Racism in the Outdoors Resources

Individual Thought Leaders

Amanda Jameson (Wild, Wondrous, Weird, Writing; former AHS NextGen Trail Leader)

Bam Mendiola (Anti Racism Facilitator; former AHS NextGen Trail Leader)

Blackpackers (Outdoors/investigative freelance journalist stationed in the Rocky Mountains.)

Brittany Leavitt (Backpacker.Climber.Photographer.Educator)

Brooklyn Bell (artist, athlete)

Chelsea Murphy (Diversity in the outdoors, Motherhood + Mountain life, Hiking + Runnin, JESUS, Speaker, Writer)

Faith E. Briggs (roots natty wa/onderings, running, documentary + representation)

Family Trail Time (TX chica +PA guy +CA kids, sharing outdoor adventures to empower others to explore California trails & beyond!)

Gina Knox (Outdoor, Travel, Nature, AT 2021 - Seeking Triple Crown, Virgina-based)

Grace Anderson (Co-Director of @pgmonesummit, Look for me in the wilds.)

Janelle Paciencia (Latinx/K'iche' storyteller living on Ute, Arapahoe, Cheyenne, & Lakota territory; photographer; current AHS NextGen Trail Leader)

Jitterbug Art (Illustrator / Wanderer / Nature Lover)

Jose Gonzalez  (#GreenChicano, #SciComm, #PoetWarrior, MeXicano Founder, Emeritus @latinooutdoors)

Karen Ramos (Oaxaqueña,Indígena,ÑuuSavi/Socuiya; Outdoors, Hood-Sustainability, Justice; former AHS NextGen Trail Leader)

Kellee Edwards (Adventure Travel Journalist/TV Host)

L. Renee Blount (Adventure + Storytelling, Adventure Photog, Outdoor Athlete, Strategist)

Latria Graham (Storyteller w/a propensity for tea +troubling boundaries)

Leah Thomas (️Intersectional Environmentalism, activist + eco-communicator)

Len Necefer (Professor of things, CEO: @NativesOutdoors, Generalized alpine suffering)

Liz “Snorkel” Thomas (Former Appalachian Trail speed record, N'tl Outdoor Book Award, Queen of Urban Hiking, Editor @treelinereview, former AHS NextGen Trail Leader)

Marinel Malvar de Jesus, Esq. (Human rights lawyer, writer, and advocate for workforce equity and inclusion of women, people of color, and indigenous communities in the outdoor and adventure travel industries globally.)

Mélise Marie (she/her, phd student↠neuroscience, rock climber, founder - @musementorship)

Miesha Dennis (Changing the Narrative Through Adventure; Founder, She Said What She Said)

Mirna Valerio (multi-brand ambassador, speaker, author)

Ron Griswell (outdoor adventure travel + environmental enthusiasts, practicing mindfulness; former AHS NextGen Trail Leader)

Teresa Baker (Working to increase diversity and inclusion in the outdoor industry)

The Blackalachian (AT‘17, UGRR ‘18, TGOC ‘19, Camino Norte‘19, ‘20 Hiker Of The Year-@blueridgeoutdoors)

The Bucketlist Traveler (Weekend Warrior • Story Teller • Outdoor Enthusiast • Environmentalist)

Wild Gina (Nature is showin’ out. I’m capturing it. Photog, Director, Writer, Producer)

Will ‘Akuna’ Robinson (PCT 2016, PCT 2017, AT 2018, CDT 2019, Army Vet)

 

Affinity Groups

Black People Who Hike (Blackpeoplewhohike was created to inspire people of color to step outside of their comfort zones and get active outside.)

Black Too Earth (Connecting black people to black environmental organizations)

Brown Girls Hike (Centering Black/Brown women on the trails and in nature!)

Brown People Camping (Proud IndianMuslimAmericanWoman diversifying public lands & outdoors 1 story at a time!)

Color the Trails (Group for POC & allies interested in outdoor activities, including hiking, skiing/snowboarding, kayaking, camping.)

Indigenous Women Hike (Healing through our inherent connection to the land.)

LatinX Hikers (Outdoor explorers, Storytellers, Diversity, Inclusion)

Outdoor Asian (Building a community of Asians & Pacific Islanders in the outdoors.)

People of Color Outdoors (Created to provide Black, Indigenous, and People of Color a safe and welcoming way to enjoy nature in Oregon.)

REMiXEcology (to provide under-represented individuals the opportunity to cultivate relationships with themselves, each other and nature in order to holistically improve their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.)

She Said What She Said (Weekly discussions with women from everywhere chatting about everything from unicorns to racism, cotton candy to DEI in the outdoors and beyond)

The Black Outdoors (Igniting your passion for recreation and adventure!)

The Great Outchea (Black, Brown, Indigenous & more exploring the great outdoors.)

We Color Outside (Helping women of color create unapologetic, JOY-filled lives through outdoor adventure.)

 

Non-Profits and Small Businesses

Centered on Black People

Black to Nature (A digital platform that allows Black people to connect and organize their own adventures both locally and internationally.)

Black Girls Run (Black Girls RUN! wants to encourage African-American women to make fitness and healthy living a priority. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 80% of African-American women are overweight. BGR! wants to create a movement to lower that percentage and subsequently, lower the number of women with chronic diseases associated with an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle.)

Black Girls Surf (Black Girls Surf supports girls/women whose career goals are competing in the professional surfing. Through, the fundraising efforts we have been able to send athletes to compete and train with professionals to ensure that they are prepared. Under BGS, participants will have an opportunity to train with world-class surfing professionals.)

Outdoor Afro (Outdoor Afro has become the nation’s leading, cutting edge network that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature.)

Vibe Tribe Adventures (​Vibe Tribe Adventures (VTA) (formally known as Black Girls Hike) is a  global adventure company that was created to encourage Black women to explore the great outdoors, practice conservation of our planet, educate on health and wellness and to inspire one another to be authentically who we are naturally.)

 

Centered on LatinX and AfroLatinX People

Latino Outdoors (We inspire, connect, and engage Latino communities in the outdoors and embrace cultura y familia as part of the outdoor narrative, ensuring our history, heritage, and leadership are valued and represented.)

 

Centered on Native American/Indigenous People

Natives Outdoors (We are in business to empower indigenous communities through our products and storytelling for a sustainable world.)

Native Womens Wilderness (To inspire and raise the voices of Native Women in the Outdoor Realm. To encourage a healthy lifestyle grounded in the Wilderness. To educate Natives and non-Natives on the rich beauty and heritage of the Ancestral Lands beneath our feet.)

Quity Global Treks (A mountain trekking social enterprise that markets treks worldwide with a focus on promoting indigenous women as guides and porters and in creating workforce equity within the trekking tourism industry.)

The Porter Voice Collective (Focuses on using all forms of media to advocate for the human rights of porters in Nepal, Peru and Tanzania and educate tourists about workforce equity tourism.)

 

Centered on Women and Gender Nonbinary

Brown Girls Climb (Small Women of Color owned and operated company with the mission to promote and increase visibility of diversity in climbing by establishing a community of climbers of color, encouraging leadership opportunities for self-identified women climbers of color, and by creating inclusive opportunities to climb and explore for underrepresented communities.)

Outdoor Journal Tour (The Outdoor Journal Tour, lovingly dubbed ODJT, is a community built for women to facilitate personal growth and alignment. We use a beautiful combination of physical activity, guided journaling and meditation to help women create this balance.)

Black Girls Trekkin (Black Girls Trekkin’ is a group, created by co-founders Tiffany and Michelle, for women of color who choose to opt outside. Through our passion, we’re inspiring and empowering black women to spend time outdoors, appreciate nature, and protect it. We hope to build a community that will show the world that women of color are a strong and present force in the outdoors. Join us on one of our Los Angeles group events as we hike, climb, run and embrace the challenges that the outdoors has to offer us.)

 

Centered on Youth

Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps (Development and leadership program committed to building a stronger and more inclusive community. We provide opportunities for youth and young adults to experience and better understand wilderness and natural resources by providing a transformational and immersive experience.)

Girl Trek (Pioneer a health movement for African-American women and girls grounded in civil rights history and principles through walking campaigns, community leadership, and health advocacy.)

Get Out Stay Out/Vamos Afuera (Grassroots, Central Coast nonprofit, that invites Indigenous Migrant youth to run, play, and discover themselves in the natural environment.)

Greening Youth Foundation (To engage under-represented youth and young adults, while connecting them to the outdoors and careers in conservation. GYF’s cultural based environmental education programing engages children from local communities and exposes them to healthy lifestyle choices in order to create an overall healthy community.)

 

Centered on Diversity and Inclusion in General

Camber Outdoors (National nonprofit supporting workplace inclusion, equity, and diversity in the active-outdoor industries.)

Center for Diversity & the Environment (Harnesses the power of racial and ethnic diversity to transform the US environmental movement by developing leaders, catalyzing change within institutions, and building alliances.)

Color the Crag (The Color the Crag Climbing Festival is an event to celebrate diversity in climbing)

In Solidarity Project (Bringing the outdoor industry together to build a more inclusive future.)

Love is King (aims to eliminate fear and establish Resolute Safety for BIPOC and marginalized communities. To ensure an enriching, exhilarating and nurturing experience in nature.

Melanin Base Camp (Join us as we work together to increase representation and opportunities for people of color in outdoor adventure sports. Along the way we won’t shy away from sensitive topics (race and gender) but we’ll do so in a way that creates a safe space for people with marginalized identities.  Join the movement and help us #diversifyoutdoors!)

PGM One Summit (PGM ONE attempts to model [their] vision by creating an intentional space for black, indigenous, and people of color/the global majority who participate in US-based movements for environmental education, access, and justice; land sovereignty; conservation; climate justice; food justice; and others . The space supports participants to share, learn, collaborate, heal, celebrate, build community, find support, and practice uprooting the systems of oppression that operate upon us, between us, and within us. The community that results helps us understand and mobilize our collective power to transform ourselves, our movements, and society.)

Soul River Inc. (Focus on bringing veterans as mentors and inner-city youth together into the wild rivers of nature. They inspire the youth by becoming guardians, teachers, and role models as an act of service.)

Unlikely Hikers (Diverse, anti-racist, body-liberating outdoor community featuring the underrepresented outdoorsperson. We’re an Instagram community, a nationwide hiking group and a podcast!)

Wild Diversity (To welcome and create a sense of belonging in the outdoors for the BIPOC & LGBTQ+ communities.)