Black Outdoorists Who Inspire Us To Get Outside
In honor of Black History Month, we wanted to share some of the amazing Black outdoorists who inspire us every month to get outside! In an earlier blog, we also listed some of our fav Black orgs. Click here to read more about that!
We hope these lists serve as a great starting point for you to dive in and learn more.
Leah Thomas
IG: @GreenGirlLeah || Website
Leah Thomas is an “eco-communicator” that uses her platforms to educate folks on the intersectionality of environmentalism and social justice. Her content ranges from personal ways to be more eco-conscious to deep dives on concepts of intersectionality and climate justice. She is also the founder of Intersectional Environmentalist, a non-profit that provide educational resources surrounding intersectional environmentalism, and promote inclusivity and accessibility within environmental education and movements.
Parker aka KWEEN WERK
IG: @KweenWerk || Website
Parker is an activist that focuses on environmental social justice with a deep passion for equity in conservation and outdoor recreation. She works to educate white folx on their role in perpetuating white supremacy, help people of color heal from internalized oppression and offer practical solutions to fight oppression in all forms. KWEEN stands for Keep Widening Environmental Engagement Narratives and that is definitely the theme for their accounts. Parker is also the cofounder of Inclusive Guide which helps identify safe spaces for all. She is a firm believer that social media is a tool for social change and regularly posts content that not only provides resources for folks, but content that also inspires introspective thinking and work.
Chelsea Murphy
IG: @SheColorsNature || Website
Chelsea Murphy is an avid outdoorist and mom living by example to increase representation in the outdoors. She encourages and advocates for inclusivity while also providing great backcountry education. We love that she creates content not just from the lens of being a Black woman in the outdoors, but also as a mom hoping to foster a love for nature and the outdoors in her children.
Demiesha Dennis
IG: @BrownGirlOutdoorWorld || Website
Demiesha Dennis, founder of Brown Girl Outdoor World, actively works to change present narratives related to change, inclusion, belonging and safety in outdoor spaces for diverse, historically excluded communities. BGOW provides opportunities in various outdoor activities and education to help increase representation in the community and to provide safe spaces for BIPOC folks to get outside. In her spare time, Demiesha is an avid fly angler and has passion for other outdoor activities like snowboarding.
Jamichah Dawes
IG: @TheBuffaloAngler || Website
Jamichah Dawes is an avid outdoors enthusiast with a soft spot for fly fishing! His passion runs so deep that he opened the first Black-owned gear shop in the US, Slim Pickins Outfitters. Their shop has various collections celebrating Black history and joy in the outdoors. Jamichah’s work goes beyond retail and his shop supports various non-profit initiatives such as Black Outside and Fatties On The Fly that encourage Black folks to get outside.
Justin Tucker
IG: @TrailheadJustin || YouTube
Justin Tucker is a queer adventurer, thru-hiker, and all-around outdoor enthusiast from Baltimore, MD. Their content inspires folks to hit the trails whether it is a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail or a shorter day hike close to home. In addition to their hiking and outdoors passions, they are an official Oath Facilitator. You may catch Justin in an Oath Workshop this year helping you find the tools to create your own action plan for planet, inclusion, and adventure!
Alexis Nikole
IG: @BlackForager || YouTube
Alexis Nikole will teach you all about foraging- identification, fun facts, how to gather, and even how to turn your foraged finds into tasty treats. We doubt you’ll watch a video of hers without smiling! Her recipes emphasize delicious, healthy, and environmentally conscious cooking and we love how each is connected deeply to our planet.
Lesford Duncan
IG: @The_Roads_Les_Traveled || Website
Lesford Duncan is an avid adventurer, advocate, and ultramarathoner. In his professional life, he serves as the Executive Director for Outdoor Foundation, an organization focused on helping youth and their families build lifelong relationships with the outdoors. We are so grateful to also have him as a Founding Member of The Oath!
