2023 Holiday Gear Guide: 9 Outdoor Afro-recommended stocking stuffers for next year’s adventures
Outdoor Afro has tested and provided honest commentary to a great deal of gear and equipment. Throughout nearly 15 years of organizational existence, some have been a definite no. Others aight. Then, there are the keepers. As headquarter doors close to spend more time with family and friends this winter, Outdoor Afro's gift to you are a few nature goodies that top 2023's Holiday Gear Guide. Products staff, volunteer leaders, and community participants use and share frank feedback about across U.S. neighborhoods. Check out the brands highly endorsed for 2024 adventures connected to land, water, and wildlife. This list of both legacy and new brand partners goes beyond mere social collaborations. Outdoor Afro's here-and-now partnerships are true relationships – ones valued and cultivated to help communities make informed decisions about products and services that truly benefit a range of nature lifestyles.
CLIF BAR SNACKS
CLIF® Bar was born on a bike in 1990 and built with athletes in mind. The idea for a better-tasting bar was born. Today, CLIF® Bar continues to make organic, plant-based energy food. For nearly a decade, CLIF® Bar has been a proud partner of Outdoor Afro. CLIF® continues to grow its partnership with CLIF CORPS, an initiative where CLIF® Athletes donate their time and resources to support nonprofits that make the spaces where we live and play more accessible and inclusive. In 2022, professional tennis icon and CLIF® Athlete Venus Williams joined Outdoor Afro on a beach hike to experience our organizational mission: celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature. Williams and Outdoor Afro Founder and CEO Rue Mapp met for the first time and both participated in a local Outdoor Afro beach hike held in Miami. Sharing their love of the outdoors at Virginia Key Beach. CLIF® Bar and Outdoor Afro believe people should feel proud to be who they are, wherever they are — on the court, trail, field, or elsewhere.
ENO HAMMOCKS
Shop and get ready to swing away with Eagle Nest Outfitters (ENO) colorful selection of hammocks. Our organization truly believes in the quality leisure experiences this gift can also afford you, family, and friends. In fact, Outdoor Afro received the fun opportunity to co-brand a limited-edition print with ENO not once. But twice. Together, we rolled out the Kili Mapp Kili. First in 2021, which sold out. Then, in 2022 for a fall relaunched that made its way to newer backyards and road trips that year. “I wanted people to feel warmth and joy every time they’re in this hammock,” said Leandra Taylor, Outdoor Afro volunteer leader and artist behind the then in-demand design. Know that ENO designs hammocks that are portable, packable, and always adventure-ready with the latest design technology.
KEEN WATER SANDALS
KEEN inspires everyone to live with no ceiling. This family-owned, values-led maker of hybrid footwear – sandals, boots, and sneakers – produces more than products. The care KEEN puts behind each shoe is a true experience that positively impacts our planet. Better known as the KEEN Effect. KEEN responsibly creates original and versatile products designed to fit the diverse lifestyles of its fans at work and play. The shoe creator has been an Outdoor Afro legacy partner since 2012. The time-honored partnership segued into a water sandal collaboration in 2021 to help bring awareness about our Making Waves program. Launched in 2019, this life-saving, water-nurturing program helps every child and their caregiver within our sphere of influence learn how to swim. This year, Outdoor Afro set an ambitious goal to teach 1,000 children and guardians water safety and basic swim techniques. Our Programs Department is happy to report: Outdoor Afro hit the splash mark because of supporters like you.
KLEAN KANTEEN THERMOS
This gear has filled up Outdoor Afro volunteer leader adventure kits for years. Klean Kanteen offers colors that pop in nature, but it’s the durability for us. Especially for those longer hikes, bumpier bike rides, and multi-day camping trips across our regions. Ninety-five percent of Klean Kanteen’s products are made with recycled steel. The family- and employee-owned B Corp lives for big ideas and the boldest of moves to produce quality outdoor gear. Another legacy partner of Outdoor Afro, Klean Kanteen donates to our year-round programs. The brand also helps ensure our volunteer leaders and community participants know how to make healthy, eco-friendly choices before going outside. “We choose partners who believe in the work we’re doing and want to support that work,” said Mapp. “We prefer ‘trust partnerships’ like the one we have with Klean Kanteen, where they offer a combination of financial resources, in-kind support, and amplification of our message. This is so important to us. We truly believe that impact arises out of relationships, not just financial donations.”
OUTDOOR AFRO x OAKLANDISH SHIRT COLLECTION
It’s our not-for-profit organization’s coziest collection. Co-branded with longtime community partner Oaklandish, our signature shop of tees, hoodies, and long-sleeve tops are comfortable conversation pieces. A year ago this month, the collection relaunched with only Outdoor Afro's most popular shirts. These shirts are gifts that keep on giving, too. Know that each purchase continues to support core year-round programming. You can also become a repeat holiday helper here. “We recognized early that our community loves our logo, and wants to represent it loud and proud,” said Mapp. “Having a merch store is a fun and accessible way for our community to continue to support our charitable work. As a longstanding collaborator, we’re ever more excited to now embark on this new chapter of collaboration with Oaklandish.”
OUTDOOR AFRO INC. x REI-CO-OP HIKE COLLECTION
Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) believes a life outdoors is a life well-lived. That it’s in the wild, untamed, and natural places that people find their best selves, so its purpose is to awaken a lifelong love of the outdoors for all. Since 1938, REI has been the local outdoor co-op working to help people experience the transformational power of nature. Another legacy partner for Outdoor Afro, the co-op brings top-quality gear and apparel, expert advice, rental equipment, inspiring stories of life outside, and outdoor experiences to enjoy independently or share with loved ones. In 2021, for-profit enterprise Outdoor Afro, Inc. (corporate partner of not-for-profit Outdoor Afro), came online and co-created a hike collection with the co-op that debuted September 2022. The multi-year, universal collection offers electric hike fits for all body types and neighborhood experiences.
SMARTWOOL SOCKS
Restock your sock collection with comfy styling options co-created by our heritage partner, and global sock and apparel brand Smartwool. Its Merino wool socks feature a Virtually Seamless™ Toe to prevent chafing; 4 Degree™ Elite Fit System to stop bunching, blisters, or sock slippage; Indestructawool™ for unmatched durability; and mesh venting for maximum breathability and moisture management. Our organization had the chance to collaborate with Smartwool on two Outdoor Afro Hike Zero Cushion Print Crew Socks in previous years. “Slice of Nature” socks in 2020 and a “Black Joy” in nature collage socks in 2022 that launched on the heels of our then second annual Juneteenth commemoration.
STANLEY COOKWEAR
Stanley products have literally traveled on oodles of American outdoor adventures for more than 100 years now. The brand has powered daily coffee breaks. Assisted meal prep days in nature. Provided the right amount of storage gear for food and beverages (on and off the road). With each passing year, Stanley continues to innovate, bringing timeless and modern solutions for outdoor exploration to backyard chill sessions. Outdoor Afro champions brands like Stanley for helping to build more sustainable communities through modern, reusable products. Through Outdoor Afro camping events that take place throughout each year, volunteer leaders, network participants, the organization’s staff, use Stanley products to make outdoor cooking creations easier to manage.
YAKIMA RACKS
Outdoor Afro participants across our U.S. networks love a good neighborhood bike hike – whether it's in the form of leisure, mountain, or road cycling. For avid cyclists who join our bike rides, we highly recommend Yakima’s single to multiple rack options for regular riders. Why? Because we literally use them ourselves. Since 2012, our partnership with Yakima has traditionally included leadership education about how to use its gear and equipment easily and safely. Yakima affords durable designs for off-road, eBikes, and even RV travels. For “power” explorers, Yakima supplies snow, water, and basecamp equipment to prepare for 2024 Outdoor Afro trips with us as well. *Illustrations by Dajah Callen.
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide organization. Outdoor Afro's U.S. networks include nearly 100-plus volunteer leaders who guide nature activities in up to 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people annually. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro @outdoorafro and outdoorafro.org.
Outdoor Afro opens enrollment for 2024-2025 cohort of nature innovators in neighborhoods nationwide
National not-for-profit organization Outdoor Afro seeks new volunteer leaders to lead local activities that creatively reconnect U.S. neighborhoods to land, water, and wildlife. “The Outdoor Afro volunteer leader is a truly unique community leadership role that has attracted scientists, athletes, farmers, foragers, artists, animal lovers, and adventurers passionate about sharing their expertise,” said Outdoor Afro’s Chief Program & Innovation Officer DD Johnice. “So if you love being out in nature – and crafting unforgettable experiences for friends, family, and your community – join us.” Annually, the organization continues to expand and recruit new volunteer leaders.
For the 2024-2025 cohort year, Outdoor Afro is in pursuit of nature pioneers who care about and have expertise in outdoor recreation; actively engage in lifestyle activities (biking, hiking, trail running, fishing, foraging, farming, watersports) and; want to share their joy and knowledge with Black people in their local community. Outdoor Afro searches for outdoor creatives, educators, and explorers in the following locations: Denver, Colorado; Salt Lake City, Utah; Detroit, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; Asheville, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Dallas, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Austin, Texas; Houston Texas; Iowa; Wisconsin; Columbus, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Tallahassee, Florida; Portland, Oregon; Chicago-NW Indiana, Illinois; and Atlanta, Georgia.
“Outdoor Afro’s volunteer leaders have been incredible stewards of our almost 15-year mission of inspiring and celebrating Black connections and leadership in nature,” said Outdoor Afro’s Program Strategy & Growth Manager Gina Wright. “Through this leadership opportunity, our organization makes sure these outdoor innovators are able to grow their risk management skills; gain access to modern gear and equipment; and participate in our meaningful partnerships to strengthen relationships to nature.”
Outdoor Afro volunteer leaders also receive opportunities to experience free or discounted admission to national parks; contribute to national media stories about the organization; and access annual training at secluded retreat spaces. Once selected, volunteer leaders attend Outdoor Afro Leadership Training (nicknamed OALT) held each year in April at a private nature location in the United States. During this signature training dubbed the brand’s “most wonderful time of the year,” OALT equips volunteer leaders with essential tools to guide their local communities in nature sustainably and safely.
The training is organized by staff and experienced volunteers who share Outdoor Afro’s history, values, best practices, and industry knowledge, including: trip planning basics, health impacts of nature, conservation ethics, risk management, and effective social media storytelling practices. New leaders learn how to center joy in the outdoors while also disrupting a false perception that Black people do not have a relationship to nature.
Outdoor Afro formed nearly 15 years ago with the mission of celebrating and inspiring Black connections and leadership in nature. The organization established OALT in 2012. With just a dozen volunteer outdoor enthusiasts, OALT became an opportunity for each to take the call and digest directly from Outdoor Afro’s Founder and CEO Rue Mapp. Her nature calling: teaching outdoor innovators how to inspire and guide unforgettable experiences in the outdoors. Are you the next open-air expert Outdoor Afro is looking for?
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide organization. Outdoor Afro’s U.S. networks include nearly 100-plus volunteer leaders who guide nature activities in up to 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people annually. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro @outdoorafro and outdoorafro.org.
DD Johnice: Outdoor Afro's Chief Program & Innovation Officer
She's a lot of cool titles. Serial entrepreneur, accomplished strategist, innovation executive, and mom. DD Johnice has successfully built a career of solving problems that matter to employers, customers, and society. Today, she serves as Outdoor Afro’s inaugural Chief Program & Innovation Officer. In this role, she implements original programmatic strategic initiatives; leads the organization’s digital strategy and transformation; and engages in fundraising and partnership endeavors to scale the national not-for-profit organization.
Johnice collaborates across the senior management team and board of directors on operational and programmatic strategies, including marketing strategy, customer journey optimization, and external relationship development. She plays a vital role in cultivating existing relationships with public and private funders while driving marketing efforts to enhance program impact and reach.
For more than 20 years, Johnice has held leadership roles in every aspect of innovation — creative, technical, human capital, and business — across the healthcare, advertising, retail, and media industries. She also serves as CEO and Chief Product Officer of The Wonder Guild, a speculative design advisory she founded in 2000. Johnice nurtured a global following of senior leaders she advises on developing products and systems that grow enterprises while protecting the environment; respecting and improving human lives; and becoming global citizen leaders with ESG-based growth models.
Within the healthcare industry, Johnice led a multidisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians, designers, and strategists as the Vice President, Health Transformation Lab for Blue Shield of California. The team partnered across the enterprise to develop partnerships, products, and services that make healthcare more affordable, equitable, and valuable to members, healthcare providers, and customers.
Prior to joining Blue Shield, Johnice guided digital health, community health, and social innovation teams at Kaiser Permanente. She and her team applied technology and startup economy approaches to tackling the social determinants of health to improve health outcomes and quality of life for all. Johnice describes herself as a “weaver,” a natural dot connector.
She excels at combining the best from every industry, market, and people to new teams and ventures; building new capabilities; crafting new products and services; and leading transformative, sustainable, and equitable change. When not working, Johnice enjoys nature hikes and aquaponics with her brilliant daughter. She also likes writing, sculling, and collecting cute robots and Japanese dollhouses.
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide organization. Outdoor Afro’s U.S. networks include nearly 100-plus volunteer leaders who guide nature activities in up to 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people annually. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro @outdoorafro and outdoorafro.org.
Nature gateways to GivingTuesday 2023 with Outdoor Afro
Symbolizing a season of replenishing and re-establishing oneself before the new year, November equally sets giving into motion. Right after Thanksgiving is GivingTuesday. Known as a global generosity moment, the Nov. 28, 2023, day launches Outdoor Afro’s end-of-year giving to wrap up the organization’s annual accomplishments in nature and neighborhoods nationwide. “This time of year always brings us a sense of warmth and gratitude,” said Outdoor Afro Founder and CEO Rue Mapp. “Because of our supporters’ belief and investment in our organization, Outdoor Afro is able to continue to serve as both nature stewards and neighborhood lifesavers as we care for each other and our planet.” As Outdoor Afro looks back on the past 11 months, here are all the ways supporters have continued to help achieve its mission work to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature:
OUTDOOR AFRO LEADERSHIP TRAINING: This annual training held in April each year guides the newest class of volunteer leaders through best practices for creating activities and leading in nature safely and sustainably. The weekend training is designed to equip a select group of volunteers and innovators from across the United States with the essential outdoor skills needed to return to their hometowns and guide their local communities outside in outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Outdoor Afro professionally develops more than 100 volunteer leaders who represent the organization's four regions: Northeast, Midwest, South, and West.
LOCAL ACTIVITIES: After Outdoor Afro Leadership Training completes, volunteer leaders originate, host, and guide events in their local to regional communities. These authentic activities range from neighborhood historical walks and cultural art experiences to gardening, biking, hiking, fishing, swimming, skiing, geocaching, nature journaling, and kayaking. Volunteers provide more than 1,200 in-person to online events for multigenerational participants to join.
MAKING WAVES: The life-saving program formed in response to the alarming number of Black children who drown today tied to the historic prohibition of Black access to public swimming pools and beaches. Since 2019, Outdoor Afro’s goal has been to teach every Black child and their caregiver in its sphere of influence learn how to swim. Currently, Outdoor Afro provides Swimmerships™ (swim lesson scholarships) through Making Waves. With 1,200 Swimmerships™ completed before the end of 2023, the program continues to gain support from brands like KEEN and CLIF Bar to help bring awareness and stronger connections to water.
JUNETEENTH: Media created a flawed narrative about Juneteenth. Labeling it as a “celebration” to the end of slavery in the United States. For the past two years, Outdoor Afro has educated the public about the reality of the situation. June 19, 1865, is the date when 250,000 enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free – 2.5 years after the Emancipation Proclamation (signed Jan. 1, 1863) went into effect. Outdoor Afro corrects this oftentimes “celebratory” story by rephrasing the day as a “commemoration.” To honor those who were denied 2.5 years of freedom, the organization encourages its networks, partners, and communities to spend 2.5 hours in nature to reflect on what freedom means to them.
Created in 2012, GivingTuesday unleashes the power of radical generosity – the concept that the suffering of others should be as intolerable as one’s own suffering. The New York City-founded nonprofit includes a global network of collaborators that encourage goodness around the world. Its mission is to build a world where generosity is part of everyday life. As simple as making someone smile. Assisting a stranger. Addressing a community issue. Every act counts. “Our work would not have had the chance to grow and flourish for nearly 15 years now without consistent and enthusiastic support,” Mapp said. “We're only able to fulfill our mission to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature because of our supporters' trust and participation in our mission, which fuels our passion and gratitude each day.”
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide network with 100-plus volunteer leaders in 60 cities, with network participation reaching 60,000 people. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people with the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro @outdoorafro and outdoorafro.org.
Outdoor Afro names Dr. Mamie A. Parker 'Lifetime Achievement' recipient
She ascended to the stage, glimmering in the night’s joy. Her maroon and silver gown sashayed with each quaint step. Bringing the memory of her late mother, Cora Parker – an Arkansas maid and tenant farmer – front stage to celebrate in the moment. Overjoyed, Dr. Mamie A. Parker squeezed Outdoor Afro friend, Founder, and CEO Rue Mapp before the award exchange. It’s the national not-for-profit’s ninth annual fundraiser, Glamp Out, held Oct. 20, 2023. Mamie, 66, recently received Outdoor Afro’s distinguished “Lifetime Achievement” award at Bloc15 in Oakland for her decades of innovative conservation work.
Mamie pledged her outdoor career to fish and wildlife biology, as a success coach, and to later serve as a principal consultant for countless state and federal agencies. Because Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” played as her Glamp Out walk-on song, it was only customary for the wildlife conservationist to give the crowd a quick two-step and a few shimmies as she approached the podium. “Good evening,” she said with a well-grounded tone and delicately sliding her readers onto her smiling face. “I know you can do better than that. In my culture, when we call, we ask you to respond.” The crowd gladly did with louder claps, whistles, and good evenings in reply to the Wilmot, Arkansas, hometowner.
Mamie emphasized her roots to help explain her call-and-response request. It’s due to her purpose-driven travels from a sharecropping South to serving as a key presidential appointees’ house adviser with several administrations that she often delivers messages of resilience across America. Hopeful words she’s shared in different formats across world stages. Against-all-odds stories that crowds either hear for the first time or need to hear again. “Dr. Parker is a history maker,” said Mapp to Glamp Out guests. “She served as the first African American U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regional director of the 13 Northeastern states.”
FWS is the oldest federal conservation agency, tracing its lineage to 1871. It’s the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is the management of fish and wildlife for the American public. Notably and repeatedly, Parker entered outdoor spaces as a “first” in similar conservation and wildlife environments. Appointed by the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Parker was also elected as the inaugural Black chair of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Commission. Mamie earned the American Fisheries Society’s highest honor – named after its first woman president – for her outstanding work promoting clean drinking water in nationwide streams.
This presidential rank awardee also became the first Black woman to serve as Head of Fisheries in the United States. The avid angler was appointed as the special assistant to the director and later became the assistant director in the FWS headquarters located in Washington, D.C. – the first Black person to hold this title. Among other pioneering roles, Parker also held the post of the board chair of the Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries Commission. While there, the board passed a resolution that became a model for other states, changed the board name from “game” to wildlife, and protected migratory birds threatened by major bridge construction. “I always say that if it weren’t for my mother, I probably would have been kissing instead of fishing,” said Parker, chuckling with the evening’s Glamp Out audience.
Cora raised Mamie and her ten other children in a four-room house. In an era where young women were expected to step into homemaking and caretaking roles. Cora, along with the hit song “Mercy, Mercy Me” by Motown sensation Marvin Gaye, inspired Mamie to look after Mother Nature instead. Mamie spent almost 30 years as a fish and wildlife biologist to tackle challenges like radiation and pollution because of Gaye’s lyrics. Just as Mamie looked up to her mother and the musical artist, Mapp admired Mamie’s pioneering outdoor trajectory for years. Mamie served as the first Black judge of the 2013 Federal Duck Stamp Contest held in Ohio.
Ten years later, Mapp followed in this webbed footpath as an art judge as well. FWS produces the Federal Duck Stamp, which sells for $25 and raises approximately $40 million annually. Revenue from stamp sales is used to protect wetland habitats in the National Wildlife Refuge System, benefiting wildlife and contributing to people's enjoyment. Since its establishment in 1934, sales of the Federal Duck Stamp to bird watchers, outdoor enthusiasts, collectors, and hunters have helped raise more than $1.2 billion to conserve more than 6 million acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife.
This year’s contest of more than 200 submissions took place Sept. 15 and Sept. 16 in Des Moines, Iowa. For the first time in Federal Duck Stamp Contest history, the judging panel included all females: Gail Anderson, MJ Davis, Rebecca Humphries, Dr. Karen Waldrop, alternate judge Jennifer Scully, and Mapp. “Becoming a judge for the contest was an opportunity I had no idea existed for me,” said Mapp, “even though I have been purchasing the annual stamp in recent years.” Mapp did know Mamie pioneered this fun but nail-biting platform. A role that required weighing in thoughtfully to determine only one creative’s artwork on behalf of U.S. citizens. “Dr. Parker has blazed a path for people like me and organizations like Outdoor Afro,” Mapp said to nearly 140 fundraising attendees, “to step into positions of conservation policy, governance, advocacy, and influence that continue her legacy.”
Mamie’s lifetime in outdoor play and professional circles always left lasting impacts regardless of the waters trodden. She adds her Glamp Out recognition to a hefty list of avant-garde honors: The Governor of Arkansas enshrined Mamie into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame. During 2020, she became the recipient of the John L. Morris Lifetime Achievement Award, named for the founder of Bass Pro Shops. She earned The William P. Reilly (the first head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Environmental Leadership Award. Followed by the Presidential Rank Award – the highest honor bestowed upon federal employees. Above all these credits: “Dr. Parker is a connector, friend, homegirl, wife, and mother,” Mapp said to conclude her appreciation and love for Mamie, “who never ceases to light up every room she’s in.”
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide network with 100-plus volunteer leaders in 60 cities, with network participation reaching 60,000 people. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people with the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro @outdoorafro and outdoorafro.org.
Purpose of pulling up our socks with Smartwool fall 2023
Outdoor Afro and brand partner Smartwool found common ground in community, sustainability, belonging, and the outdoors since 2020. Each organization’s leadership has collaborated on outdoor industry initiatives together for many years prior. The national not-for-profit organization celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. Smartwool provides comfortable, capable gear that empowers outdoor enthusiasts and athletes to go far – and feel good along the way. Both make a classic pair in what an authentic partnership looks and feels like in nature experiences for everyone. With a shared mission to make the outdoors easily accessible, Smartwool’s latest sustainability efforts and fall 2023 collection make the apparel brand a natural collaborator.
Outdoor Afro’s selected and trained volunteer leaders guide their hometowns in year-round activities – fishing, hiking, biking, kayaking, gardening, skiing, and more. Annually, community participants who join the Outdoor Afro Leadership Team in these monthly nature experiences often ask: What is the best gear and equipment to invest in for our next event? These Outdoor Afro network participants always want to make sure they’re exploring nature in their neighborhood safely, sustainably, and with the best comfort. Why Smartwool is Outdoor Afro’s top recommendations in foot protection and base layer support. Since 1999, the apparel brand has redesigned its base layers to provide all-day comfort and outdoor performance. Smartwool’s newest autumn arrivals connect with Outdoor Afro’s annual programs and monthly outdoor activities, just in time for a cooler and wetter season ahead.
COLD-WEATHER COMFORT: Smartwool’s new collection offers designs to accommodate cooler weather adventures. Pick from a range of Merino wool styles, socks, and gear in fall-ready colors for all generations. The outdoor fashion brand’s fall collection also includes newer prints of its Plus Size Classic Thermal Base Layers. With sizes from 1X to 4X, more women can enjoy autumn adventures feeling comfortable and confident in their gear and equipment. Speaking of new sizes, Smartwool’s Unisex Collection also features relaxed, open silhouettes for everyday styling. For upcoming plans to tackle the slope season, skiers of all levels and backgrounds can gain even more room with Smartwool’s Extra Stretch Calf Ski Socks.
ART OF THE OUTDOORS PROGRAM: This Smartwool program and collection celebrates culture, community, and creativity outside through collections and collaborations. The program brought together talented artists and storytellers from all walks of life. This year’s collection features artwork from creatives such as Brittany Lewis, Trickster Company, Jordan Ann Craig, and the Natives Outdoors Collective. Each brings their interpretation of the outdoors to various audiences to explore. It’s fun. It’s colorful. It’s for everyone to enjoy.
THE SECOND CUT™ PROJECT: The project is one of Smartwool’s efforts to achieve a more sustainable product line — and contribute to a more accessible outdoors. To date, Smartwool has donated more than a million socks, saving more than 86,000 pounds of waste from landfills. Shifting to a circular business model, the Second Cut™ Project turns old, unwanted socks into new, recycled ones. And get this: even dog beds. This year, Smartwool released its Second Cut™ Hike Sock — a trail-ready sock made from a 50-50 blend of sock waste and responsibly sourced Merino wool.
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide network with 100-plus volunteer leaders in 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people with the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro at outdoorafro.org and @outdoorafro today.
ABOUT SMARTWOOL: Based in Denver, Colorado, Smartwool® is a sock, apparel, and accessories brand whose products are designed to get the most out of the inherent benefits of Merino wool to bring comfort, confidence, and community to a life lived outside. For information on the full range of Smartwool® products or to find a dealer near you, visit Smartwool.com. Smartwool, a division of VF Outdoor, LLC, is a brand of VF Corporation.
Tickets on sale for Outdoor Afro's ninth annual fundraiser
Registration is now open for the nature glitz and glam of Outdoor Afro’s signature fundraiser Glamp Out. The national not-for-profit’s annual event takes place Friday, Oct. 20, at Bloc15 in Oakland’s Jack London. The ninth annual fundraising fun begins at 6 p.m. and concludes 10:30 p.m. Pacific Time. “Glamp Out is our celebratory evening where outdoor enthusiasts and national network supporters from around the country come together each year,” said Outdoor Afro Founder and CEO Rue Mapp. “We appreciate the opportunity for our community to dust off their hiking boots and dress up with us in support of our impactful programs and honor stellar leadership.”
RSVP HERE
Since 2015, Glamp Out has been Outdoor Afro’s annually anticipated fundraiser that celebrates the organization's milestones and ambitions for the coming year. This year’s theme, “Elevation,” signifies Outdoor Afro’s impact and intention for the Black American community. Throughout 2023, Outdoor Afro has continued to amplify its signature programs, strategic partnerships, and influential people with a growing, national team. Glamp Out will roll out the red carpet to help reach its 2023 organizational goals, featuring the following Bay Area speakers and performances:
HOST: Dave Clark, KTVU’s award-winning news anchor
BEATS: DJ Red Corvette, multiformat musical announcer
AUCTIONEER: Michael Tate, seasoned fundraising strategist
PERFORMERS: BET Sunday Best's Ashling Cole and accomplished saxophonist Vincent Lars
The fundraising affair also will salute Outdoor Afro nature achievements. The organization’s aim is to raise more than $200,000 in support of its year-round programs:
MAKING WAVES: Outdoor Afro’s promise is to teach every child and caregiver within its sphere of influence how to swim. The program launched in 2019 by Mapp after learning through CDC research that Black children now drown at a rate 7.6 times that of white children because of historical barriers. To date, Making Waves has awarded hundreds of "Swimmerships" (or swim lesson scholarships) around the country. The program’s ambitious 2023 aim: supporting 1,000 new swimmers in receiving local lessons.
OUTDOOR AFRO LEADERSHIP TRAINING: Now in its 11th year, this training teaches more than 100 men and women from across the United States how to guide their local communities safely and sustainably – for greater health and healing of all people and our planet. Contributions help Outdoor Afro volunteer leaders expand their training to include wilderness first-aid, recreational water safety skills, and model aspirational nature opportunities.
SIGNATURE CAPSTONE EVENTS: These experiences introduce volunteer leaders and local neighborhoods to the exploratory possibilities in nature and change the face of who can become an expeditioner. In the past, Outdoor Afro has prepared more than a dozen climbers to scale Mt. Kilimanjaro and certified 26 leaders as canoe or kayak instructors. Your support of Glamp Out helps advance the skill-building, confidence, and growth opportunities through pioneering models of adventure for the Black community.
Each year, Glamp Out welcomes more than 250 nature leaders, community supporters, cultural champions, elected officials, and celebrities. All coming together on behalf of Outdoor Afro’s mission to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature. Glamp Out is a chance for Outdoor Afro’s national community to exercise generosity to support conservation through community-led engagement in nature.
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Glamp Out purposefully recognizes individual and community contributions to Outdoor Afro – the organization’s way of upholding one of its key values of changing the narrative of who leads in outdoor spaces. The fundraiser helps continue to build lasting relationships while strengthening leadership opportunities in the outdoors. “Our programs are welcoming and multigenerational,” said Mapp, “leading to transformations both online and offline for people and the natural world.” More about Glamp Out here. Glamp Out sponsorship opportunities here.
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide network with 100-plus volunteer leaders in 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people with the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro at outdoorafro.org and @outdoorafro today.
5 pieces of poolside advice for new Outdoor Afro swimmers
Calling for caregivers and kids: Register to Outdoor Afro’s Making Waves program and graduate with stronger relationships to neighborhood waterways. Since 2019, Making Waves has provided water safety, drowning prevention, and proper stroke technique for beginner poolsters. In short, swimming fundamentals. Outdoor Afro founded the nationwide program because natatorium research revealed rather shocking U.S. community news. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, Black youth ages 10 to 14 drown in swimming pools at a rate more than 7.6 times that of white children. A public health disparity due largely to decades of exclusion and segregation from beaches and public pools. “After learning of this alarming number and that it continued to grow, Outdoor Afro decided to make an impact within our sphere of influence,” said Founder and CEO Rue Mapp.
The national not-for-profit organization launched Making Waves four years ago in its hometown of Oakland to teach kids and caregivers how to swim at local pools. The program has undergone start-and-stop challenges with COVID. Huddles with identifying qualified swim providers with sufficient and welcoming instructors. Yet, the program has propelled forward. Making Waves has managed to provide lessons at no cost to nearly 400 new swimmers thus far. This year's goal: teach up to 1,000 new swimmers by the end of 2023. In collaboration with select swim providers across the United States, both kids and their caregivers take anywhere from six to eight, 30-minute lessons, valued at roughly $150 for the entire learning experience.
The program covers all lessons designed to teach safety precautions, water confidence, and the correct stroke styles. With each session, Swimmership recipients gain health and wellness benefits. Exercise that increases stamina, flexibility, and strength. Improvements in posture, coordination, and balance. Stress alleviation through peaceful and relaxing movements. Before signing up for this opportunity, carefully read these guidelines for a successful program adventure with Outdoor Afro:
EQUIPMENT
Aside from swimming gear like swimsuits, trunks, ear plugs, goggles, and swim caps for hair protection, pool equipment is minimal to bring to beginner lessons. Swim instructors typically provide useful buoyancy aids. RUBBER RINGS: A great help mate for getting your feet off the bottom of the pool. Fitting snug under your arms, these water rings are a first step to building confidence in the pool. ARMBANDS: Providing body support, this aid gives the advantage of freeing up your arms and legs. As your trust in the water increases, you can gradually deflate bands. FLOATS: This effective aid comes in assortments. Still, each shape offers support to practice arm and leg movements. Outdoor Afro's select providers are Red Cross certified swim instructors who know exactly what types of water devices are best to advance each individual swimmer’s performance and confidence.
SAFETY
When engaged in any outdoor activity, safety is the highest priority. Know and respectfully adhere to swimming pool safety rules. By doing so, you will avoid a lot of dangerous and life-threatening accidents poolside. Even while visiting other waterways such as rivers, lakes, and beaches. Remain honest with yourself about your swimming experience. Stay within your water depth until becoming an adept swimmer. Also, create enough space between you and those who are in sections of the pool like the diving area. Pools are slippery scenes, so absolutely no running. If seaside, never attempt to swim when danger flags are up. And under no circumstance swim solo.
HEALTH & HYGIENE
Not in the best of health, don’t force a Making Waves swim session. That includes ear or nose infections. It’s also not a good idea to swim immediately after eating a hearty meal, which can lead to stomach cramps. As far as cleanliness goes, take a short shower before and after swimming to prevent recreational water ailments. Come gear and equipment prepared by using only washed towels and swimwear. For toddlers, swim diapers are highly recommended to preempt major potty accidents. After every swim lesson, make sure to dry thoroughly, especially between toes. Infections like verrucas and athlete’s foot easily spread in damp conditions.
CONFIDENCE BOOSTERS
The very sight of a pool or open water intimidates some beginner swimmers. Trusting yourself in this new activity is a process. Outdoor Afro’s select swim providers teach confidence-building exercises to strengthen water relationships. Starting with relaxing. Some tasks to expect to increase poolside comfort: WALKING. Avoiding the pool’s deep end as a beginner, shoulder-deep water is a safe space to stand. Then, walking while your arms work underwater starts to develop a first-step sense of security. BLOWING BUBBLES. After getting your shoulders wet, practicing bubble blowing with your chin in the water is another foundational step toward rhythmic breathing techniques. TREADING WATER. With armbands and floats as your initial support, gradually lift and alternate your feet. You will increase your foot speed until holding yourself up without touching the bottom of the pool is achievable.
ELEVATING TECHNIQUES
Once your beginner lessons through Making Waves complete, don’t stop swimming. There’s still more to master. After you’ve become proficient in basic strokes and standard dives, check off these next steps to increase your swimming pool confidence. NO 1. Join your local swim club. They welcome new swimmers and offer additional support. Even new swim buddies. NO. 2. Register for competitions. Once you’re swimming like a fish, enter special events to fine-tune performance. NO. 3. Sign up for advanced diving, underwater swimming, and lifesaving technique coursework. Each reinforces and advances your technique. NO. 4. Explore newer water fun. Watersports like waterski-ing, windsurfing, scuba diving, kayaking, and canoeing help expand physical capabilities and allow you to try outdoor activities you probably would have never accessed before.
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide network with 100-plus volunteer leaders in 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people with nature through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro at outdoorafro.org and @outdoorafro today.
Outdoor Afro’s communications director wins first-place awards at Outdoor Writers Association of America
Candace Dantes, Outdoor Afro’s first in-house communications director, won in two writing award categories during Outdoor Writers Association of America’s (OWAA) annual conference. The wins took place in Gulf Shores, Alabama, Sept. 9, through Sept. 11, 2023. The veteran award-winning journalist and marketer garnered first-place outdoor industry awards in the “Blog, Gear/Technical Contest” for her original digital feature “Made Together: Outdoor Afro + REI Co-op” and “Open Contest” for Outdoor Afro’s 2022 annual report titled “Year of Operations.” “What a homecoming experience these awards are for me,” said Dantes, 39, originally from Milledgeville, Georgia. “I’m deep-rooted in the Georgia Black Belt Region. Where good-old front porch storytelling and community fellowshipping are just a natural part of Southern culture.”
Dantes made history for the national not-for-profit organization – earning the brand’s first communications awards as a OWAA member. She joined OWAA during June 2022. Outdoor Afro at the end of 2021 to elevate its strategic communications direction. As its only full-time newsroom staff, Dantes leads the organization’s Marketing & Communications Department. Within a year, she rebranded Outdoor Afro’s site and social presence. Continues to re-educate digital audiences and the general public about the brand’s nature and community work. Her department contributes to organizational programming by using 21st-century traditional and new media approaches. Increasing brand awareness and online engagement.
Dantes also travels across the United States to capture Outdoor Afro stories, shifting the visual representation of what Black joy looks like in the outdoors. Year-round Dantes launches national Outdoor Afro marketing campaigns like its Black History Month series, Juneteenth commemoration, Making Waves swim program, and Glamp Out fundraiser. In between this year’s social activations and storytelling projects, Dantes served as a first-time judge of trade show Outdoor Retailer’s 13th annual Inspiration Awards in Salt Lake City, Utah. Right before that, Dantes became a 2023 “Black Women in Food” honoree. Cuisine and beverage agency Dine Diaspora recognized 31 innovative women throughout the African Diaspora. Dantes in the “Amplifiers Category” for her contributions to Georgia Black Belt farming narratives of U.S. Department of Agriculture grant project Black Farmers’ Network.
A year prior, nonprofit Women of the West named Dantes 2022 “Journalist of the Year” at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. That same year, Dantes and her brother, certified arborist Edward Morrow, were both featured farmers in Ebony Magazine for its “Queen Sugar” finale coverage. A product of centennial farmland in Baldwin County, Georgia, the fourth-generation farmer and cowgirl has spent childhood to adulthood horseback riding, rodeoing, and gardening. Dantes’ editorial portfolio aligns with her lifestyle, primarily devoted to Southern-based, rural farming communities.
By way of Outdoor Afro, she has been able to leverage her agricultural upcoming and multigenerational experiences to develop interdisciplinary content that links outdoor, travel, and tourism industries. Researching, testing, and writing about modern agribusiness and agritourism possibilities for producers in a now digital economy. Prior to Outdoor Afro, Dantes worked in both higher education and local newspapers. She held posts as editor and publications specialist at both Columbus State University and Georgia College & State University. Digital contributor of Georgia’s legal organ, Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In both industries, the Georgia State University print journalism grad won first-place awards with Georgia Press Association in hard news and feature writing. Subsequent awards with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in “Best Articles of the Year,” “Publication Writing,” “Video Script Writing,” and “Publication Rendering for Mobile Technology.”
Overseas, she joined London’s Black Beauty & Hair Magazine as a beauty writer and style consultant on a Black cowhand campaign for advertising agency M&C Saatchi. She’s collaborated with brands Justin Boots, Wrangler, and Durango Boots. Most recently, worked as content creator for REI Co-op and Cotopaxi. Publications Cowboys & Indians, Cowgirl Magazine, Outdoor Retailer’s The Daily, and Travel Weekly have featured Dantes. She’s helped rural Georgia farmers garner earned media with major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Nation, Thrillist, and CNN.
With OWAA, she’s a member of travel outfits Wanderful and Future of Black Tourism. Serves as a communications adviser for America the Beautiful for All Coalition and is a committee member of Blue Sky Funders Forum. For nearly 100 years, OWAA has helped educate, inspire, and share best practices to outdoor creatives. Dantes now helps magnify its mission. “It’s been one heck of a rodeo ride with Outdoor Afro successes,” said Dantes. “As long as I’m able to document our relationships to land, water, and wildlife for newer generations to find inspiration, I’ll continue to put my best boot forward.”
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide network with 100-plus volunteer leaders in 60 cities, with network participation reaching 60,000 people. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people with the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro @outdoorafro and outdoorafro.org.
It's Giving: Outdoor Afro's 24-hour #Give828 fundraiser
National not-for-profit Outdoor Afro observes Black Philanthropy Month via Give 8/28 fundraiser today, Aug. 28, for the first time. The fundraising day celebrates Black-led and Black-benefitting organizations like Outdoor Afro across the United States. In 24 hours, Outdoor Afro aims to raise $1,000 toward its mission to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature. Hosted by The Young, Black & Giving Back Institute (YBGB), this national day of giving is the only giving day focused explicitly to uplift the significance of Black-guided nonprofit organizations. Give 8/28 seeks to stimulate support for organizations working at the grassroots level to empower Black communities in areas such as education, mentoring, economic empowerment, health and wellness, and policy advocacy.
Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people and Black communities to land, water, and wildlife through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Annually, the organization selects and trains more than 100 volunteer leaders who guide their local communities in outdoor activities – like hiking, biking, gardening, fishing, camping, skiing, and more – safely and sustainably. Give 8/28 takes place during Black Philanthropy Month and commemorates multiple historical landmarks in Black Americans’ march toward freedom:
Aug. 28, 1945: Major League Baseball President Branch Rickey met with Jackie Robinson to tell Robinson that he was integrating the Majors.
Aug. 28, 2005: Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. The storm, which devastated New Orleans, disproportionately impacted many of the city’s Black residents.
Aug. 28, 2020: Chadwick Boseman, actor and originator of the modern "Black Panther" character, T’Challa, passed away.
The excessive impacts of experiences such as COVID, gun violence, inflation, and social injustice that Black people have faced and continue to live through illustrate the significant need for resources within Black communities. YBGB Institute Founder Ebonie Johnson Cooper established Give 8/28 in 2018 with 114 participating nonprofits. Each collectively raised $12,700. Every year, Give 8/28 partners with crowdfunding platform Mightcause to provide an infrastructure for the online giving day. In 2020 and 2021, Give 8/28 raised more than $328,000 for more than 720 Black-led and Black-benefitting organizations with support from 3,916 donors.
Last year, it raised $252,629 from 1,702 individual donors. Like the YBGB Institute, Outdoor Afro cultivated its national community online. For the past 14 years now, the nature organization has been on the ground, ensuring neighborhoods are equipped with Black joy and healing opportunities by simply going outside with one of its nationwide networks here.
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO: Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. What started as a kitchen table blog by Founder and CEO Rue Mapp in 2009 has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide network with 100-plus volunteer leaders in 60 cities with network participation reaching 60,000 people. Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people with the outdoors through outdoor education, recreation, and conservation. Follow Outdoor Afro at outdoorafro.org and @outdoorafro today.