- 10 hours ago
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00We are going to spend back in time with the panelists from last year, virtually, JL, Alexander,
00:18yes, we've got Rue Map, and we've got Monica Garrison from the movement that Ford brought
00:25us on board to help with what's called the We Do campaign with the Bronco Sport.
00:31So from then all the way till now, we are going to get into this.
00:34We're going to touch base on what we've been up to, as well as even going further into this
00:39conversation on wellness, especially when it comes to the great outdoors.
00:43Contrary to what folks believe, black women do spend time outdoors.
00:46You're looking at four of us who love to do so.
00:50So we're going to discuss wellness.
00:52Why?
00:52Because we're at the Essence Wellness House.
00:54And with these experts who all lead outdoor and wellness-based organizations.
00:59So let's talk a little bit about each of your organizations, and I'll give each of you ladies
01:04the ability to give us a quick rundown on what your organization is and what it offers.
01:09So Ms. JL, starting with you.
01:11Good morning.
01:12My name is JL Alexander.
01:13I'm the owner and CEO of Black Girls Run, and what I like to coin us is that the dopest
01:18running crew on the pavement.
01:19And so we have a footprint across the nation that encourages women to make active living
01:25and healthy living a lifestyle through the activity of running and provide a safe space
01:30for women to come together, but also increase the awareness that impact the disparities that
01:34impact the black women in our community.
01:36So we do that through running national movements, conferences across the country, and train women
01:42to run 5K, 10Ks, half marathons, and so on and so forth of the sport.
01:48So yeah, so happy to be here.
01:50Good afternoon, everyone.
01:52My name is Rue Mapp.
01:54I'm the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro.
01:57And we celebrate and inspire black leadership and connections in nature, and we do this
02:04through a volunteer program.
02:07This year's class of trained volunteers is almost 120 men and women representing almost
02:1340 states, 56 cities, and we have a participation network now of 60,000 people who hike and bike
02:21and camp and get their outdoor joy and their nature swagger back.
02:29So I'm really thrilled to be here.
02:30I was so excited because we're all here together for the first time since the pandemic.
02:34So thank you so much, everyone, for coming out.
02:37And I just want to interrupt real quick and say, Rue went hiking with Oprah.
02:41Yes.
02:42I mean, that's, you know, that's no small feat.
02:44I mean, who gets to, you know, take a hike with Lady O?
02:47Kind of a big deal.
02:50Hi, everyone.
02:50My name is Monica Garrison.
02:52I'm the founder, executive director, and I like to say the chief storyteller at Black
02:58Girls Do Bike.
02:59We're a group of women who are growing and supporting a community of women to share a
03:05passion for cycling.
03:06So we just want to get you moving, get you outdoors, break down the barriers to getting
03:11you on a bike.
03:12We have our first international chapter in the UK this year, and about 30,000 women support
03:18our rides and are there to support you if you'd like to start your cycling journey.
03:24Awesome.
03:25Awesome.
03:25So let's jump right into these questions.
03:28Order.
03:28But I am really curious to know, how has your journey changed since last year?
03:33And what changes have you implemented to help with your wellness journey?
03:37I mean, I'll kick off probably since my son was born six months before the pandemic, and
03:44I've also had a second child.
03:45For you.
03:46It has impacted, especially becoming a mother during the pandemic in terms of what it means
03:51to pour back into myself, make time for myself, make sure that I'm making time to hit the pavement
03:57and what brings me joy and making that a priority.
04:01That's probably been the biggest thing during the pandemic.
04:04But then also just understanding the value of a village, and then realizing that Black
04:08Girls Run is my village as well, that I'm surrounded by amazing women that have also
04:13gone through the path of motherhood and creating businesses and all of that.
04:19And so making sure that I'm being transparent in my own stories, my own testimonies, that way
04:24other women can learn from me and I can learn from my other over the last year in terms
04:28of how I pour back into myself.
04:30Yeah, I really appreciated what you just said about pouring back into yourself, because
04:35I find that when you do a business that's about the outdoors, sometimes you look up and
04:40realize you ain't been outdoors.
04:43When's the last time?
04:44I think that in the last couple of years, it's been so important for me to remember the medicine,
04:49remember the why of this work, remember the healing and the joy of this work.
04:54And so for me, it's been about doubling down on just that.
04:59Maybe hunting, I'll be playing golf.
05:01I'm like doing all the things in the outdoors that, you know, are pushing me too.
05:06They're not things that are easy for me to do.
05:09And so for me, it's been challenging myself in the outdoors.
05:12The wonderful invitation to marry this man, Darren Jones, sitting in the front row.
05:16Hey, hubby.
05:17I love it, love it.
05:19So I'm engaged.
05:21And I'm also, and to your point about youth and children in your life, you know, I have
05:25young adult children.
05:26And during the pandemic, I had them and helping myself.
05:30So I'm happy to say that I finally have an empty nest.
05:34So on to the next chapter of life, I go.
05:38Look at her gaze in the eyes as she said that.
05:41Hey, stay with us here, Ruth.
05:43Stay with us.
05:44I think I had a similar realization that Ruth did, that I realized that focusing on what
05:50was important was actually going to help me make it through and heal.
05:55And so I think what a lot of people did in the pandemic was realize that they need to
06:00prioritize or reprioritize what people do you want to keep around post-pandemic, what
06:06activities bring you true joy, and don't just fill time and space and keep you distracted
06:12from other things.
06:13So I poured into my kids during the pandemic.
06:16I learned how to say no because a lot of people were trying to justify their jobs by
06:23keeping themselves busy, and I was not going to let them keep me busy, too.
06:26So I learned the power of no and maybe later and let me think about it and just realizing
06:33I made doctor's appointments because I was, you know, neglecting those things.
06:37And because of the way our community was affected, I didn't want to be a statistic and not be
06:43here for my kids.
06:44So I started to, you know, follow up on those things that I was letting, a couple of things
06:48I did.
06:49I love that.
06:51Sounds like you guys are all checking in and some of y'all was real busy, babies,
06:54engagements, doctor's appointments.
06:58I mean, you guys got to do what you got to do.
06:59Wellness is key, and putting yourself first is a very big part of that.
07:04So how do you believe that wellness brings joy to finding the joy of wellness?
07:10I think one thing that we say within Black Girls Run is you set your own pace.
07:15It's your race, your pace.
07:17So with wellness, it encompasses everything.
07:19It's not just the physical.
07:20It's not just the activity, but it's your kindness to others.
07:24It's just how you encompass everything.
07:26And so I think that's what we really preach in terms of it's not just you can't just go
07:30outside and run three miles and then come back in and eat whatever and then choose somebody
07:35out and you're cussing in the parking lot.
07:38So it's, you know, it's just making sure it's just 100% encompasses everything in terms
07:42of wellness.
07:43But then, like I said, the mantra that we preach is that it is your own journey.
07:48You know, live outside of that box of comparison and making sure that you're being genuine to
07:52yourself and your own journey.
07:54I couldn't agree more because it's a lifestyle.
07:58It's a way of life.
07:59It's the decisions you make to say, you know, we're not only going to help take care of
08:03myself, but also take care of the planet.
08:05And it's about this connectivity piece that I find that this work has really helped to
08:11bring forth that joy and that groundedness.
08:15And, you know, I tell people that you can actually look out your windowsill in your kitchen
08:20and connect to nature and connect to that joy, to that flower in bloom or to these peak
08:28experiences or even going on a hike.
08:30I try not to even tell people to go on hikes.
08:33Stop sex.
08:34That's blasphemous.
08:34Listen.
08:35What are you talking about?
08:36Listen.
08:37Go for a stroll.
08:39That sounds a lot more.
08:40Yeah.
08:40And so, like, taking the hardness out of it is my point, right?
08:44So, like, you can connect with nature in easy ways and have the same impact, positive
08:51impact, and positive, obviously, joy.
08:55Can I get the question one more time?
08:57Sure.
08:57You know, I was like, by the time I get to Monica.
09:00So, the question is, first of all, what's your best tip when it comes to finding the well
09:04ness of joy?
09:05And how do you believe wellness brings joy?
09:11Diving recently into the negative health outcomes that women of color have with diseases that
09:20are either preventable by doing these three activities.
09:23And so, I think to affect change in your health, right, so that you don't end up in situations
09:31where you have to advocate for yourself.
09:32So, for me, as I said, making those doctor's appointments and getting those tests done and
09:39following up and all those things, that actually is joyful for me.
09:45I love that.
09:46And here's another question I want to ask you guys, because for me, I've noticed a big shift
09:51in my adventures.
09:52It says, how has your connection to the world changed and alive during the pandemic, and
10:00how did you deal with anxiety, if any?
10:03For me personally, I spend a lot of time in the great outdoors.
10:07I'm a pilot, a diver, a mountaineer, like Bear Grylls in real life.
10:12And so, in my adventures, and so when the pandemic hit, everyone's like, well, what's, are you
10:18traveling still?
10:18And like, how does that affect you?
10:20For me, I wasn't around really anybody anyway, just me, the birds, the bees, the trees, and
10:24the bears.
10:24And so, I did find, though, when the rest of the world, that's when I noticed that I
10:34wanted to start connecting with people more so, because I felt that other people were missing,
10:40you know, having that camaraderie, just someone to talk to.
10:44And so, I found myself kind of reversing, reversing with someone else outdoors, of course, because
10:49we're in a pandemic, and it's hiking, rue.
10:52Listen, I'm going to say hiking, because we ain't going on no stroll if you kick it with me.
10:57Bring your boots, get your water, have your backpack, and we outside.
11:01But I'm very curious to know, you know, how have you kept Connection Alive during the
11:07panorama?
11:08Well, you know, in the sport of running, it's all about mass gathering.
11:12So, we felt a shift very early and had to shift to virtual, running in a space by your
11:19theater partner, get an accountability partner, do virtual races.
11:23I mean, creativity was out the wazoo during the pandemic, I would say that.
11:28But it was definitely outdoors, even though we say we back outside now.
11:33The outdoors technically did not close.
11:35You could go outside just in a safe way.
11:38So, we wanted people to still get outside, space for themselves to be healthy and to be
11:44active.
11:45And we just had to continue communicating that message.
11:47But it was definitely a huge shift for us in terms of how we continue to stay connected,
11:52own together.
11:53And so, that was the idea that people would just have to remain healthy and well during
11:58this time.
11:59And we'll eventually get on the other side.
12:01I mean, and here we are now.
12:02When you said virtual running, did you?
12:04Virtual running, it's a virtual race.
12:06So, you run anywhere, whether it's at the gym, treadmill, your neighborhood, or whatever.
12:10And then you check in once you've completed that race virtually.
12:14And then apps came out during the pandemic where everyone would tune in to the same, like
12:19I said, creativity was through the wazoo during the pandemic.
12:23But yeah, virtual just means you can complete the activity anywhere you are.
12:27Thank you for clarifying because, as you know, I was a track star in high school and I hated
12:35practicing.
12:35So, if you were going to tell me I needed to run and I wasn't going to be doing that part.
12:39No, it just wasn't at a race.
12:41Oh, okay.
12:41You could do it anywhere.
12:42Anywhere.
12:43There you go.
12:43Good to know.
12:45Rue?
12:46Well, you know, in a lot of ways, I felt that Outdoor Afro was really built for the moment.
12:53We were nine as a kitchen table blog and a Facebook page.
12:59And so, we had already a following.
13:01We had already been engaging.
13:02We had a lot of curriculum out there.
13:04We had done our first Outdoor Afro training virtually.
13:08And this was back in 2012.
13:10And so, we felt ready.
13:11And also, as we've heard, it was that nature never closes.
13:17When everything else around us was closing, places of worship, the schools, restaurants,
13:24we'll look outside and know that the sun was still going to rise and set, that my rescue pit bull was still going to scratch her back on the grass,
13:35or that blue scrub jay is going to jump from limb to limb, and so that I had this constant.
13:42And it became really important to amplify that to more people, especially in times of despair.
13:49And I would say in more, you know, like right now times, times of outrage, to remember what will never close, even when the rest of the world may be going totally off the rails.
14:02Yeah, I think, so Black Girls Who Bike, we scrambled a bit because, you know, our whole community is around.
14:11We did, like, Black Girls Run, we kind of pivoted, and we started virtual rides, which were very great.
14:18But what happened, as most of you probably know, is the tide turned really quickly, and people were like,
14:23well, you can't tell me, I can't go outside, and so bikes were everywhere, you know, walkers were everywhere, runners were everywhere.
14:32And so we actually grew during the pandemic, we, like, tenfold almost.
14:38Our memberships swelled, became the center of a lot of people's lives, and therefore they found us as a result of it.
14:45And people were isolated from their families for a while, and then suddenly they were like, well, you can't tell me, I can't, you know.
14:51So the rebellion became a time with their families, and their kids, and their grandparents, and, yeah.
15:00So it was a net positive, even though it was a crazy time, and I think we all benefited from it.
15:08Awesome.
15:10So as we get ready to bring this through, you know how they timing us out there.
15:15I got the five-minute hit on the side.
15:17Sorry, boo.
15:18Are there any new developments that are coming up for Black Girls Run, Outdoor Afro, Black Girls Do Bike, and how can people get involved?
15:28Yeah, mine's back open.
15:30So we're happy to have our conference coming back this September in Charlotte, Sweat With Your Soul, S-O-L-E.
15:36So it'll be a two-day conference, a 10K and a half marathon.
15:40We have our keynote, Layla Ali, and then we're doing national meetups across the country, but our runs have resumed.
15:48Ladies are back running.
15:49Races are back.
15:50So, yeah, we're just encouraging women to continue hitting you where we can welcome you with open arms and get you out on the pavement.
15:58And so go to blackgirlsrun.com to find a community near you as well.
16:01Outdoorafro.outdoorafro across all the platforms.
16:08And as you've heard, nature's cool now.
16:12Lots of people are interested, but they want to find communities of people to do it.
16:17They also can talk on the trail about where to get your hair done, where to get the good food.
16:22You know, so it's about community and relationships, and you don't have to come in being someone who provides the opportunity for you to come as you are.
16:32And you'll be prepared to know what to expect and also be successful and find your community.
16:39And so we're also running a swim program because the black drowning rate is off the hook.
16:45And so it is our challenge and opportunity to teach every child and their caregiver how to join up with Outdoor Afro, and we will help you find the way, especially if there are young people in your life who don't know how.
17:00Because a child who doesn't know how to swim is not going to ease into a tippy kayak.
17:04They're not going to care about plastic in the ocean.
17:07So this is our initiative to make a difference in the world.
17:12And then finally, I have a book coming out.
17:15Beautiful.
17:16So I have my fold on November the 1st, officially, but you can pre-sale it now.
17:22It's called Nature Swagger.
17:25I love that.
17:26Visions and Joes.
17:28A vision, oh, I'm sorry, Visions and Joes.
17:30And we have some bookmarks.
17:33If you can raise your hand, Candice, if you'd like one.
17:36And we'd love for you to buy the book.
17:38And just so thankful to be here and share what's new.
17:42It's blackgirlsdobike.org.
17:44And I would say look us up.
17:48Join us.
17:49We're here for you.
17:50We'll help you transition from wherever you are to wherever you need to be.
17:54We'll meet up, which I'm super excited about for two reasons.
17:57I'm hosting it in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which is my hometown.
18:00And we're expecting 250 ladies, three days straight, a kickoff party, several bike rides, and more.
18:09So you're all invited.
18:11And I would just say that we're all connected.
18:15I think that's what we all have in common.
18:18And we've all found different ways to do it.
18:20But the goal is the same.
18:22And I think we all realize that we have the need or else you wouldn't be here today.
18:27So at large.
18:31So I hope if you take anything away from the stage today, just know that the outdoors is for us in our community.
18:39Here to entry, they will make sure that you are all good.
18:41Whether it's running, we're not saying you got to do a 10K.
18:44We can start with something smaller.
18:47Ruth said we can stroll.
18:48We ain't got to climb out.
18:49We can start you on training wheels if you don't know how to ride a bike.
18:52So at the end of the day, we got something for everyone here.
18:56Okay?
18:57And so I want to thank Ford for bringing us about the joy of wellness.
19:00Thank you, ladies, for joining me.
19:02Have an amazing day.
19:04You're welcome.
19:04And stay tuned with us during the Essence Fest.
19:07And make sure to use the hashtag Our Time.
19:12Awesome.
19:13Yeah.
19:13Yeah.
19:14Yeah.
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