The original version of this story aired in 2014. This extended version includes an update as of August 30th, 2016.
One of the Bay Area’s main attractions is its proximity to nature. Only 45 minutes separate Bay Area residents from arriving at the ocean, the mountains, or a hiking trail. But not everybody experiences the Bay Area’s natural beauty.
A 2012 study by the Outdoor Foundation found that only 11% of outdoor recreation participants are black. And National Parks Service estimates that black Americans comprise only 7% of its annual visitors.
There's a mountain of statistics that suggest black Americans don’t go out in nature as much as people of other ethnicities. But one Bay Area organization is attempting to raise those numbers. It’s called Outdoor Afro. The organization attempts to dispel the myth that black Americans don’t have a relationship with the outdoors by leading groups on hikes, fishing excursions, and camping trips. Its founder and CEO, Rue Mapp, says, “Outdoor Afro is an online and in person social and nature network. Our goal is to inspire African American connections to nature. We’re part of a larger conversation connecting people to our great outdoors and moving people toward conservation.”
