Hey Radicals, Here’s where it all began.

2020 was… Really. Fucking. Hard.

I’ve been managing in the food industry since moving back to California in 2017. Working when Covid-19 hit was the most chaotic and disheartening time to be in the food industry, let alone running a small coffee chain. The uncertainty and heartbreak of the situation offered some time for reflection about the things we waste our time on. The money we sell our time and bodies for. The lack of a social safety net. The truth, that we are all replaceable worker bees…

At the same time, I’ve always been passionate about social, political, and environmental issues. The hustle to survive living in California distracted me from those passions for change; however, the events of the Summer of 2020 were a wake up call.

While BIPOC organizers have been leading the way for decades, it finally felt like the greater collective was catching up and the movement against systemic racism had grown exponentially.

It felt powerful to march alongside like-minded people: tired of the same old systems and excuses, wanting accountability for oppression, exhausted by the racist violence perpetuated by the state.

When the noise started to die down, and most settled back into comfort, my antsiness grew.

How can we go back?

What was the purpose?

What can I do?

What do I have to offer?

WHAT CAN I DO?

I want to be transparent:

I am not an expert organizer nor a well-versed educator.

I am not a lawyer qualified to help those in need.

I am not a scientist on the verge of solving the global warming crisis.

I’m just your average millennial having an existential crisis haha.

I know restaurants and I can occasionally be funny. YUP, that’s it. But this felt like the most honest contribution I had to offer. It still is.

I will never even begin to equate what The Radical Beet is, compared to the past and current works of people who have paved the way for us.

The dream for The Radical Beet is creating another platform for those who ARE qualified to teach. A platform for organizers to organize and collaborate. A safe and fun space to scrape together some hope in this devastating world. A place where conversations build empathy and understanding around a table of dank vegan food.

I hope that we get the chance to build something special together.

- Mandy