East Bay Healing Hike with Outdoor Afro
Oakland’s Outdoor Afro Calls for ‘Healing Hikes’ Around the US
All Are Welcome to Join Hike and Reflect on Ferguson and New York City in Nature
OAKLAND, CA. (Dec. 10, 2014) – Outdoor Afro, an Oakland-based national network designed to reconnect African Americans to nature and one another through peer led outdoor events and social media, announced a national call to action for people to get outside for “Healing Hikes” around the country on Saturday, December 13th.
Near Oakland, California, the hike will take place in East Bay Area in Tilden Park’s Inspiration Point at 9:30 AM to bring residents together who want to respond and reflect on the recent decisions out of New York and Ferguson.
“We believe nature is a healer, and we want people to have a positive outlet to discharge the many complex feelings we all share,” said Rue Mapp, the organization’s founder, and Oakland resident.
This event initiative was inspired by Mapp and the national Outdoor Afro leadership team who recognized together that many people around the country want to engage as a community in solidarity activities with Ferguson and New York City, and desire a way to do so through introspective and conciliatory events.
Members of the Sierra Club, the Children and Nature Network, Boston’s Hike4Life, physicians, and Outdoor Afro leaders around the country are expected to lead and participate.
“Time in nature not only provides a much needed space for restoration and peace, it provides a context in which we can have open dialog and deeply connect to our shared humanity,” says Sarah Milligan-Toffler, Executive Director, Children & Nature Network.
“As stewards of the land, we have an opportunity to become stewards of change as we release ourselves to the outdoors and begin mending our roots that connect us to the earth and to each other,” adds Hike4Life's Executive Director, Jerel Ferguson.
The Oakland easy to moderate-level hike will cover approximately 3 miles over two-hours in the dense and historic east bay hills with time for group and individual reflection.
"The Sierra Club has a long relationship with Outdoor Afro and is thankful for their leadership in the outdoors when our country needs the opportunity for #healinghikes, now more than ever," says Stacy Bare, Director of Sierra Club Outdoors.
Visit http://www.meetup.com/Outdoor-Afro/events/219072862/ to learn more about the event.
(Mods: this is a press release, so I am reprinting in full.)