Wild Grief was born and lives to support people in their loss and mourning. Through the events of the last weeks, we are once again witnessing the grief and pain experienced by communities of color, especially Black and Indigenous communities, both historically and today. We join in mourning the recent deaths of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery and the many whose names we do not know.
This is not only about speaking up right now; the work to change the harms of systemic racism is in many actions over time, at the personal and organizational levels. There is much to be done, to support folks healing from this deep trauma, as well as to change the roots of these traumas. We believe that the work of grieving and feeling the pain of grief- our own and others’- is one small piece in the big puzzle of healing.
We are dedicated, compassionate, grief-knowledgeable and predominantly white. We know that it will take ongoing learning and reflection, as well as changes in our policies and practices to ensure that our organization is welcoming, inclusive and reflective of our community at all levels- leadership, program delivery, and participants. Wild Grief is committed to this work for the long term.
We believe and are committed to the power of nature in healing. Connecting with nature through hiking and backpacking is not always accessible or safe for People of Color, especially Black folks. We are learning about the many individuals and organizations that are working to change this and we have deep gratitude for their work. We encourage you in particular to support the work of the following groups through learning and sharing about their work and supporting them financially if you are able.
Wild Diversity is an organization in Portland dedicated to creating a sense of belonging in the outdoors for the BIPOC* and LGBTQ+ communities through hosting outdoor adventures, providing outdoor education, and facilitating community workshops. (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)
Outdoor Afro is a national network that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature, and has chapters across the country including Seattle and Portland.
Diversify Outdoors is a coalition of social media influencers who share the goal of promoting diversity in outdoor spaces where people of color, LGBTQ+ and other diverse identities have historically been underrepresented. Through their website, you can learn about people doing this work in myriad ways across the country.
We are dedicated to doing our part in making accessing the outdoors more inclusive and safe for all people. You may be able to help us further this work; we are open to hearing from you. It takes many minds, many hearts and many hands to make these changes and to heal.
The first step is learning from what we don’t know. We invite you to join us in this learning journey. We are sharing some resources below that we are exploring and found helpful.
Outdoors & Racial Justice
Bad Things Happen in the Woods: The Anxiety of Hiking While Black
The Melanin Base Camp Guide to Outdoor Allyship
Grief & Racial Justice
The Unbearable Grief of Black Mothers
Grief Out Loud Podcast, Suffocated Grief & Supporting Black Youth
Thank you for joining us on this journey of learning and listening with an open heart.
