Get Free in Nature with #UndergroundTrailMode
This weekend, Hike with Outdoor Afro and Honor the Legacy of Harriet Tubman, and all of Freedom Seekers of the Underground Railroad.
Written By National Program Director Zoë Polk
From October 6-9, 2016, seven members of the 2016 Outdoor Afro Leadership Team will hike the Maryland Portion of the Appalachian Trail. Beginning at the Pennsylvania border, our team will Blackpack along the South Mountain Ridge Top to the Harpers Ferry National Park. Their 40 mile trek will be done in tribute to the thousands of African Americans in history who found their freedom in nature.
In honor of this history and in solidarity with our Blackpackers, we invite you get in #UndergroundTrailMode with us:
Atlanta, Georgia
#UndergroundTrailMode on the Appalachian Trail October 8
#UndergroundTrailMode: African Americans in Austin - A Lasting Legacy tour October 8
Bay Area, California
Hike 10 Miles in Solidarity with OutdoorAfro Blackpackers October 8
Boston
Underground Trail Mode: A House of My Own October 8
Charlotte, NC
#UndergroundTrailMode at Latta Plantation October 8
Charleston, South Carolina
#UndergroundTrailMode Solidarity Kayaking Trip on the Combahee River (CANCELLED DUE TO HURRICANE MATTHEW) October 8
Burnham Wildlife Corridor Hike in Solidarity with #UndergroundTrailMode October 8
Cleveland, OH
Night Hike Along the Hemlock Loop Trail October 8
Detroit, Michigan
#UndergroundTrailMode Walking Detroit October 8
Los Angeles, CA
#UndergroundTrailMode Solidarity Hike on Mount Baldy October 8
Louisville, KY
Fall Black History Hike October 8
Miami, FL
#UndergroundTrailMode 12 mile hike in Fakahatchee October 15
Miluakee-Madison, Wisconsin
Explore the Underground Railroad in Wisconsin October 8
Minneapolis, MN
Solidarity Hike at Wild River State Park October 9
Newark, NJ
#UndergroundTrailMode 7.5 mile hike Jockey Hollow - Grand Loop Trail October 9
Portland, Oregon
#UndergroundTrailMode: Animal Tracking and River Exploration October 8
Phoenix, AZ
Healing Hike at Lost Dog Wash Trail October 9
Richmond, VA
#UndergroundTrailMode Solidarity Hike at St. Petersburg National Battlefield October 8
Seattle, Washington
#UndergroundTrailMode Solidarity Hike and Seattle Black History Exploration October 7
St Louis, Missouri
Hiking Through History - 3 Mile Hike in Hop Hollow #UndergroundTrailMode October 9
Urban Hike in Solidarity with #UndergroundTrailMode October 6
Washington DC- Maryland- Northern Virginia
#UndergroundTrailMode: Harpers Ferry Maryland Heights AT Hike October 9
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: Assemble your Friends and Family for a Hike October 6-9, 2016 and share your experience using #UndergroundTrailMode on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
#UndergroundTrailMode: BlackPacking the Appalachian Trail
In Furtherance of our Mission to Celebrate and Inspire Black connections to Nature, Outdoor Afro Invites You to Hike History October 6-9, 2016
By National Program Director Zoë Polk
This October, Outdoor Afro is going Blackpacking again! Last year, hundreds of Black people around the country honored the Buffalo Soldiers’ trailblazing of Mount Whitney through #WhitneyHiking. In 2016, we will lift up Harriet Tubman and all of the freedom seekers of the Underground Railroad by getting in #UndergroundTrailMode
BlackPacking the Appalachian Trail
From October 6-9, 2016, six members of the 2016 Outdoor Afro Leadership Team will hike the Maryland Portion of the Appalachian Trail. Beginning at the Pennsylvania border, our team will Blackpack along the South Mountain Ridge Top to the Harpers Ferry National Park. Their 40 mile trek will be done in tribute to the thousands of African Americans in history who found their freedom in nature.
Meet the Team:
Beky, Outdoor Afro Leader, North Carolina Triangle Brittany, Outdoor Afro Leader, Baltimore, MD
Cliff, Outdoor Afro Leader Bay Area, CA Melody, Outdoor Afro Leader, Baltimore, MD
Kelly, Outdoor Afro Leader Newark, NJ Chris, Outdoor Afro Leader Chicago, IL
Val, Outdoor Afro Leader Chicago, IL
The Appalachian Trail and the Underground Railroad
Before the Appalachian Trail was founded in 1937, formerly enslaved Americans of African descent crossed the Potomac River, trekked through the Appalachian Mountains, and made their way to freedom. Harriet Tubman was one of the most famous “conductors” on this intricate system of hiking trails and safe houses. Abolitionists, freed Blacks and slaves referred to these paths as the Underground Railroad, and they used railway metaphors as code to discuss escape plans. Slave catchers stated that when Black people were on those trails they seemed to just “disappear underground.”
In fact Black people on the Underground Railroad weren’t traveling via loud machines on trails made of concrete, iron and steel. They quietly hiked on grass, dirt, moss, and through rivers. They relied on the illumination of the moon to light their paths. They foraged for herbal remedies and food. Their leaders, Harriet Tubman and other “conductors,” weren’t steering massive machines and shoveling coal into fires. Instead they were following memorized paths, gazing up at the vast night sky to identify the Big Dipper and the North Star. They studied birdcalls and mimicked them to communicate danger and safety. They used their relationship with nature to get them to freedom.
#UndergroundTrailMode: A National Black to Nature Movement
In remembrance and in honor of these #OutdoorAfros of their time and in solidarity with our Blackpackers, we invite you get in #UndergroundTrailMode with us Indigenous Peoples' Day weekend, October 6-9, 2016:
*Join your local Outdoor Afro leader on a solidarity hike
*Discover and Hike the #OutdoorAfro history in Your City
*#FindYourPark and Find Underground Railroad Stops and Passages
* Assemble your Friends and Family for a Hike October 6-9, 2016 and share your experience using #UndergroundTrailMode on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Thanks to The North Face Explore Fund for their generous support!
Placing Waterfalls: How Niagara Falls Powered the Niagara Movement
"To ignore, overlook, or apologize for these wrongs is to prove ourselves unworthy of freedom."
Declaration of Principles, Niagra Movement, 1905
Today, on 111th anniversary of its founding, we are reflecting on the significance the Niagara Movement, a civil rights organization that held its inaugural meeting on banks of one of the most prominent natural spaces in the United States.
Niagara Falls had long been a simple of Black Liberation. Underground Railroad conductor and Outdoor Afro of her time, Harriet Tubman demanded her passengers to “Come look at the Falls!” as they made their way to freedom in Canada. Niagara Movement Organizers, W.E.B. DuBois and William Trotter connected the roar of the falls to their demand for racial justice and their rejection of accommodation and conciliation.
So from July 11-13, 1905, intentional on the significance of their environment to their cause, they named their organization “The Niagara Movement” to be representative of a "mighty current" of change its leaders sought to bring about.
Over the course of three days, the participants met around the dining room table of prominent Black American Mary Talbert and created their Declaration of Principles. The nineteen paragraph document which urges Black Americans “to protest emphatically and continually against the curtailment of their political rights” resonates as we reread them today. And it is an important reminder of how the outdoors have inspired Black leadership and revolution.
Implementing #BlackLivesMatter in the Outdoors
“What is my role in the Movement for Black Lives?” has become the most critical question of our time.
Written By National Program Director Zoë Polk
Each year, Outdoor Afro enlists individuals from all over the country to advance our agenda: to celebrate and inspire Black connections to nature. Founder and CEO Rue Mapp, launched the Leadership Team to activate Black leadership centered on Black Health and Black Joy in the outdoors. During leader recruitment, we encourage applicants to reflect on how their outdoor leadership fits in with the Movement for Black Lives. At our annual training, we challenge leaders to adopt our strategy for Black outdoor engagement and to return home as “nature community organizers.”
Inspired by Black history, literature, stewardship, music, and radicalism, our leaders have implemented “Black to Nature” tactics in cities including Minneapolis, Oakland, New York, Cleveland, Baltimore, Chicago, and Charleston, cities that by name recall despair, trauma and rage. Cities that we know by other names: Jamar Clark, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Laquan McDonald, Rekia Boyd, Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, Depayne Middleton-Doctor, Clementa C. Pinckney, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and Myra Thompson.
In 2014, Outdoor Afro issued a call to action for #HealingHikes. Outdoor Afro leaders around the country invited friends, families, church groups and organizations to turn to nature to provide a pathway to healing. In one #HealingHike in Oakland, California, folks descended into the bowl of second growth redwoods and came upon a waterway. The weight of current events held within the light of the beautiful scenery recalled the words of a Negro Spiritual:
Gonna lay down my burden,
Down by the riverside
And on that river bank, participants released their pain and then collectively resolved to take action within their families, workplace and communities.
In 2016, the need for #HealingHikes has continued and Outdoor Afro Leaders have organized forums for communities in response to murders in Orlando, Baton Rouge, and Falcon Heights. In Boston, leader Chaya Harris reflected that after learning about the execution of #AltonSterling, she started the day feeling angry, lost and feeling defeated. That evening she lead a healing hike in the Blue Hills and reflected “Thanks to these Outdoor Afro who joined me, my day’s ending with strength, positive energy and a smile. We shared how we practice self-care, and ways we can support others with mental health. At the end, we felt energized, strong and refreshed.”
In the wake of continued racial discrimination and violence, Outdoor Afro is reaching out to our networks to affirm our commitment to healthy and free Black Lives:
Our Renewed Commitments to You
1) We will continue to create relevant outdoor experiences, including #HealingHikes, that promote Black Health and Black Joy.
2) We will continue to strengthen relationships between our communities and the outdoors by telling known, little known, and unknown stories about Black connections to public parks, watersheds and wilderness. We will continue to reclaim our green spaces.
3) We will continue to urge our network and our communities to take care of themselves, in the spirit of Audre Lorde:
"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."
4) We will continue to cultivate and empower Black Outdoor Leadership. We will steward a network of Black Outdoor Leaders who love each other and the communities they serve.
5) We will continue to lift up legacy of Outdoor Afros in history through their own words:
"Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and mole hill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream"
Our New Commitment
Starting today, Outdoor Afro will launch an open enrollment for our Leadership Team. Motivated individuals who share our values and want to make a difference in their communities can complete an application by visiting our website. We will work with you to ensure every community has access to healing in nature.
We remain grateful to our leaders and network who contribute to our work. While we will never be able to prepare for or inoculate ourselves from injustice, we will continue to heal and move forward in community.
We Need Everyone to Help Protect Alaska's Arctic Refuge
#WeAreTheArctic
Our founder Rue Mapp shares why protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is important. Please join us to help protect this beautiful place, and its people, once and for all!
From Boston to Yosemite: A New Leader's Reflection
Meet Chaya Harris. An Educator, Writer, Camper, World Traveler and First Year Outdoor Afro Leader! Chaya shares her reflection on our recent national training held in Yosemite National Park and a preview of what Outdoor Afro Boston should expect for this year!
What inspired you to apply for the Outdoor Afro leadership team?
Outdoor Afro somehow found me! I love being outside, but was frustrated that I was often alone on these adventures, and rarely saw anyone that looked like me. Sometimes I’ll hike with my dad, and we have a running tally about how many black people we see on the trail; he’s perfected the head-nod and “How ya’ doing?” that comes with the minority territory.
As an educator in my community, I also noticed a disconnect between many children and the outdoors. I know nature can play a crucial part in child development, whether it’s exploring, growing food or learning how to ride a bike, and I want every child to have access to these experiences. Lastly, since Outdoor Afro celebrates and inspires black people and their connection to nature, it is important to share our history and contributions. Learning more about our cultures and our collective impact on nature while having fun outside is a huge bonus!
Why is Boston ready for an Outdoor Afro network?
There’s a huge range of outdoor activities in and around Boston for all interests, ages and fitness levels. Plus a wealth of black and Native history here that isn’t shared widely or frequently enough. Bringing the Outdoor Afro network to Boston gives us the space to explore and connect with our rich culture and history.
How would you characterize your experience joining 60 leaders from the Outdoor Afro training in Yosemite?
In one word: nourishing.
When I headed home from the Outdoor Afro training, I felt like it was high school graduation. I was motivated, excited and felt like I had an understanding family to support me with not only developing a group here in Boston, but also with developing myself. It was bittersweet to leave my new friends so soon, yet inspiring to be a part of a nationwide network.
All of the workshops were just as entertaining as informative. I learned helpful tips for planning events, important elements of community activism, and interesting facts about black wellness, all in an engaging and open manner. Presenters were knowledgeable, and their passion permeated the sessions. In addition to learning, I loved connecting with the other 60 outdoor enthusiasts from veteran leaders, fellow educators to die hard sports fans was just a wonderful experience. Even our partners from REI, Keen, Columbia, Klean Kanteen, and Sierra Club were very welcoming and spoke with me as a friend, not as a customer.
And to top it off, founder Rue Mapp closed out training with a pinning ceremony and a giant Soul Train line!
What was your favorite workshop at the training and why?
I really enjoyed the Risk Management workshop with REI and St. Louis leader Duane Williams. The workshop included and a interactive icebreaker activity, learning risk management the Outdoor Afro way and applying our new tools and knowledge to various scenarios. This lively workshop taught me about facilitating a group, boundaries and cooperating with various personalities. It also revealed that everyone has their unique experiences, and that leaders need to offer empathy encouragement and support during Outdoor Afro events.
Tell us 3 main lessons you learned at the training that you are excited to apply in your Boston outdoor Afro events
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- Fostering a community the Outdoor Afro way. I look forward leading our signature opening and closing circles and also connecting and engaging with members.
- Learning and sharing history. I’m excited to learn about and share the history of outdoor spaces as they relate to Boston’s diverse culture.
- Be prepared! I look forward to applying trip planning skills to preparing upcoming events.
Can you give us a preview of what's in store for Outdoor Afro Boston this year?
This year, Outdoor Afros in Boston should look forward to a variety of activities: exploring the Black Heritage Trail around Beacon Hill, hiking in the Blue Hills, visiting the Inkwell on Martha’s Vineyard, and tracing Sojourner Truth’s footsteps in Western Mass. We’ll also hit the water with standup paddle-boarding and explore a Harbor Island in honor of black seamen. During the winter, of course we have to hit the New England slopes with skiing and snowboarding. I look forward to sharing with my community the many ways to enjoy the outdoors without breaking the bank!
Connect with Outdoor Afro Boston for your next adventure!!!!