Basementeer Spotlight: Outdoor Afro
We're honored to be one of Outdoor Afro's partners through our Basementeer Program. We cannot wait until group gatherings are safe so we can support Outdoor Afro members in getting outside through our Sports Basement Outdoors program! Learn more about Outdoor Afro from their organizers below:
ABOUT OUTDOOR AFRO
Where Black People and Nature Meet: Started by Rue Mapp as a blog about her passion for nature in 2009, Outdoor Afro has since grown into a cutting-edge nationwide network with 90 volunteer leaders in 30 states guiding hundreds of outdoor events each year based on a simple mission to celebrate and inspire African American connections to nature through recreational activities like camping, hiking, birding, fishing, gardening, skiing—and more!
SINCE THEIR INCEPTION THEY'VE:
- Disrupted the false perception that Black people do not have a relationship with nature
- Shifted the visual representation of who can connect with and lead in the outdoors
- Worked to restore outdoor leadership back to the home
- In 2018, we held our first international expedition to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania - which was widely covered in the media.
Our profile continues to grow with featured coverage in the Wall Street Journal, O Magazine, ABC News, Ebony, Outside Magazine, Backpacker Magazine, The Weather Channel, and many other media outlets.
THE NUMBERS
In 2020, Outdoor Afro is:
- Cultivating and training a team of 90 outdoor leaders
- Leading over 1,000 events - virtual and in-person
- Reaching well over 40,000 participants in 30 states
- Continuing policy and advocacy work
- Hiking with Oprah Winfrey
- Engaging millions of people through our digital outreach
Follow them on social and visit their website for updates and to sign up for their newsletter.
UPCOMING INITIATIVES
Our 2020 national leadership training and summit was hosted virtually. The inspirational training brought together 90 leaders from around the country enabling us to offer many more activities and engage thousands more people this year. Also, we will deepen our conversation with legislators and policy makers to ensure equitable access to nature for all and increased conservation awareness. We have three key goals this year:
CREATING INFRASTRUCTURE
UPGRADING DIGITAL TOOLS
PARTNERING FOR A DEEPER CONNECTION
We need your help to protect, restore and repair relationships between people and nature.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT
Outdoor Afro lifts up community leadership and expands connections between people and nature through outdoor recreation.
Your tax-deductible donations help broaden their reach and leadership in communities around the country so more people can help take care of themselves, our communities, and our planet! You can help support by making them your Basementeer Beneficiary and donating to them directly below: