That’s me, zipping through the sky as if I don’t have a care in the world, yet hearing the voice of my mother yelling from the heavens saying, “Lisa, get your skinny butt down before you break your neck!” 

Never thought I’d walk past my beloved Nordstrom and straight into REI for a pair of hiking shoes.  Me, the “Carrie Bradshaw-Olivia Pope mash-up,” captivated by outdoor activities?  I like happy hours and Sunday brunch with friends.  I like girl talk, book clubs, and gossip blogs.  Then it dawned on me—I’ve always had an affinity for the great outdoors—I’m a Spokanite, damnit!  I was in Campfire for six years—six years of camping every summer.  Then, I moved to Baltimore and seemingly forgot about my Spokane roots.  

From time to time, my “closeted” admiration for the outdoors would surface. For an outdoor retreat, I introduced ziplining to my sorority sisters—who all literally kicked, screamed, and cried, but ended up loving it.  I like to think that I was introducing “Brown faces in white spaces.”  

I learned this phrase in Maryland, meant to caution people of color against doing things that typically did not include them.  Growing up in Spokane, I never heard that phrase because I was always that “token” person of color in these so-called “white spaces.”   

 It’s the great outdoors—it’s for everyone, right? We can’t be naïve to discrimination in outdoor spaces.  Microaggressions against people of color in outdoor spaces are extremely high.  A fear of the outdoors is embedded, especially in Black people, as it relates to lynching and Jim Crow laws prohibiting Black people from visiting National Parks.  Segregation was so ubiquitous that Black Americans couldn’t even take a walk in National Parks. Unsurprisingly, if we fast-forward fifty years later, we still see a lack of representation. Predominantly, outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, kayaking are marketed towards white, middle and upper-class people.  I won’t call it systemic, but lack of representation happens for a reason.  

Now that I’m back home, I’ve been embracing all things outdoors. This started when I joined some friends on a float down the Snoqualmie River—wow, look at us, brown faces floating this river!  Last time I floated the Spokane River, I was definitely the only person of color, however, now all ages, races, and genders surrounding me was a new experience.  

After floating with the group, I learned there is an entire group, “Black People Hike.”  This group is not exclusive to Black people, but to anyone and everyone who appreciates outdoor activities.  The group was founded in 2016 by Dorian Waller, Clarence Henderson, and Toiya Taylor for several reasons:

1. To debunk the myth that Black people do not enjoy the outdoors
2. To provide safety in numbers, because people of color should not hike alone due to the microaggressions and often times harassment from others who still think people of color do not belong.  
3. To help each other along, because there are hikers at different levels of experience.
4. To create community, because it’s fun to go with a group of people who look like you.  

Hike leader Joe Thaddeus, originally from Chicago, was introduced to hiking in 2017 when a friend asked him to come along, and he’s been doing it ever since.  Soon after, Joe started to meet people of all nationalities and colors who wanted to hike, but were afraid to hike alone, or did not know the first thing about hiking.  Joe decided to form a Facebook group with a simple message: We’re Black, we’re hiking, and everyone is welcome to join.  

Black People Hike had a booming Facebook group, but at the time, a very lacking Instagram page (@black_people_hike). Being the social media maven I am, I offered to help in exchange for introduction to more outdoor activities.  Voila! I’ve unleashed not only Black People Hike—EVERYONE HIKES!  Growing our followers on Instagram, I’ve found several groups that have similar missions—getting communities of color outdoors!  

Instagram accounts include:

Asians Who Explore (@asianswhoexplore) 

Indigenous Women Hike (@indigenouswomenhike)

LatinxHikers (@latinxhikers)

Outdoor Outreach (@outdooroutreach)

Outdoor Afro (@outdoorafro)

Outdoor Muslims (@outdoormuslims)

LGBT Outdoors (@lgbtoutdoors)

Diversity Outdoors (@diversityoutdoors)

Diverse Waters (@diversewaters)

Disabled Hikers (@disabledhikers)

This list goes on with various communities enjoying outdoor activities that include kayaking, camping, rock climbing, hiking, surfing, fishing, sailing, and more. 

I feel empowered to live my best Black girl life outdoors.  Gondola sky rides, walking the Centennial Trail, hikes at Mt. Spokane, scooters in the city, and yes, even kayaking Little Spokane River.  I’m on a mission to debunk the myth that Black people don’t hike, because yes we do, and you should join me!