Outdoor Afro: Reconnecting With Nature

By Sheilah Kast,

Published December 16, 2019 at 10:39 AM EST

Imagine yourself walking among trees dappled with sun. A clear stream gurgles nearby. Maybe your shoulders relaxed a bit just picturing it. But for some African Americans, walking in the woods is tied to a legacy of racial terror, and could trigger quite the opposite response. The national nonprofit Outdoor Afro is inspiring African Americans to reclaim the outdoors as a place to refresh the spirit, replenish the soul … and simply have fun! We hear from the founder of Outdoor Afro, Rue Mapp and local organizer, Monette Bailey.

For upcoming Outdoor Afro events in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area, visit this link.

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Sheilah Kast

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.

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Melissa Gerr

Melissa Gerr is a Senior Producer for On the Record. She started in public media at Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minn., where she is from, and then worked as a field producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland. She made the jump to audio-lover in Baltimore as a digital media editor at Mid-Atlantic Media and Laureate Education, Inc. and as a field producer for "Out of the Blocks." Her beat is typically the off-beat with an emphasis on science, culture and things that make you say, 'Wait, what?'

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