Jabari Brisport is
an American artist and political activist from Brooklyn. In 2016 he ran for the
35th District seat of the New York City Council.
We recently sat down with Brisport to ask him about his activism and hear his thoughts on
the vegan movement.
Tell us a little
about yourself.
My family is from the Caribbean, but I’m a Brooklyn boy, born and raised. I’m an actor, teacher, and activist-organizer for many causes, including animal rights.
My family is from the Caribbean, but I’m a Brooklyn boy, born and raised. I’m an actor, teacher, and activist-organizer for many causes, including animal rights.
How long have you
been vegan and why did you make the switch?
I’ve been vegan for over five years, and I made the switch
because vegetarian wasn’t enough. The egg and dairy industries are awful.
What advice do you
have for new vegans?
It’s OK to miss things. But if you fill your cart with vegan
meats, vegan cheeses, etc., your grocery bill is going to get expensive very
quickly. You can get all the protein you need from whole foods, and it’s better
for you than processed meat alternatives.
You recently ran for city
council. What inspired you to run?
I was frustrated with our political system and tired of
protesting. I didn’t feel like I was doing enough anymore.
Would your veganism
have affected the laws you’d have worked on? Are you still involved in
politics?
Definitely. I wanted to initiate a ban on selling fur in New
York City. I’m still trying to do that, but it’s much harder to introduce
legislation when you’re not a council member. I recently joined the board of directors
for VFAR (Voters for Animal Rights) and the ban is
on our legislative agenda for 2018.
What can activists do
locally to help animals?
Economic: Support local vegan businesses.
Political: Support local vegan politicians. If there aren’t
any, run!
If you could eat only
one vegan dish for the rest of your life, which would it be and why?
Mock tuna, made from mashed chickpeas and vegan mayo. That’s
already my default “lazy man dish and it’s delicious.
Is there anything
you’d like to add?
Every year I say, “This is going to be the breakout year for
the vegan movement. This year is no different, but something about 2018 makes
me think I’ll be right this time.
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