Meryl Fury is a registered nurse and CEO of the Plant-based Nutrition Movement. And she's a fierce advocate for justice and sanity in a world lacking both.
Emblematic of her approach to life is the story of how she went vegetarian at the age of 15, to help her family make ends meet during the economic troubles of the mid-1970s. When her mother admonished her to continue eating meat to stay healthy, Fury refused, and even spat out the meat sauce coating her spaghetti.
Just as she outlasted her mother's insistence 35 years ago, Fury is still striving to outlast the broken food and healthcare systems that disproportionately harm people of color.
In our conversation, we spoke of Fury's journey of consciousness raising, including exposure to vegan and Black activist comedian Dick Gregory, and the study of herbology, which showed her that plants hold cures for many human ailments.
We talked about her role as CEO of a plant-based organization with a predominantly White and middle-class governing board and clientele, and how she has worked to expand its focus in the wake of her own experience, and the COVID-19 pandemic that prevented in-person classes and events from happening.
Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share – that's how we spread our message and spread our roots.
Links
Plant-based Nutrition Movement – PBNM.org
Pretty Wild Vegan at BalanceForwardHealthAndWellness.com
Music
Three Little Birds, by Bob Marley
No Woman, No Cry, by Bob Marley
Om Nama Shivaya, by Krishna Das
Hang Drum relaxing music, by Alex Dav
Rebels, Tom Petty
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Music
The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.
It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.
You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.