RZA is helping Black-owned restaurants go vegan. The Wu-Tang Clan member donated a $100,000 grant to help businesses include more plant-based dishes on their menus.

RZAs grant was made in partnership with Upfield-owned brand Violife. The plant-based foods manufacturers multi-year grant program, Plant Grants, promotes eating vegan through funding, education, and mentorship opportunities.

According to the vegan company, this years initiative aims to help Black-owned restaurants that are struggling due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Minority-owned businesses have suffered disproportionately amid the COVID-19 crisis. According to a 2020 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Black-owned businesses in America fell by 41 percent from February to April. Latinx business owners declined by 32 percent. Asian-owned businesses dropped by 26 percent.

Supporting Plant Grants is important to me because it will fund Black-owned restaurants who are the fabric of their communities, RZA said.

The rappers generous donation to a vegan cause should come as no surprise. He ditched animal products in the 90s. Since then, hes been outspoken about the positive impacts of consuming a plant-based diet.

When you think of a better tomorrow, you think about veganism in the world, RZA said. I dont need a dead animal or a dead piece of flesh to go into my live body, he added. Theres not nothing on this planet that doesnt want to live.

In addition to receiving financial support, the Black-owned businesses will learn how to develop plant-based menu offerings through the program.

Pioneering vegan chefs Lemel Durrah and Laricia Chandler Baker will teach grant recipients how to cook with plant-based ingredients. Durrah is the founder of Los Angeles-based vegan soul food company Compton Vegan. Chandler Baker is the co-owner of Chicago vegetarian restaurant I Cant Believe Its Not Meat.

Grant applications for Plant Grants will be open until July 31, 2021. In addition to being Black-owned, criteria include having less than 50 employees and being currently open and operational. Violife will award five $20,000 grants to Black-owned restaurants that are committed to embracing plant-based foods on their menus.

About the author

STAFF WRITER | LOS ANGELES, CA Audrey writes about sustainability, food, and entertainment. She has a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and political science.

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RZA to Grant $100k to Black-Owned Restaurants That Try Vegan - LIVEKINDLY