With about 2% of Americans practicing a plant-based diet, it’s no wonder many feel making healthier changes don’t relate to their lives. Most people don’t even know anyone practicing a plant-based lifestyle.

I’ve decided to start a series to spotlight past and present brown vegans (famous and non-famous), who have made a change in their lives for health and/or ethical reasons. Enjoy!

Business Magnate*Hip-hop Pioneer*Activist*Yogi

When asked why he is a vegan: "Being a thoughtful vegan makes our time on this Earth more peaceful and joyous, because you get to have a hand in promoting and increasing the happiness, good health and well-being of others -- both animal and human -- rather than being an instrument of their suffering and death.

I am a father. I want my children and their children to have a healthy Earth to live in for many years to come. The impact on the Earth from eating meat is mind-blowing. Every year in the U.S., more than 27 billion animals are slaughtered for food. Meat consumption is poisoning and depleting our potable water, land and pure, clean air. More than half of the water used in the United States today goes to animal agriculture, and since animals on factory farms produce 130 times more waste than the human population, the result is polluting our waterways. Animal excrement emits gases, such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, which poison the air around farms, as well as methane and nitrous oxide, all resulting in the number one cause of global warming. This needs to stop."