This summer marks 25 years since Great Outdoors Month took root as a celebration of the great outdoors, a way for the federal government to raise awareness of natural spaces and inspire people to go outside. For Rue Mapp, the Founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro — a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature — spending time outdoors has been natural to her since childhood. Through Outdoor Afro and with support from the Capital One Foundation, REI Cooperative Action Fund, and outdoor retailer REI Co-op, Mapp aims to guide future generations to find nature wherever they are located. 

Nature Never Closes 

Mapp has been an outdoor enthusiast for as long as she can remember. She spent her childhood swimming in the local creek, exploring country roads, and learning to hunt, fish and grow food on her family ranch in California. Not having seen Black people and Black communities represented in the glossy magazines and in media like she did on the family ranch, Mapp founded Outdoor Afro as a social enterprise in 2009. In 2015, she incorporated Outdoor Afro as a 501(c)(3). Through the organization, Mapp has worked with people from all walks of life and age spectrums like preschool teachers, firefighters, military veterans, teens, postpartum moms, and grandparents to “rewire their connection to the outdoors and help to amplify Black joy and healing to make the experience a core component of their daily lives.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when it became too isolating to stay indoors, Outdoor Afro became a way to teach people about things like public parks and trails. “Malls, churches, and restaurants were essentially closed during the COVID-19 pandemic but nature never closes,” said Mapp. 

Hosting transformational programs like its annual Outdoor Afro Leadership Training, the organization teaches people about outdoor conservation, education, and recreation so that volunteer leaders can recreate nature-rich activities in their own communities. The organization also formed Making Waves, a national program that aims to “help every Black child and their caregiver in their sphere of influence learn how to swim, and develop a positive relationship with water.” According to Diversity in Aquatics, “African American youth are more likely to drown in public pools, (47%) when compared with White non-Hispanic (33%) and Hispanic/Latinx populations (12%).” 

Mapp plans to invest the grant from the Capital One Foundation to continue building out the resources to “service future generations.” For her, an outdoor organization is more than just having a passionate founder. 

“We’re helping people take learned skills like recreating nature programs or developing water safety skills back to their communities,” said Mapp. “That means that we’ll do exciting things like help people incorporate family hikes into their routine, or to continue to fund swimming classes as a way to open the door to a world of outdoor recreation.”

In addition, Capital One and REI have partnered on the REI Co-op Mastercard, bringing cardmembers a compelling set of benefits and inspires REI members' daily pursuit of a life outside by rewarding everyday purchases to support their outdoor adventures. In addition to the investment from the Capital One Foundation, Capital One also supports the REI Cooperative Action Fund with an annual donation.