Rooted & Relentless: Rue Mapp on Black Joy in Nature with Outdoor Afro

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Season 1 | Episode 5

Picture this: You’ve got three young kids in Oakland, you're navigating a divorce, you're back in school—oh, and you're also launching a national movement. Sound impossible? Not for Rue Mapp as  the unstoppable force behind OUTDOOR AFRO, Rue didn’t just build an organization; she sparked a Renaissance that’s reconnecting Black communities with the great outdoors.

In this episode, we unpack the often untold history of Black people’s relationship with the land—one of refuge, resilience, and connection. We also tackle the modern barriers that persist and why true sustainability begins with taking care of yourself. Rue gets real about creating welcoming outdoor spaces, using technology as a bridge, and harnessing the power of community through experiences. Plus, we dive into her stunning coffee table book, Nature Swagger—a love letter to the intergenerational joy of Black folks thriving in the outdoors. But this conversation goes beyond hiking or camping. It’s about reclaiming space, rewriting narratives, and remembering that we arenature.

So lace up those boots (or just step outside your front door) and tap into what sustains you—because this episode is all about finding your way back to what’s always been yours.

MORE ABOUT RUE

Rue Mapp is a trailblazing leader in the environmental and outdoor community. She founded Outdoor Afro Org., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and inspiring Black connections and leadership in nature. Under her visionary leadership, the organization has grown into a national movement with 100-plus volunteer leaders guiding activities in over 60 cities, engaging a vibrant network of 60,000 participants. Her innovative efforts extend to Outdoor Afro Inc., where she collaborates with brands like REI Co-op to design stylish and technical outdoor gear, earning accolades including a finalist spot at the Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards. She is also the author of Nature Swagger, a celebrated book exploring Black American connections to nature, featured by Oprah’s Book Club and the Library Journal's Best Books of 2022.

Rue Mapp is a pioneering leader in the outdoor and environmental community. She founded Outdoor Afro, a not-for-profit inspiring Black leadership and connections in nature, growing it into a national movement with 100+ leaders in 60+ cities. She has partnered with REI through Outdoor Afro Inc. to create outdoor gear inspired by Black insights and authoredNature Swagger, a celebrated book on Black American relationships with nature, recognized by Oprah’s Book Club and the Library Journal’s Best Books of 2022.

“I think there’s something really powerful in visual representation that that is like an invitation, an embedded invitation into places. And so if you see people represented in the outdoors as strong, beautiful and free like we are, so it changes the whole game, the whole conversation from being one that’s a deficit.”

— Rue