In November 2019, then-23-year-old Isaias Hernandez planted a seed, making his Instagram debut as @QueerBrownVegan , an account aiming to educate folks about environmental justice, veganism and a zero-waste lifestyle. With more than 80,000 followers on Instagram and growing, the account has firmly taken root.

Answering simple questions in posts for example, What Is Food Waste? Hernandez educates followers on the basics and points them to additional sources on a topic, encouraging further critical discourse and collective engagement. Within the gridwork of the gram, a lateral classroom is called into session where Hernandez passes between the role of educator and student seamlessly. Using both piercing anecdotes such as the degraded health he experienced as a result of growing up in Los Angeles, living in low-income housing that was close to toxic facilities and thought-provoking infographics, @QueerBrownVegan marries experience and theory.

The comments section on each post reveals an ongoing experiment in peership, knowledge exchange, personal and collective vulnerability, and unlearning. One post, Is Choosing An Environmental Major In College Worth It? , had multiple followers commenting that it was exactly the message they needed to see as they faced their own personal struggles with limitations with academia and labels.