Coming off the heels of Mother’s Day and the recent birth of my son, I’ve been more intentional than ever about raising my children to know it’s their right to take up space. PERIOD.
Our children need to know that Earth is theirs to explore.
Think about it, …
As a community, people of color have practically mastered the “You can grow up to be anything,” talk.
But, “You can take up space anywhere,”? When has anyone told you that?
Far too often I meet new women and hear a familiar sigh of relief after realizing we’re both outdoor enthusiasts. That sigh is followed by a statement similar to…
‘’I love camping, but growing up, I was always told black people don’t camp.”
Or…
“Rock climbing is for white people.”
You could insert many other perfectly wonderful outdoor activities that we’re told are not for us.
We have enough outside forces who see us as a monolith, agreed? The last thing we need is to insert ourselves into a box.
A quick scroll through our Color Outside: The Community Facebook group disproves the tired argument of “Black People Don’t”. As soon as you enter, you’re met with photos of beautiful women of color. In this space, it’s evident…
We swim.
We stand-up paddleboard.
We camp—on both beaches and in the woods.
We ski.
We run.
We hike.
We do whatever we like.
I’m so encouraged that this community is helping to change the narrative of what WE do.
We do it all.
With a little extra flavor and a whole lot of magic.
N-