VegRehoboth events highlight food justice and climate issues
VegRehoboth hosted a dynamic series of events Nov. 19 to 23 celebrating art, film and plant-based living, bringing the community together around health, justice and sustainability. The lineup included three documentary film screenings, an art reception and dinner, and the annual ThanksLiving Dinner at The Cultured Pearl.
The weekend began with an intimate art reception and dinner at Grandpa(MAC) featuring works by Pakistani-American emerging artist Aysha Akhtar. Her nature-inspired abstract and representational works have been featured in solo and group exhibitions across the East Coast, and in 2024 she was recognized as one of three Emerging Women Artists to Watch by the Women in Arts Network. Her work will remain on display at Grandpa(MAC) through the end of the year.
Film screenings included “Ocean,” co-hosted with the Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute; “They’re Trying to Kill Us,” co-hosted with Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice; and the Climate Future Film Festival co-hosted with Grandpa(MAC) and The Teach a Person to Fish Society. Post-film discussions featured Joseph Lawson, SDARJ executive director; Paul Williams, Coast TV chief meteorologist; Tierra Williams; and Rob Rector of the MERR Institute.
After the screening of “They’re Trying to Kill Us,” Lawson said, “Health outcomes for all Americans – but especially African Americans – are unacceptable. The food we eat is a big part of the problem. Food is a social justice issue. African Americans do not have the same access to healthy food that many Americans have. Foods high in fat, salt and sugar are ultimately toxic, and we must look for other alternatives, including forgoing all meats, as a potential way out of the health crisis in Black America.”
The week concluded with VegRehoboth’s cherished ThanksLiving Dinner, a tradition since 2013, celebrating plant-based cuisine, compassion and community connections.
VegRehoboth thanks all co-hosts, venues, volunteers and attendees for making this five-day series inspiring and impactful.
For more information about upcoming VegRehoboth events, go to vegrehoboth.org.
