Black Women Explore Fosters Safe Space For Minorities To Enjoy Outdoor Recreation In Akron

There are many things that have come out of the pandemic, some bad, some good, the least of which is the Akron-based group Black Women Explore.

The organization does exactly what its name suggests, exploring new experiences with people of color and people of color who know nature and women.

Since the first Black Women Explore walk on May 15, 2021, the group has engaged participants in hiking and canoeing, as well as skiing and yoga classes. The organizers of this year's event hope to introduce participants to cycling.

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Founders Kimberly Young, 42, and Bronlyn Thurman, 32, knew each other after serving on various Akron community boards. Young and Thurman created Black Women Explore in 2020 after the two started walking together during the pandemic lockdown.

“I also think the pandemic has helped us take off a lot of the masks we wear,” Thurman said. “So, either you become more authentic or you start to know who you are under the masks that you wear. I think through the costume, Kim and I really connected and realized how similar we were, which really helped. This friendship.

Thurman has been doing outdoor stunts for over a decade and most recently competed on The Rock. According to Young, his extensive outdoor experience has played a large part in the organization's success.

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The two founders wanted to create connections and a safe place for Black, Brown, Indigenous and Asian women to try new experiences together. Longtime member Rachel Yarbrough, 35, said organizations like Black Women Explore are a rare find.

According to Yarbrough, some companies recognize the need for a like-minded environment, such as a women's resource group or a group for black employees, but they rarely focus on groups around women of color.

"There are some things you can't say and do in a blended partnership, and then you have the option to opt out of a blended partnership. It's really fun and comforting to be in a group of people that you feel like you can belong," she says. What happens in life and let it go.

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One of the group's loudest outings was at Top O' The World in Hampton Hills Metro Park. Young and the other contestants were having a bad day, so when another member said they just needed a good wave, they all joined in, probably freaking out behind them on the ground, Young admitted with a laugh.

For Thurman, Black Women Explore is also an opportunity to challenge the narrative that Blacks, Browns, Indigenous Peoples, and Asians are often absent from underground parks.

"We have a diverse group of women who go out for walks and find a connection with themselves, even if it's 'Oh, we both have the same connection with the hairdresser,'" she said. “They meet someone and feel that there is a sense of belonging and a community that can support them no matter how they feel during the week… It is a safe space where we can enjoy nature and the beauty that is out there, and it's such a wonderful resource that we have that we often don't think about when we're going to use it,” says Bronlin.

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Since starting the organization, more than 140 local members have joined his private Facebook group. Black Women Explore also has a private Instagram chat group for non-Facebook users and plans to launch a newsletter to reach those without social media.

Games and event sizes range from 2 to 15 attendees, but no matter how many people are expected, Thurman and Young takes your safety seriously. The young man still remembers the days when he walked alone and greeted everyone he met, only to get lost and need witnesses for his journey.

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The founders don't post where and when they will hike on their public accounts, which are only used to upload photos detailing past hikes.

Black Women Explore plans various forms of outdoor recreation throughout the year and schedules three meetups this month. They also post online and attend events hosted by other local organizations.

"We want to expose people to all the different things they're going to do with their families, with their friends," Young said.

From home for hikers

The group created a sense of adventure in Yarburg.

The Cuyahoga Falls mom has never been on a paved trail until she joins Black Women Explore on her first trip. The confidence he gained during his first two months with the band eventually spilled over into his personal life. In July, she took her husband and 4-year-old son on a dirt trail at Monroe Falls Metro Gardens for the first time.

"Je suis un peu plus paranoïaque dehors, et lors de ma premiere promenade avec et étant dans les arbres, c'était comme, 'Ce n'est pas montage, ce n'est pas ma zone'", he souvient-her. There, black women offer some relief.

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Now Yarbrough avoids missing flights and has gone skiing and yoga, two things she believes she wouldn't have done without Black Women Explore.

"The group is really good at encouraging you to take this step to overcome your fears," she said. "They gave me that confidence to be ready to try new things."

It's phrases like Yarbrough that make Thurman laugh.

“I love stories like this,” the co-founder said. "When someone gets over their fear of going out and being in these places, it tells me we're doing something right, that we're on the right track."

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Young, who worked for USAA as an anti-money laundering compliance officer, moved to Charlotte, North Carolina six months ago to get the job.

While Akron was sad to leave Black Women Explore, the move allowed the organization to open a chapter in Charlotte. Young said many of the women are interested in outdoor activities as a group in Charlotte.

Thurman's hope for the future is for a sister organization to initiate or host special events for girls and multiracial families. The two founders encourage the men around them to create a collection similar to Black Women Explore, but for black men.

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The founders' expansion goal remains the same: to enable people of color to explore the outdoors, learn new skills and gain new experiences in a safe and supportive environment.

"I'd like to see us grow in the outdoor education space, like how we make sure that people learn to swim and that more people are using resources like ski lessons," Thurman said. "So how do we add more of that educational component, even if we're not the ones teaching it? How do we add more of those components so that people feel more comfortable in those places?"

Contact Beacon Journal reporter Tawney Beans at tbeans@gannett.com and TawneyBeans on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon: Black Women Explore creates a safe space for female-identifying minorities