At Outdoor Afro, our story has always been shaped by people who believe deeply in the power of connection to land, to community, and to ourselves. Two of those people, Melanie Strong and Michael Brune, have helped guide that story in profound ways.

As their board service came to a close at the end of 2025, Mike after eight years and Mel after six, we find ourselves not just reflecting on their leadership, but feeling the lasting imprint of their presence across the movement.

Their time with Outdoor Afro was about more than governance or guidance. It was about belief. Belief in a vision that Black joy belongs in nature, that leadership can be cultivated outdoors, and that when people are given space to connect, something powerful unfolds.

One of the most vivid reflections of that impact comes from Mel Strong, who recalls a moment that brought the mission into full clarity:

“The moment that best captured the power and possibility of our mission came when I was at a Ramble Campground last year and met Black families and first-time campers laughing together around a campfire and saying, ‘This space is for me too.’ That feeling of ease and joy in nature is exactly what Rue set out to create. Watching it come to life made the mission very tangible for me.”

It’s a simple image, families around a campfire, but it holds something expansive. A sense of belonging. A quiet shift in what feels possible.

Mel has seen that shift happening across the country, as more Black hikers, campers, and cyclists step into outdoor spaces not just as visitors, but as participants in a growing culture of connection and joy.

“I’m proud to have been part of building something that helps create real opportunities for Black joy in nature.”

For Mike Brune, that sense of possibility stretches back to the earliest days of Outdoor Afro.

He first met Rue Mapp while serving as Executive Director of the Sierra Club, shortly after she founded the organization. Even then, something about her vision stood out. “I was inspired by her vision and deeply impressed with her positivity, charisma, and clear strategy for how to grow the organization,” he shares.

Both Mel and Mike describe their time with Outdoor Afro as transformative thanks in part to what they helped build, and in how they themselves were changed.

For Mel, the experience deepened her personal relationship with nature in a way that went beyond recreation.

“Being part of Outdoor Afro’s board deepened my relationship with nature in a very personal way. I’ve always loved the outdoors, but this experience helped me see it not just as a place for adventure or escape, but as essential to my own mental health and sense of wholeness. It reminded me that nature is medicine, and that time outside is foundational.”

Her time on the board also expanded her understanding of the historical relationship between Black communities and the outdoors: one rooted not in absence, but in legacy.

Mike reflects on the people who make up the Outdoor Afro community, leaders from across industries and backgrounds, all drawn together by a shared commitment to something larger than themselves.

“We have nonprofit leaders and venture investors, outdoor industry executives, tech leaders, accountants, lawyers, doctors, and longtime volunteers,” he shares. “We all carve out time in our busy lives to get outside for reflection, inspiration, solace, and adventure.”

Through that collective commitment, he’s witnessed both the barriers people face and the beauty that emerges when those barriers are removed.

Looking ahead, both Mel and Mike speak with a sense of hope for growth and for deepened impact.

Mel envisions a future where connection to nature is simply part of everyday life: “Black joy in nature is simply part of everyday life, where kids grow up seeing themselves reflected in outdoor spaces, and where communities continue to shape outdoor culture.” She sees Outdoor Afro evolving in ways that go beyond access, into long-term pathways for wellness, leadership, and generational connection, noting, “The next chapter isn’t just about getting more people outside. It’s about creating lasting pathways for wellness, leadership, and connection to the land so our kids and grandkids inherit a stronger relationship with nature.”

Mike, when asked what inspires him most about the future, offers a simple but powerful answer: “The people,” he says. “What a beautiful thing to be a part of. I’m grateful to Rue for her hard work and determination, and to the quietly inspiring board members and other volunteers who have brought her vision to life.”

As we celebrate Mike and Mel’s service, what stands out most is not just what they’ve done, but what they’ve helped make possible.

More connection.
More leadership.
More joy.

We are deeply grateful for their partnership, their vision, and the legacy they leave behind—one that continues to grow every time someone steps outside and feels, maybe for the first time:

This space is for me too.