Followed by an incredible panel discussion with Mardi Fuller, Tasha Harris, Tiffany Gayle Chenault, and Chaya Harris.
Black Ice (Directors Zachary Barr & Peter Mortimer. USA 2022)
Nothing stands in the way for a group of Black rock climbers from one of Memphis, Tennessee's poorest neighborhoods. Their first ever attempt at scaling ice was filmed for the documentary "Black Ice." In a sport where diversity is a challenge, the "Black Ice" story includes race and opportunity questions while highlighting some emotional and personal journeys. Dana Jacobson has the details through the eyes of Malik Martin and Chris Dean, Black Ice follows a crew of aspiring ice climbers from the Memphis Rox gym travels to the frozen wilds of Montana, where mentors Manoah Ainuu, Conrad Anker and Fred Campbell share their love of winter adventure in the mountains.
Trailer
Wood Hood (Directed by Alex Cullen, 2022)
DeVaughn is a 15-year-old kid from New York City who loves skateboarding and craves a "quiet place" to escape the chaos of his home, the city, and kids that steal from him. The film follows DeVaughn on a weekend-long group camping trip with Camping to Connect, a BIPOC-led mentorship program that teaches leadership, brotherhood, and inclusion in the outdoors. One leader states, "these kinds of conversations are rare for men that look like us," and as the film weaves between the city and the woods, a place that is unfamiliar and historically inaccessible to these kids, we witness the joy and growth that is possible when kids have an opportunity to find that "quiet place."
Trailer
Mardi & the Whites (Director Paula Champagne, 2022)
Mardi Fuller has a rich relationship with nature that has evolved and deepened throughout her life. In the last 20 years she’s dedicated much of her time to exploring the landscape in the White Mountains (unfortunately coined “The Whites” by New Englanders) on Abenaki land. In that time Mardi summited all forty-eight 4,000 footers multiple times, often as the only Black person on the mountain. She has experienced great joy from communing with this landscape, but the overwhelmingly white hiking community that is so seeped in white supremacy and colonialism complicates her experiences. Recently, she has focused on creating more opportunities for Black folks to join her in appreciating this magnificent wilderness. Enjoying this land with her community has been a liberating balm that has strengthened her sense of identity as an outdoorswoman.
“Mardi & the whites” is a peek into Mardi’s relationship with the White Mountains, the great outdoors, and the community that surrounds them; Above all, it’s a celebration of Black liberation in the wild.
PANELISTS:
Mardi Fuller advocates for racial equity through writing, speaking and community building. A lifelong backcountry adventurer, in January 2021 she became the first known Black person to hike all 48 of New Hampshire’s high peaks in winter. She lives in Boston where she works as a nonprofit communications director and volunteers with the local Outdoor Afro network. She writes for Outside magazine, SKI magazine, Melanin Basecamp and more. Mardi is committed to personal and corporate Black liberation and thereby, liberation for all humanity. She believes deeply in nature's healing power.
Tasha Harris is a Mom of a sophomore in College, Early Childhood Educator, Forest Therapy Guide, Urban Gardener, Nature Lover and a longtime member of Outdoor Afro.
She works\ resides in Dorchester and can proudly state that there is a Microforest on Norfolk St. because of her vision (and collaboration with her school and community leaders) for a "Healing Microforest in our hood". Tasha believes that "We are Nature" and taking a much-needed timeout in a beautiful greenspace is a key to stress management, wellness and vitality.
Tasha founded Centertime Retreats after her ForestTherapy training program to offer a structured way for folks looking to be guided through a sensory nature immersion retreat
Tiffany Gayle Chenault is a scholar-activist and educator with over twenty years of experience in social justice and inequalities, urban sociology, higher education, and leadership development and organization. Her teaching and research centers around the intersections of race, gender, place, and community organizing and activism. Dr. Chenault holds a B.A in Sociology from Ohio University and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Virginia Tech where she was the first black woman to earn a doctorate in that department. She is also one of the co-ambassadors for Black Girls Run-Boston Chapter. Dr. Chenault recently published an article about historical storytelling consolidates structural white supremacy in the National Parks System.Dr. Chenault is currently working on a book about race and its place in the running community and was recently featured in REI’s Summer 2022 catalog. She chronicles her running experiences on her blog, runisee50.com.
Chaya Harris - National Program Director of Outdoor Afro - info coming soon!