Instead of them going out to other places, Matunda will come in to deliver to them”  (matundajuicery.com, About). The vision is a strong promise, especially to those living in these areas on low wages and with low access to transportation.

Building and supporting a strong plant based culinary community within Black veganism begins at the heart of brands like Matunda, and even on the web pages of a site like this one. Though it may not be specifically written in a company's mission statement, a Black-owned vegan business is connected to much more than their profit. Their existence is an inspiration to Black community members who are looking to step outside of dietary norms. These companies are helping to lay the groundwork for what Black veganism looks like in relation to Black American culture, and highlights how both aspects intersect.   
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Shop juice:
Pause Cincy
2908 Short Vine
Cincinnati, OH 45219
(Tips and Donations accepted to support Jumaiya's journey)

​Naimah Q., Lead Vegan & Black Storyteller
To Connect With This Storyteller, Click Here

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Author

Naimah is a lifelong vegan born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She's always been really creative and has worked in creative careers for over a decade. Currently she balances working in graphic design, illustration, fashion, and the modeling industry. She believes in using her passions and abilities to inspire, influence, and spark joy. Because of this, she has adopted To Be Vegan & Black as a way to service the growing Black vegan community and to influence its culture through vibrant visuals and content. (Full Bio)