Toyin Ajayi is an entrepreneur and lover of the wilderness, but as a Black woman, she considered herself a minority in outdoor spaces. It only took a few minutes online to understand why.
“When I would do a Google search on the outdoors or ‘outdoorsy,’ I wouldn’t see women like me represented as much,” Ajayi said. “If you can’t see yourself even represented with the word outdoors, you’re going to be too scared to try it.”
This motivated her to start Outdoorsy Black Women, a social network to connect and explore the outdoors in different capacities. Since 2021, the organization has welcomed more than 6,000 members across the nation. Their Arizona chapter now has three groups, including one in Tucson that launched earlier this year.
Outdoorsy Black Women will host its second monthly meetup as a hike in Tucson on Saturday, April 22, and Black women are invited to register and attend the event. Ambassador Ashley Perez started the initial meetups by hosting hikes around Southern Arizona, gauging interest and taking recommendations from the community.
“Since it’s such a new group to the Tucson area, I feel like the sky’s the limit,” Perez said. “We recently had our first meetup last month, and we had a great turnout. I found the Black women in our community have so many interests and skills they haven’t explored.”
Perez joined the organization out of a love for Tucson and its outdoor spaces. She saw Outdoorsy Black Women as a way to pass on her experience and techniques to other women, creating an opportunity for them to find community in a not-so-common place for Black people.
The organization is a resource for Black women and Afro-WOC to experience the outdoors through meetups, forums, book clubs and nationwide events. Outdoorsy Black Women also features a Black-owned business directory and encourages support from allies. Now in Tucson, Perez noted the impact the group will have on the local population.
“This is something new to Black women in our Tucson community and I’m excited to see what the future holds for us,” Perez said. “This is for us to come together and have a safe space to explore the outdoors. It’s for all body types, all different intensity levels and skill sets.”
Ajayi created the space to foster different interests, developing groups for activities like camping, snow sports and homesteading. Along with other events through regional chapters, Black Outdoorsy Women hosts an annual Wine and Waterfall campout in Georgia.
Black women across the country get to experience the outdoors at whatever level they choose, through activities like glamping, vineyard tours and a waterfall hike. Outdoorsy Black Women also has quarterly meet and greets to broaden the community. Ajayi hopes to bring more events to areas like Tucson and also explore outreach options.
“We want to work with schools and get some of the younger ladies more involved in the outdoors,” Ajayi noted. “This includes community outreach in terms of back-to-school drives or giving away equipment to mothers and kids who can’t afford it.”
Though Outdoorsy Black Women of Tucson is in its initial stages, Perez and Ajayi are excited for the potential of the group in Southern Arizona. Perez addressed how families, neighbors and friends can come together to explore the beauty of the desert and its natural resources.
Outdoorsy Black Women not only supports members in the outdoors, but encourages them to define what it means for themselves. Whether camping in the backcountry or enjoying a drink in a backyard, Ajayi hopes all Black women will find a way to be outdoors that works for them.
“When you feel empowered with knowledge and when you feel represented in spaces, you will be more inclined to try new things or feel like you belong,” Ajayi said. “Providing resources and a community will give these ladies the confidence to try new things and claim more space in the outdoors for themselves.”
For information on upcoming events, those interested should register for membership on the Outdoorsy Black Women website or app. Ajayi noted there are free membership options and first hikes are free.
Outdoorsy Black Women Monthly Hiking Meetup-Tucson
WHEN: 9 a.m. Saturday, April 22
WHERE: Info sent to verified members
COST: Dependent on membership plan
INFO: https://bit.ly/OBWTucson
