Helen Odel Robinson (born August 13, 1953), known professionally as Queen Afua, is an American writer,

alternative medicine Alternative medicine refers to practices that aim to achieve the healing effects of conventional medicine, but that typically lack biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or supporting evidence of effectiveness. Such practices are ...

practitioner, and wellness coach. She is an influential figure in

Black veganism Black veganism in the United States is a social and political philosophy that connects the use of non-human animals with other social justice concerns such as racism and with the lasting effects of slavery, such as the subsistence diets of enslav ...

Early life

By her own account, Robinson began pursuing holistic health as a career when she developed

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

and severe allergies as a high school student, preventing her from studying abroad. She decided to experiment by traveling to upstate New York without her inhaler or medications, risking her health by treating her symptoms with guidance from herbalist John E. Moore. A self-trained educator, Moore emphasized using self-reliance and locally available herbs to treat ailments. Robinson found relief using these natural methods and decided to work as a full-time healer. She was eventually able to travel to Ghana, where a mentor named Baba Kwame Ishangi granted her the name Queen Afua.

Career

As Queen Afua, Robinson opened wellness centers in six U.S. states and Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. She reported in 1995 that 10,000 customers had come to her center in

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn Prospect Heights is a neighborhood in the northwest of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The traditional boundaries are Flatbush Avenue to the west, Atlantic Avenue to the north, Eastern Parkway – beginning at Grand Army Plaza – to ...

. In 2000, she opened a center in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Her 2001 book ''Sacred Woman'' has remained in print for over twenty years. In her books and talks, she emphasizes the importance of a vegan diet, referring to meat and dairy as "dead" foods and fruits, and vegetables and grains as "living" foods. She also advises to eat baked and broiled foods and avoid consuming fried food, and suggests using herbs and herbal baths for medical purposes. She also connects poor dietary habits to the legacy of slavery, urging listeners and readers to break free from typical American comfort foods. Scholar A. Breeze Harper describes her writing as grounding veganism in "decolonial body politics" and antiracism, themes rarely found in white vegan publications. Afua's writing on women's health defines the womb as the "sacred organ of reproduction" and describes it as "foundational to healing all other aspects of the body" and "a physical and spiritual site of activism," although she also includes and recognizes women who cannot or can no longer reproduce. In 2021, her visit to Ghana was highlighted by the Ghana Tourism Authority.

Notable clients and collaborators

New York City Mayor

Eric Adams Eric Leroy Adams (born September 1, 1960) is an American politician and former police officer who has served as the 110th mayor of New York City since 2022. Adams was an officer in the New York City Transit Police and then the New York City P ...

and musician

Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...

have cited Queen Afua's work as having inspired them to become vegan. Other clients have included

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025) was an American singer and pianist known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, Folk music, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of the quiet storm ...

, and

Vanessa Williams Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, model, producer and dancer. She gained recognition as the first Black woman to win the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She would later Vanes ...

. Afua's work was also endorsed by

Nipsey Hussle Ermias Joseph Asghedom (born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom; August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle, was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and activist. Emerging from the West Coast hip-hop scene in the mid-20 ...

and his widow,

Lauren London Lauren Nicole London (born December 5, 1984) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in films and televisions shows including ''ATL (film), ATL'' (2006), This Christmas (2007 film), ''This Christmas'' (2007), ''Madea's Big Happy Fami ...

. Afua has collaborated with London, Erykah Badu, and Beverly Bond. In 2021, she marketed a wellness program together with singer and actress

Mýa Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), known professionally as Mýa, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and actress. She was born in Washington D.C. and studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Her ca ...

Brooklyn land ownership dispute

In 2018, a landlord named Menachem Gurevitch filed an eviction claim against Afua and her family, saying that he had purchased her home and the Brooklyn headquarters of her wellness center network from her 98-year-old mother Ida Robinson. Afua and her family disputed the eviction, claiming that Ida had been defrauded of her title with confusing documents. In 2022, dozens of activists from the

Chabad Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (; ; ), is a dynasty in Hasidic Judaism. Belonging to the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) branch of Orthodox Judaism, it is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, as well as one of ...

movement stormed Afua's house attempting to evict her family by force while chanting "Death to Arabs" in Hebrew. A court ruled in favor of Afua in 2024, and the Brooklyn district attorney has announced an investigation of the alleged title fraud.

Personal life

Queen Afua lives in Los Angeles with her mentee and roommate, the vegan chef Lauren Von Der Pool. Her two sons, SupaNova Slom and Ali Torain, are also vegan.

Bibliography

* ''Heal Thyself with Health and Longevity'' (1991) * ''Sacred Woman'' (2001) * ''The City of Wellness: Restoring Your Health through the Seven Kitchens of Consciousness'' (2009) * ''Overcoming an Angry Vagina: Journey to Womb Wellness'' (2010) * ''Heal Thyself for Health and Longevity'' (2012) * ''Sacred Women: 84 Day Healing Journal'' (2016) * ''Circle of wellness: a guide to planting, cultivating & harvesting wellness'' (2019)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Afua, Queen 1953 births Living people 20th-century African-American women 21st-century African-American women American veganism activists