Featured Outdoor Diversity Organization: Outdoor Afro
As we open Black History Month, we’re sharing another installment in our community effort to showcase organizations promoting social justice and more inclusive access to public lands. This month’s feature organization is Oakland, California-based, Outdoor Afro.
Outdoor Afro is where Black people and nature meet. Founded by Rue Mapp in 2009, Outdoor Afro is the nation’s leading organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature.
Their mission: to celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature.
About Outdoor Afro
Outdoor Afro has more than 100 leaders in 56 cities and connects 40,000+ people to nature annually. Each volunteer leader creates and guides monthly trips and fosters collaborations to strengthen connections with the outdoors.
Their organization reconnects Black people with nature through recreational activities including hiking, birding, fishing, kayaking, gardening, and more – in a similar style, you would do if you were taking family members out.
They work to harness the value of connecting people and connecting people to nature, in the same conversation.
Outdoor Afro also works to disrupt the false perception that Black people do not have a relationship with nature.
Each year they hold annual training for all volunteer leaders to attend. All leaders are required to attend. There are training modules and ongoing education covering everything from risk management to policy to storytelling interpretation.
Outdoor Afro shifts the visual representation of who can connect with the outdoors by taking photos and sharing them with a growing online community. They encourage participants to do the same.
Anyone who supports their mission is welcome to attend their events. You don’t have to have an afro, to be part of Outdoor Afro.
Support and Donate
We invite you to join us in making a donation to Outdoor Afro and support the important work this amazing organization does.
Follow Outdoor Afro
- Website: https://outdoorafro.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outdoorafro
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OutdoorAfro
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/OutdoorAfro
Image courtesy: Outdoor Afro
You Can Help Bridge the Diversity Gap in the Outdoor Industry
An overview of diversity and inclusivity organizations we have supported can be found here. This document contains information about what these organizations are doing and how you can donate to them directly.
We also set up a submission form you can use if you know an organization that’s working to make the outdoors more diverse and inclusive. If you want to see them supported, please submit via this form.