The Black Paddle Expedition
Every year, Outdoor Afro Volunteer Leaders from across the country come together to embark on incredible journeys where they engage in fellowship, explore connections to Black history, and celebrate Black joy in nature. In previous years, leaders have organized summits of Mt. Whitney and Mt. Kilimanjaro, Blackpacking through national forests, statewide campouts, ski trips, and more!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG78YKZDeYs
In September 2021, fifteen of those leaders from across the nation joined each other in Hermann, MO to paddle over 100 miles down the Missouri and into the Mississippi River. Fifth-year St. Louis, MO network Leader and Expedition River Captain Anthony Beasley recounted his experiences of celebrating Black Joy down by the riverside.
“Chaya Harris, the Outdoor Afro National Program Director, saw that I had participated in the Stream Teams United Paddle MO fundraiser and how much I enjoyed it. Considering the substantial Black history of the river, this would be a great opportunity to celebrate and commemorate folks like York, Mary Meachum, and enslaved peoples who used this path on the Underground Railroad.”
The Missouri and Mississippi Rivers are teeming with Black history: from the initial American survey to its role in the Underground Railroad to how these trade routes helped Black Meccas thrive, these rivers carry our stories.
Defeated by General Toussaint L'Ouverture in Haiti, Napoleon pivoted away from his goal of re-establishing a French colonial empire in North America to focus on the impending war with the United Kingdom in 1800. Within this space was an opportunity for then, President Thomas Jefferson to double the size of the fledgling United States of America and push out competing French and Spanish interests. In 1803, Congress ratified the Louisiana Purchase, and the next year President Jefferson tasked Meriweather Lewis and William Clark with surveying the newly acquired territory.
“Initially, I was hesitant,” says Beasley about the paddle. “I had only participated in the Stream Teams trip; I didn't organize the event. It was just a 25-mile float. We didn’t camp every night along the river. We were shuttled back and forth to our boats at the end of the day.”
This expedition was going to be a little different. Leaders were going to set up camp at the end of each day on the river and travel four times as far. “I didn’t think I could lead a group 100 miles down the Missouri, but I knew that my Outdoor Afro community had my back. Chaya helped me scout the area, research Black History on the Missouri, and make a plan for a successful paddle.”
William Clark felt similar trepidation but would need to build his own support. In preparing for the survey, he assembled a “Corps of Volunteers for the Northwest Discovery” and forced an enslaved man, York, to serve in it.
“As an enslaved man, York was considered less than human, so not much was recorded about him other than what they [Lewis and Clark] thought to write in their journals,” says Beasley. “He was the only unpaid [initial] member of the expedition but was pivotal to its success.”
As an enslaved man, York was treated poorly by members of the Corps, who would pick fights with and use him to scout ahead the most dangerous areas. Most of the Indigenous people and immigrants they encountered had never seen a person with Black skin. As they traveled up the Missouri, word spread about the expedition and the “extraordinary” York. The Nez Perce had designs to kill the Corps, but upon seeing York backed off from fear of his retaliation. Because the expedition needed to trade and barter with different tribes along the River, York was presented to them as a novelty and to gain trust.
At over 2,300 miles, the Missouri River is the longest river in North America and is 300 feet across at its widest. This would be Beasley’s first time being on a major river that size. “I’ve been on a few float trips but on smaller rivers. I had never been on a major river like that before, and, I’ll be honest with you, I was terrified.” Thankfully, Anthony had the love and support his team to help him overcome any reservations. For leaders, Outdoor Afro is where they create bonds, build leadership, and find family. “This was my first time paddling with 15 Black folks. When we were out there, just to look back and see all that brown on the river, it was breathtaking.”
Only recently has York been able to receive the recognition he’s deserved as an integral part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The journey was treacherous and not at all rewarding. Despite him being one of the keystones to the western expansion of the United States, York returned to Washington, DC in 1806 and remained Clark’s slave, ultimately being sold out to a farm in Louisville, KY and becoming lost to history.
Anthony and the BlackPaddle crew used their time on the river to celebrate and give honor to people like York, Mary Meachum, and more who carved out spaces where we can feel free in Nature.
“I think about York traveling the opposite way on this river on the journey out west. It just gives me a sense of ownership on this river. I belong here.”
We’ve been here and will always be here, celebrating Black Joy and Black Leadership in Nature.
From Savory to Sweet: Outdoor Afro’s Favorite Camping Foods
Fall can make for excellent camping experiences all across the country. Up north, you can set up camp surrounded by the changing colors of deciduous trees, and, in the south, it’s finally cool enough to sleep in a tent. Monsoon season is over in the west, and, in the east, your risk of encountering ticks is greatly reduced. No matter where you live, one of the things key to a successful trip is making a camp menu that fuels your group and gets you excited about starting up that cooking fire. Ready to plan a weekend in the woods? Check out camping food recipes from several current and former volunteer Outdoor Afro leaders.
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Some camp chefs love to build on their repertoire of camp cooking by mixing it up a bit with a challenge. Antonio’s Dutch Oven Campfire Stew recipe is perfect for car or RV camping. You can prepare some things at home or pack a cutting board with you to chop up the fresh veggies at your campsite.
Leader: Antonio Simmons
Network: Washington, DC
Dutch Oven Campfire Stew
- 1/4 lb. shaved ribeye (substitute mushrooms for a vegetarian option)
- 3/4-1 lb. boneless short rib cut in bite-size pieces (substitute beans for a vegetarian option)
- 1 chopped red onion
- 2 diced garlic cloves
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 1 chopped yellow and red pepper
- 1 chopped medium-sized zucchini, yellow squash
- 1 cup of baby carrots
- 1/2 lb. of halved brussel sprouts
- 1 stalk of chopped celery
- 1/4 teaspoon of cracked pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of sage, basil, curry, oregano, paprika, and salt of your choice
- 1 teaspoon of Complete Seasoning and Oregano
- 1 cup of half-cooked rice (you can add more if you would like)
- 1 26 oz. can of diced tomatoes
- 1 can of drained chickpeas
- 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
Now that your ingredients are prepped, it’s time to get your 8-quart Dutch oven ready.
- Place Dutch oven over coals or flames to get it hot.
- Sauté shaved ribeye, onions, garlic, peppers, and seasonings.
- Add short rib, and cook until pieces start to turn brown.
- Add remaining ingredients, and cook covered for 20 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Imagine a hot bowl of this stew waiting for you after exploring the trails! Cooking with Dutch ovens can add a rustic feel to your adventures as well as help you scale recipes for larger groups. Check out this next delicious crowd pleaser.
Former Leader: Wandi Stew
Network: Atlanta, GA
Dutch Oven Campfire Lasagna
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups pasta sauce (a 24 or 25 ounce jar is perfect)
- 12 oz. FRESH lasagna noodles divided into 4 sets (thawed if frozen)
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or a blend of Italian-style cheeses
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Instructions
PREHEAT: If cooking over a campfire, get your coals ready. You'll need 25 total. If cooking at home, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
ASSEMBLE THE LASAGNA: Start by coating the bottom of a 10" Dutch oven with the olive oil to help prevent the bottom layer from sticking. Add 1/2 cup pasta sauce and spread evenly over the bottom of the Dutch oven. Use the first set of noodles to create the base of the lasagna. Layer 1/2 cup sauce, 1 cup baby spinach, and 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat (one set noodles, 1/2 cup sauce, 1 cup baby spinach, 1/3 cup cheese) two more times. For the final layer, use the last set of noodles, 1/2 cup sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the top.
BAKE: Use 8 coals to create a bed to set your Dutch oven on. Place the Dutch oven on top of the coals. Cover the oven with the lid, and place the remaining 17 coals on top of the lid. If cooking at home, simply cover your Dutch oven, and stick it in your preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes until the noodles are tender and cooked through and the cheese has melted.
SERVE: Take the Dutch oven off the heat. Carefully remove the lid and set aside. Cut the lasagna into 4 wedges, plate, and enjoy!
Looking for something a bit lighter for backcountry adventures? Check out this recipe for backpackers. You’ll need a saucepan and heavy-duty tin foil for this easy camp food recipe.
Leader: China Walker
Network: Washington, DC
Caramel Apple Cake
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 1 large Granny Smith apple
- 1 cup of mixed vanilla cake batter or plain pancake batter
Cook butter and sugar on low, until a caramel is made. Then, add slices of Granny Smith apples on top of the caramel. Next, add vanilla cake batter (or plain pancake batter left over from breakfast). The next trick is to try to cook on low and not on directly on fire, as this will scorch the bottom of the cake. (We put the pan on embers, and then surrounded the pan and lid with the sticks/embers. )
Here are must haves from our volunteer Outdoor Afro Area leaders for easy backpacking meals:
-Minute rice + pouch of salmon
-Ramen + fresh carrots and broccoli + Field Roast vegan sausage + parsley
-Frozen cooked chicken + pesto + frozen bell peppers and onions (defrosts while you hike so you can just heat and eat)
If you are looking for ways to make sure you stay fueled in the backcountry, check out this recipe from our friends at REI for jerky. No dehydrator required!
Homemade Jerky
- 2.5 lbs thinly-sliced meat (lean meat works best)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- ½ tbsp. onion powder
- ½ tbsp. black pepper
- ½ tbsp. liquid smoke
- 1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp. honey
- ½ cups water
- 1 cup soy sauce
- Toothpicks
In a large bowl, combine garlic, jalapeño pepper, onion powder, black pepper, liquid smoke, red pepper flakes, honey, water, and soy sauce
Add meat to marinade, and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees.
Line the bottom shelf of the oven with baking sheets and aluminum foil.
Place marinated meat in the oven to dry for 2-4 hours. (Lay directly on the oven shelf or hang from the shelf using toothpicks.)
Part of planning a camp menu is doing your best to make sure that nothing goes to waste. When a camper brought an extra dozen donuts to breakfast, volunteer Outdoor Afro leader Beky Branagan knew exactly what to do with the leftovers. Introducing the easiest camp dessert ever made: the Bull’s Eye! If you aren’t counting calories, this is a fun way to get rid of all of that leftover holiday candy.
Former Leader: Beky Branagan
Network: Raleigh-Durham, NC
Bull’s Eye
Take 1 donut, place a marshmallow in the hole, and add as much or as little candy, nuts, chocolate, or bananas or other types of fruit as you’d like!
Wrap with foil & bake!
No matter what is on the menu for your next camping trip, we encourage you to challenge yourself! You can explore with different tools like Dutch ovens or backpacking camp stoves as well as with recipes that stretch your abilities a bit.
Outdoor Afro x Nissan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msVsKwNqels
A Reflection on Harriet Tubman’s Relationship with Nature
Reflecting on Freedom in America
One month ago today (7.19.21), on Juneteenth, we asked you to join us in nature for 2.5 hours and reflect on the question, “what does freedom in American mean to you?” So many of you took to nature to reflect and many of you shared your reflections with us.
What is Juneteenth?
On June 19, 2021 hundreds of people around the United States joined us outdoors in commemoration of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth is an annual recognition of the moment when 250,000 enslaved Black Americans in Galveston Texas were told they were free in the year 1865 – 2.5 years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect – January 1, 1863.
Many accounts of history appear to leave out the “how and why.” How was it possible for President Abraham Lincoln to draft and sign an executive order known as the Emancipation Proclamation abolishing slavery in September 1862 and despite the three months until it took effect, no one told the enslaved?
- Why didn’t the slave holders tell the enslaved?
- Why didn’t the sheriff tell the enslaved?
- Why didn’t the mayor tell the enslaved?
- Why didn’t the governor tell the enslaved?
What You Shared
“I was able to celebrate Juneteenth with my granddaughter at Egmont Key National Refuge in Crystal River, Fl. We spent a wonderful three hours enjoying the beautiful island beach. As I approach the age of eighty, feeling so blessed and grateful for my life, I realize as Dr. King said that “None of us is free until all of us are free.”
“Reflecting on the meaning Juneteenth, I have always had mixed feelings about it. As Black person, I did not learn about the day until I was an adult. Also, in a black family where we often remember the emancipation in April and learning about Juneteenth for the first time as an adult made me scratch my head. That is because I felt it was celebrating the fact that Texas could no longer lie to its enslaved population and seemed out of place. But I also have learned to appreciate and grow in understanding about the significance of the day. It also can now be a day to reflect on how far we need to go and to not take small victories for granted.”
“Resilience-like the mighty trees and the water appearing still, but moving and providing a reflection of everything, beautiful souls grew strong and never stagnant-so is the freedom that our ancestors desired, somewhat achieved. Freedom now is the chance to grow strong without fear of another cutting you down because “you’re in their way to getting what equally belongs to all”. Freedom is the peace and tranquility reflected back to anyone looking at our society -no muddied waters or distorted reflections.”
“I spent a few hours at a park reflecting about what Juneteenth means to me. I marvel at how resilient we are as a people. Our ancestors endured the imaginable. I’m grateful to be living and choosing joy and rest as resistance on this day.”
“While I was unable to spend time outside on 6/19, I made up for it today, 6/20, in an event I partook in called WINGS, Women in Nature Gaining Skills. With a group of 17 awesome gals, we SUP’d on a small lake in Bloomington, IN. Some gracefully floated, some swerved, some tracked straight and fast and others sat back and relaxed. No matter the experience level, paddling preference, or personal identity, we all supported one another with a common purpose out on the lake today – to enjoy nature with other women. Spending time outdoors with like-minded individuals, and sometimes also alone, is where I begin my reflection. The element of time and how we choose to spend it is an incredible source of freedom, and to me, it’s one of the most treasured parts of being free in America. The choice to decide what you want to do during those evening or after-work hours, and going out and doing it while feeling welcome, safe, and supported – that matters. Today, I felt free to make my choice to spend time doing SUP yoga. I felt supported by these other women and thankful I could be a part of the experience, and hope the Program helped each participant feel welcome in the space and grow in their relationship with the outdoors.”
“To me, being able to spend time outside, and just “be”, is what it means to be free in America. To be able to make my own choices, about myself, my body, and my time is an incredible freedom. I chose to spend Juneteenth outdoors and just be, listening to the trees blow in the breeze and feel the sun shine down on me. Freedom of choice, to just be.”
“This is the first year I’ve formally celebrated Juneteenth. But something told me months ago that creating my own long-weekend writing retreat would free me from the unfinished manuscript I’d been dragging in my wake for the past several years. My back-country weekend has given me much more than that, though. The outdoors has always been my sanctuary and soothing balm–a socially acceptable form of solitude for an introvert like me. But this weekend– in the wake of last year’s social justice awakening and this new federal holiday–this Juneteenth weekend has made me appreciate what has brought me to this place. For my family and friends, for my education and opportunities, for the many other freedoms I enjoy, I have walked and remembered and embraced the outdoors this weekend as a symbol of the unlimited potential of life.”
“Today is a day brimming with celebration in our community of Oak Park Illinois-our first bike tour of important black history, influencers, and achievement. Our family learned a new perspective on the history here and are richer for it. The historic narrative has changed and the current one and current black experience is slowly changing here.”
“To be free in America is to be humbled by our past and committed to improving our future as a nation. It requires being open to admitting that we are a deeply flawed nation, a deeply flawed people but to have hope and determination that we can do a whole lot better. To be free in America requires that we the people allow everyone to stand in their truth and speak their truth. It means being more curious than afraid, more humble than defensive, more compassionate than aggressive, more united than divided. Is it to understand that this democracy is fragile? Is it an experiment that we must remain engaged in bettering and strengthening?”
“As a non-black person of color, freedom in what is now called the United States means liberation and shalom (wholeness) for all of our human and non-human relatives, particularly our black relatives. For healing to be supported and pursued for us to be in right relationship with each other, ourselves, and Creation. ”
“I spent 2 1/2 hours in a nearby forest riding my bicycle and reflected on how fortunate I am to not have to fear for my safety while spending time in the outdoors due to me being a white male. I have often thought about how it is different for women, but not for people of color until this past year. I will continue to discuss this with people I know in hopes of bringing about awareness. I also reflected on the enslaved people of Galveston and how after they were set “free”, they basically had the clothes on their body, likely no home, no money, and living in a part of the country that was hostile towards them. It is pretty much impossible for me to know what they went through. Brutal, sums it up. My mind rotates in thinking that the U.S enslaved people for 246 years! Not only that, this country was far harsher to the enslaved than happened over history in other parts of the world. As I typed this, I just now had the realization that I let out a verbal sigh. A minuscule act on my part, but a firm realization to how messed up humans have treated and continue to treat fellow humans, simply based upon the color of their skin. It is frustrating how far we have to go to make some amends. I will continue to work to educate myself on our racial past and do my best to be an ally. I know as a white male I have been provided a lot of opportunities that are simply denied to others that aren’t white male. Thank you for being a part in bringing about my awareness,” - Warm regards, Chris
“While out riding my bike, I reflected on what my freedom means to me. My freedom to practice my religion, free speech, buy a house, and spend time outside riding my bike, walking my dogs, visiting friends with no fear. My hope is that we all spend time thinking about how lucky we are and how we can help others be free to pursue their passions. ”
“I spent the day with my family thinking about how beautiful it was to be in one another’s company surrounded by nature and love. I thought about how it must have felt for those enslaved individuals that waited so long for their freedom to feel that same joy on their own terms. It made me feel incredibly grateful to know that the freedom I experience today draws a direct line to those enslaved individuals that fought for it then. I look back at the history of Juneteenth with humbled admiration for the strength, love, and righteousness those folks faced each day with, and pray that I can reflect those characteristics in even the smallest of ways as an example to my son, on how not to repeat one of our nation’s most grave injustices and approach each day with love and an open heart towards others. ”
“I felt so fortunate to be able to have leisure time outdoors in this free country, and reflected on those who were forced to labor (outdoors) to make this country what it is today. ”
“The more I do the work of anti-racism and decolonization, the more I understand that “freedom” is shackled here in America. It is encouraging to look back and witness progress in our country, but in a place that was founded on slavery, white supremacy, and genocide, there is endless work to be done progressively so that “freedom” is equitable. In the meantime, as we work to obtain this goal, we can feel freedom.”
“ Having the empathy and courage to take action and support others when we see an imbalance within the social scales. Having the freedom to collectively fight regardless of how we look, where we come from, or how we identify or what we believe in."
“I spent the day with my family at Jordan Lake Park in Apex, North Carolina, with the Outdoor Afro Raleigh/Durham Network. I reflected on how strong Black Americans are because of our ancestors and that we need to own and recognize our strength. However, our Ancestors chose to survive the brutality of being enslaved; the future generations are stronger because of their sacrifices. Whether after being enslaved, they jumped off the slave ship, worked on the plantation, worked in the slave house, or escaped, we are stronger because their blood runs through our veins. May the atrocities ”