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MY'STORY

The MOVE Fire

This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985 Philadelphia police fired thousands of rounds at the MOVE house, city officials approved dropping an explosive device on the roof, the resulting fire was allowed to burn, 11 people—including five children—died, and 61 homes were destroyed. Philadelphia City Council later called it a “brutal attack carried out by the City of Philadelphia on its own citizens” and acknowledged that no individual faced criminal consequences for the bombing. One timeline correction worth preserving for the BHP record: the major previous MOVE-police confrontation was August 8, 1978, about seven years before the bombing, not a year or two earlier. Officer James Ramp was killed, other police and firefighters were wounded, nine MOVE members were later convicted, and television cameras recorded police beating Delbert Africa during his arrest. The 1985 MOVE Commission later specifically criticized city planners for failing to adequately use lessons from that 1978 confrontation. And that actually strengthens the point you’re making: 1985 did not happen without precedent or institutional memory. There had already been a deadly confrontation with MOVE, years of conflict, negotiations and police involvement before Osage Avenue.

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BLACK FACTS
The Truths They Never Taught You...

Ruler of the Mali Empire in the 14th century

Mansa Musa was the ruler of the Mali Empire in West Africa. Details recorded here should be sourced; unknown information is left blank.

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BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
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Wikipedia

Rip Esselstyn

Rip Esselstyn
Esselstyn in June 2013
Born (1963-02-16) February 16, 1963 (age 63)
EducationUniversity of Texas, Austin
OccupationsHealth activist, food writer
SpouseJill Kolasinski
Children3
RelativesCaldwell Esselstyn (father)
George Crile, Jr. (grandfather)
George Washington Crile (great-grandfather)
George Crile III (uncle)
Writing career
SubjectsLow-fat diets, whole-food diets, plant-based diets
Websiteplantstrong.com

Rip Esselstyn (born February 16, 1963) is an American health activist, food writer, and former firefighter and triathlete. He is an advocate of a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet that excludes all animal products and processed foods.[1] He calls it a "plant strong" diet, a term he has trademarked.[2] He is the author of The Engine 2 Diet (2009), My Beef With Meat (2013), Plant-Strong (2016), and The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet (2017). Esselstyn is the founder and CEO of PLANTSTRONG,[3] a company focused on whole food, plant-based nutrition and combating the rise of ultra-processed foods.

Early life

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Esselstyn was born in Upstate New York on February 16, 1963, the son of Ann and surgeon Caldwell Esselstyn. He was named after Rip Van Winkle. He is the grandson of surgeon George Crile, Jr. and the great-grandson of surgeon George Washington Crile. His father is a former Olympic rowing champion who was one of the early advocates of a whole-food, plant-based diet in the prevention and reversal of heart disease.[4] He has a sister named Jane, a brother Zeb (Caldwell III) (and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio.[5][6]

Esselstyn graduated from the Mercersburg Academy in 1981. He attended the University of Texas, Austin on a swimming scholarship from 1982 to 1986.[7] During that time, he became an All-American swimmer.[8] After college, he became a triathlete and competed for approximately ten years.[2]

In 1997, he retired as a triathlete and turned his attention towards becoming a firefighter and emergency medical technician, joining Engine 2 of the Austin Fire Department.[5][9] He retired from firefighting to focus on becoming an advocate for plant-based nutrition.[10]

Career

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PLANTSTRONG and recent work

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In 2019, Esselstyn rebranded his Engine 2 business as PLANTSTRONG, expanding into a line of whole-food, plant-based food products, meal planning services, and educational content. The company emphasizes simplicity, accessibility, and avoiding ultra-processed foods. As CEO, Esselstyn has positioned PLANTSTRONG as a voice in the fight against nutritional confusion, advocating for evidence-based, minimally processed diets.[11][12] He also hosts the PLANTSTRONG Podcast, where he interviews experts in nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and plant-based living.[13]

Writing

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While he grew up eating the standard American diet, Esselstyn switched to a whole-foods plant-based diet in 1987, cutting out meat, fish, eggs and dairy.[14] He was inspired by Dave Scott, who was a vegetarian.[7][15] Esselstyn describes his approach as "plant-strong", and has trademarked the term. He says he avoids the word "vegan" in case it discourages people, and believes that "plant strong" sounds healthier and more inclusive.[2]

The Engine 2 Diet (2009)

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In 2003, when a co-worker at the Engine 2 fire department discovered that his cholesterol was very high, Esselstyn encouraged the Engine 2 team to switch to a whole foods, plant-based diet to help their colleague. This experience eventually led him to write The Engine 2 Diet, which begins with a foreword by T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study (2005).[10][16] The Engine 2 Diet appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list[17][18] and was endorsed by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who made a public appearance with Esselstyn in January 2013.[19] In 2010, Whole Foods Market included The Engine 2 Diet as a "Healthy Eating Partner".[20]

My Beef With Meat (2013)

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In 2013, Esselstyn released another book, My Beef With Meat.[21][22][23] It was a New York Times best seller ("Advice, How-To, & Miscellaneous List") that reached the #1 spot for the week of June 2, 2013.[24]

Forks Over Knives

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Esselstyn appeared, along with his father and T. Colin Campbell, in the 2011 American documentary on whole foods, plant-based eating, Forks Over Knives. He later developed and starred in the follow-up documentary, Forks Over Knives Presents: The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue with Rip Esselstyn.[25][26]

Personal life

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Esselstyn is married to Jill Kolasinski, with whom he has three children.[5]

Awards

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Works

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Books
  • Esselstyn, Rip (May 14, 2013). My Beef with Meat: The Healthiest Argument for Eating a Plant-Strong Diet--Plus 140 New Engine 2 Recipes. Hachette Book Group USA. ISBN 978-1455509362.
  • Esselstyn, Rip (February 25, 2009). The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds. Hachette Book Group USA. ISBN 978-0446506694. Foreword by T. Colin Campbell.
  • Esselstyn, Rip (December 2016). The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet. Hachette Book Group USA. ISBN 978-1-4555-9117-6. With recipes by Jane Esselstyn.
DVDs
  • Forks Over Knives Presents the Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue with Rip Esselstyn (2011)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Deborah Blumenthal, "Firefighters Gone Vegan? Even Austin Is Impressed", The New York Times, March 26, 2006: "The five firefighters of Team C at Firehouse 2 — Rip Esselstyn, James Rae, Matt Moore, Derick Zwerneman and Scott Walters — now eat vegan".
  2. ^ a b c Howard Lyman, Mad Cowboy Interview 07: Rip Esselstyn (Part 1) Archived 2010-12-05 at the Wayback Machine, The Mad Cowboy, undated.
    • Kerry Lengel, "Firefighter puts out 'plant-strong' message", Arizona Living, May 12, 2011: "'I like "plant-strong" as opposed to vegan or vegetarian,' he says. 'I think it's much more inclusive and embracing and friendly, and a more accurate description of what it is we're trying to do here, because it's about a whole-food, nutrient-rich, plant-based diet.'"
  3. ^ "Plant Based Foods: Whole, Plant Based Foods with Delivery". PLANTSTRONG Foods. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  4. ^ Spector, Kaye. "Great-grandson of Cleveland Clinic founder offers his own advice for healthy living, The Plain Dealer, May 5, 2009.
  5. ^ a b c Rip Esselstyn biography Archived 2013-08-19 at the Wayback Machine, engine2diet.com.
  6. ^ Howard Lyman, Mad Cowboy Interview 07: Rip Esselstyn (Part 2), The Mad Cowboy, undated.
  7. ^ a b INTERVIEW: "The Engine 2 Diet" author and "Forks Over Knives" star Rip Esselstyn Archived 2012-11-18 at the Wayback Machine, Philadelphia City Paper, May 19, 2011
  8. ^ Author/Firefighter Rip Esselstyn '82 Promotes Health, Wellness
  9. ^ a b Esselstyn, Rip. The Engine 2 Diet. New York: Wellness Central/Hachette Book Group USA, 2009 :10.
  10. ^ a b Former fireman preaches 'plant-strong' gospel in doc. Winnipeg Free Press, June 2, 2011.
  11. ^ "PLANTSTRONG CEO Rip Esselstyn: Not All Plant-Based Foods Are Created Equal". Escoffier. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  12. ^ admin (January 20, 2022). "Rip Esselstyn: In Plants We Trust". Rich Roll. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  13. ^ "PLANTSTRONG Podcast". PLANTSTRONG Podcast. May 22, 2025. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  14. ^ Kirkham R. Hamilton, "Rip Esselstyn Heart Disease Weight Loss And The Engine 2 Diet" (interview), prescription2000.com December 30, 2009: "So in 1987 without looking back I dropped the meat and the dairy and the eggs and the fish and I ate all plant-strong and ... it has given me the edge not only as a human being but as an athlete."
  15. ^ Black, Rosemary. Texas firefighter Rip Esselstyn aims to save lives – through his new diet book. Daily News (New York), February 25, 2009.
  16. ^ Going Cold Turkey From Meat, CBS, April 26, 2009.
  17. ^ The New York Times Best Seller List, March 15, 2009
  18. ^ The New York Times Best Seller list, May 17, 2009
  19. ^ Engine 2 Diet gets Mayor Emanuel's endorsement
  20. ^ Health Starts Here launches at Whole Foods Market
  21. ^ "Words of encouragement: Better health through diet with My Beef with Meat." The Denver Post, May 7, 2013.
  22. ^ "Vegan firefighter on his 'Beef With Meat'." CBS This Morning, May 14, 2013.
  23. ^ "CNN SUNDAY MORNING: Winning Powerball Ticket Sold in Florida; More Severe Weather Expected Today; Report: North Korea Fires Another Missile; Digging Through Train Wreck Damage," CNN Sunday Morning, May 19, 2013.
  24. ^ New York Times Bestseller List, June 2, 2013
  25. ^ Forks Over Knives Cast
  26. ^ Forks Over Knives Presents: The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue: Official Site
  27. ^ Lifetime Records for Rip Esselstyn https://www.usms.org/comp/poolrecords.php?ri=i&SwimmerID=02R25
[edit]

Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.

Wikipedia

Rip Esselstyn

Rip Esselstyn (born February 16, 1963) is an American health activist, food writer, and former firefighter and triathlete. He is an advocate of a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet that excludes all animal products and processed foods. He calls it a "plant strong" diet, a term he has trademarked. He is the author of The Engine 2 Diet (2009), My Beef With Meat (2013), Plant-Strong (2016), and The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet (2017). Esselstyn is the founder and CEO of PLANTSTRONG, a company focused on whole food, plant-based nutrition and combating the rise of ultra-processed foods.

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Wikipedia

Uncle Sam (cereal)

Uncle Sam was an American brand of ready-to eat breakfast cereal that was first introduced in 1908 by U.S. Mills of Omaha, Nebraska. The company relocated to Needham, Massachusetts sometime after the 1970s. Attune Foods of San Francisco acquired Uncle Sam Cereal in 2009. In 2013 Post Foods acquired Attune Foods. Post Foods discontinued Uncle Sam cereal in December 2024. Uncle Sam Original cereal, since 1908 has consisted of toasted whole wheat berry kernels that are steamed, rolled and toasted into flakes. Whole flaxseed is then mixed with the flakes. This high-fiber, ready-to-eat cereal has a low glycemic index and has an exceptionally high amount of omega-3 per serving because of the flaxseed. It is marketed as a "natural laxative" because of the presence of flaxseed, though clinical support for this assertion is scant. Because of its nutritional profile, Uncle Sam Cereal has been recommended by several well-known dietitians and nutritionists, as well as in top-selling diet books such as Rip Esselstyn's The Engine 2 Diet, Belly Fat Cure, Sugar Busters and the South Beach Diet.

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Wikipedia

Renault D-Type engine

The Renault DiET engine also known as "D engine" or "D-Type" is a straight-4 automobile petrol engine from Renault designed to replace the existing Cléon-Fonte engine in the Renault Twingo.

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Wikipedia

Mercedes-Benz M180 engine

The Mercedes-Benz M180 (along with the related M127, M108, M129, M130, M114, and M123) is a family of single overhead camshaft inline-6 internal combustion engines used in Mercedes-Benz vehicles from the early 1950s to the mid‑1980s. Featuring a reverse-flow cylinder head, staggered valve arrangement, and rockers actuated by a single overhead camshaft driven by a duplex chain, these engines were produced in both carburetted and fuel‑injected versions with displacements ranging from 2.2 to 2.8 litres. The original design by Wolf-Dieter Bensinger is a 2.2 L (2,196 cc; 134.0 cu in) single overhead camshaft inline-six internal combustion engine introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in April 1951 to power the company's new 220 (W187). Although introduced in parallel with the M186 “big six,” that engine family (M188, M189, M194, M198, M199) is of completely different design with little or no part interchangeability. The M180, however, influenced the design of Mercedes‑Benz’s OHC four‑cylinder engine, the M121 in 1955, sharing not only the architecture but many components. It in turn influenced its diesel sibling, the OM621, in 1958. These evolved into the M115 and OM615 engines in 1968. The diesel range later expanded into the larger‑displacement OM616 in 1973 and the five‑cylinder OM617 in 1974.

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TOPIC OF THE DAY

Greenwood / Black Wall Street

Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.

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TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

Who was the first African-American woman millionaire in the United States?

Madam C.J. Walker