Season 2, Episode 6: Camping in sleeping bonnets with Camp Founder Girls

CJ (Narration): Fort Negrita is a member cooperative dedicated to increasing awareness of a non-extractive, environmentally-functional lifestyle by offering opportunities for marginalized people to make a livelihood while living and giving gently on planet Earth. They offer zero waste-tested reusable products, content for increasing awareness, and local programming. 

You can follow them on social media: IG - @FortNegrita, searching for FortNegrita on YouTube, and/or donate to support their work via their website www.FortNegrita.com

Gabrielle Gbolahan: I'm not necessarily outside. But I guess I enjoyed when we did game night like, and one of the questions were bring out your sleeping bonnet, and I guess I don't know, I guess I've only seen my mom and my sister wear bonnets before and it was just nice seeing other people do it too. I guess I just felt part of a group. It just...it felt nice.

[INTRO]: You’re listening to Outside Voices Podcast. We’re using our outside voices to redefine what it means to spend time outside and connect to nature. I’m your host, Sarah Shimazaki. Let’s get started. 

CJ (Narration): Hi, my name is CJ Goulding, and welcome to my second guest episode of this season where we are amplifying Black stories. 

As someone who is a kid at heart but did not get to go to camp growing up, I thought it would be great to experience it vicariously this episode. The Outside Voices we tend to follow on instagram and listen to most often are adults, and this episode is an opportunity to bring in the perspective of young Black girls and campers, to learn from them about how impactful this experience and a connection to the outdoors can be. 

February was Black History Month and March, Women’s History Month. One of the ways we can honor and nurture women, especially Black women, is by creating intentional spaces that support, affirm, and encourage their growth. One of the best examples I know of is Camp Founder Girls, a historically Black camp for girls, and the first one of its kind, founded way back in 1924.

Angelica: My name is Angelica Holmes. I am the Executive Director of Black Outside, the umbrella organization. And I am the Camp Director for Camp Founder Girls, our girls camp for Black girls, which is underneath that Black Outside umbrella.

I've been doing that for, I guess, almost a year at this point, started at the peak of the pandemic, and in April of 2020, which is a great time to take on an executive role. It's been a crazy journey. But it's been a really fun one. And I'm really excited about everything that we've been doing.

CJ (narration): Over the course of a week in February, I had a chance to talk to Angelica as well as a family (a mom and her two daughters who have been involved), to get their different perspectives on the power and beauty of a space like Camp Founder Girls. Let’s meet them here too.

Kayla: So my name is Kayla Gbolahan. I am 10 years old.

Gabrielle: I'm Gabrielle Gbolahan and I'm 14 years old.

Naphtalie: And I'm Naphtalie Gbolahan, my age will remain unknown

CJ (narration): Let’s start by getting to know Angelica.

Angelica: I believe that I'm special just because I exist. I think that's what makes me valuable. That's what makes me worth it. That's what makes me unique. I exist. And I think that's enough. Lately, I've been on this kick of not feeling like I have to prove myself or you know, be 'black excellence' to be black and excellent. Right. I breathe so I'm excellent. I love it. That's the energy I'm on all Black History Month.

CJ: Like, I don't have to be "shiny" Black excellence. I am Black. I am excellent. The end. Exactly. And I love that energy. 

CJ (narration): Angelica moved to San Antonio for Teach for America, but spent her childhood growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas. Let’s hear about some of those impactful experiences outdoors from her childhood.

Angelica: I didn't grow up super outdoorsy. Any, anytime anybody ever asks, I tell them that my mom was a super diva. She wore four inch heels every single day, she was always dressed to the nines. She was a businesswoman, she wasn't going outside to sweat. So I definitely had to figure out my outdoor journey on my own. 

I think summer camp was definitely a really important experience. Those times were super impactful for me, just in my development as a person, as a leader, as a woman. 

Honestly, I can just picture myself in a swimming pool every summer. I've always really connected to water, and just loved being able to have that sense of freedom, that sense of just like liberation, swimming, feeling really unchained. I think those are some of the times when I look back if I think about what really excited me as a child, definitely going outside to play with my friends, ride bikes around the neighborhood.

CJ: You talked about going to summer camp at a young age in elementary school. I was going to ask the question about catalysts that may have brought you to this space of where you as the executive director. Is it fair to assume that summer camp then influenced you working with Camp Founder girls now? And if not, what is one of those experiences for you?

Angelica: Summer camp, I think is like a really, really, really important moment in a young person's life. And unfortunately, that's not something that a lot of Black kids in particular, get a chance to experience. It's really a whitewashed activity. 

To be honest, straight up, I was one of very few Black kids at my summer camp. And I know that's the story for a lot of Black girls and boys around the country. It's not something that is particularly seen as for us. I definitely would say that camp was a really formative experience and definitely a good chunk of the reason why I do what I do.

CJ: What were you doing before you became the Executive Director of Black Outside? And what prompted you to step into this opportunity?

Angelica: I was a classroom teacher for three years. My first two years I did Teach for America here in San Antonio. And then I moved to Austin for a year and I taught but I was still working with Black Outside. That's when things really started getting off the ground. I was just volunteering a lot of my time, and we were starting Camp Founder Girls and then I decided to kind of transition into that role full time and work with Black Outside and Camp Founder Girls.

CJ: So for those people listening who may not be familiar with Black Outside, can you give us an introduction or an overview? What is the intention? What is the purpose? Where was it founded? And why?

Angelica: I was coached by a guy named Alex Bailey, my second year teaching (shout out), and he was a really great mentor to me. And he remembers a conversation that we had when I told him, I love kids. My heart is particularly with the marginalized kids. But I said, I don't imagine myself being in the classroom forever, I want to eventually move into a more free space, working with kids outside of the classroom. And so he remembered that when he was developing his grand idea, which was Black Outside, which the mission is just straight up to reconnect Black youth and youth of color to the outdoors. 

Nationwide, only 7% of national park visitors are Black or African American. And here in Texas, Texas State Park visitors only 1% identify as Black or African American. So that was obviously a huge problem. For him when he saw it, that adventure gap. And so he decided to start this organization focused on getting kids out. 

So our idea is that the earlier the kids get outside, the more they're exposed, the more it feels like just a part of their everyday life for them to go on hikes, go backpacking, go camping, go fishing, go climbing, whatever it is that sparks joy in them. So our goal is just to get kids out, have them dibble and dabble in a little bit of everything. And hopefully something sticks. Hopefully, they'll have really meaningful experiences in the outdoors. So Alex tapped me to join the board, as I was finishing up my teaching career.

 CJ (narration): Angelica’s journey and the connections that flowed through her life really resonated with me, from previous camp experience, to teaching in the classroom, to volunteering with Black Outside, and eventually to restarting Camp Founder Girls. As someone whose career journey hasn’t exactly been typical or linear, I believe that following your passions often leads you to the right place. Let’s hear more about the story of Camp Founder Girls.

Angelica: I love talking about Camp Founder Girls. It's Black History Month. Camp Founder Girls in and of itself is Black History. So first thing, I said I was a board member with Black Outside as we were just starting things of figuring out what we wanted the organization to look like, you know, I was really on the ground level helping to plan and Alex would start sending me these random like news clippings and articles and old pictures of Camp Founder Girls, OG Camp Founder Girls.

And I'm like, Oh, cool. All these black and white pictures of girls in skirts. Yay, that's nice.

We had already planned on starting some type of summer camp for girls, but we really didn't know what we wanted that to look like and feel like and after reading the stories of Camp Founder Girls, we were obviously really impressed by the story.

It was started in 1924, which is almost 100 years ago. And there was a lady named Mattie Landry who was from San Antonio. And she was really passionate about the outdoors, but mostly just about the development of the girls at her church and the girls that she knew. She decided to start this camp and she called it Camp Founder Girls, they wanted to be like a chapter of a national organization and national like, girls group organization, but they denied her access to that, for lots of reasons. But definitely, race had a huge factor to play in that.

And so they decided to found their own camp and she called it Camp Founder Girls. Camp Founder Girls lasted for about 40 years and Miss Landry was running the whole thing pretty much by herself by every account, she was that strict auntie who was just that H.B.I.C. And so all the stories of Miss Landry always just crack me up. You can even see in some of the pictures, she'll just be scowling. She was that type of auntie.

So when she passed away, the camp kind of fizzled out. And we decided to bring it back in 2019. We got permission from her family, from people at the church and to officially take over the namesake. So we just learned more about their story. And we decided to try to keep some of the same fundamental values and some of those ideas from their original camp, but make it a little more modern, a little more new age.

CJ (narration): Now, I love the idea of one just being in touch with our history, of being rooted, which is rich and important. There’s so much to learn from. The intention is never to say that anything that happened in the past has to be exactly how it was today. And there's also no intention to replace our history with what we're doing in the present and into the future. I believe a big part of Black history, or Black culture, is that transference, that adaptation, and that passing down from generation to generation. 

It's exciting to see that happen here with Camp Founder Girls, and even in the way we talk about Black History Month. Nowadays, I'm seeing more conversation around Black futures, and the recognition that you can't focus on futures without properly tapping into the strength of our history. Both sides of that perspective continued to show up in these conversations. 

So hearing Angelica’s passion was one thing. I was also excited to talk to the Gbohalan family, Naphtalie, and her daughters Gabrielle, and Kayla, to hear what it was like participating in Camp Founder Girls. 

CJ: I already know from the first few minutes that I've been talking to you that you all are special. You all have a great personality, great smiles. There's an excitement about the things that you're experiencing right now. So, I know you're destined for greatness, and I want you to give us a sneak peek. What are some of the things that you enjoy doing or that you want to do in the future?

Gabrielle: I guess I'll go first. I want to go to college and become a nurse, a family nurse practitioner, and maybe become a substitute history teacher. I kind of enjoy history, like World Geography.

Kayla: I want to either be a chef or I want to be a math teacher.

CJ: What are some of the favorite things that you enjoy doing? And it doesn't have to be specifically around Camp Founder Girls, it can be anything. What are your favorite things to do?

Gabrielle: me and my family do family movie night on Friday nights every Friday so that's something I enjoy and I enjoy doing volleyball. 

Kayla: I enjoy doing swimming and cooking and making new things

CJ: (To Naphtalie) What brought you to bringing your family into Camp Founder Girls?

Naphtalie: My husband does some outdoor activities as well. And there were some other people that were a part of Camp Founder Girls and Black Outside in San Antonio, Texas. And he just happened to mention in passing that there's a camp exclusively for young African American girls. And at that time, it was supposed to be an overnight camp, and they had openings in the summer for young girls to participate. And I was really excited about that idea. Because our community, it's a great community. Very great, but it's unfortunately, it's not very diverse. So I really was excited about the opportunity for my girls to be around a diverse group of girls that are their age. 

CJ: What thoughts were running through your head when you were participating in the Black Outside events? Or when your mom told you Hey, there's this idea of Camp Founder Girls, are you interested? What went through your head?

Gabrielle: I just thought of like a overnight camp. Like in a cabin. Nothing big. And then I guess I would meet people who looked like me, I guess stuff like that.

Kayla: I don't think I was that nervous because I'm nervous around a lot of people. But when I went to Camp Founder Girls I was hanging out with people that I knew. Because it's like, we have the same hair and the same skin color. And we're the same gender and...And we are all the same.

CJ: What are some of your favorite activities that you did last summer while at Camp Founder Girls?

Kayla: Yeah, we made trail mix adding different ingredients together. Yeah. And so we did like the clothes things where you put clothes, like you have to race to put all the clothes on you and bring them back on and take them off before you go back. Um, I also did, we did, like, catch the flag. 

Gabrielle: We also did yoga outside. So that was fun, because I've never done yoga outside. I've always done it, like in my room. So that was, that was interesting. Oh, we also did like this competition where there was a group, and then we all had like, 15 minutes to come up with a dance and then we have to show it off. And that was very fun. Oh, and we went on, like a hike. We went on a hike. So that was awesome. Fun.

CJ: Let's, so what's the difference? You said yoga outside was fun, you usually do it in your room. What's the difference between doing it outside and doing it in your room?

Gabrielle: when I was doing it outside. I think it was also the sunlight. So it just made me feel more energized and just happy. And also, I haven't really done yoga in a group. I've always just done it myself or maybe with my mom. So it was just fun seeing other people do yoga, too.

CJ (narration): Wow. Trail mix, outdoor yoga, and the importance of seeing people who look like you, trail mix, and outdoor yoga wrapped up in a camp specifically for Black girls. How valuable and foundational is that? 

Angelica: Historically, it was really important for them in those times. 

CJ (narration): We’re back to our conversation with Angelica, Executive Director of Camp Founder Girls.

Angelica: In San Antonio, from San Antonio, this was the very first camp for Black girls in the entire country, which was another reason that we really wanted to honor that history and that legacy. We didn't know at the time, but 1924 seems like a pretty long, pretty long time ago, for them to already have been making these major moves. And so back then they created the camp out of necessity, right? They weren't allowed access to the other camps. So they decided to create their own.

And I think historically, we as Black people have done that a lot, right? We think about HBCUs. they tried to integrate, you know, regular colleges and universities, "regular", the original colleges and universities. But obviously, they weren't allowed, so we had to create our own.

CJ (narration): Quick note, and for anyone who doesn’t know, Angelica is referring to HBCUs, or Historically Black Colleges and Universities.  

Angelica: And I think that Black people have done a beautiful job of establishing their own and making it bigger and badder and better than what the original version was. I do think that nowadays, it's the same story, right? Our girls could go to camps that weren't created for them. And they would definitely get some outdoor exposure, they would learn a lot about cooperating with teams. They could get a lot of the important tenets of summer camp, but I think when you add that historically Black and you add that cultural relevance It just adds another layer of comfortability.

I think about my times going to camp and how, othered I felt right? Girls wanting to touch my hair and asking me why I had to wear a swim cap that my dad forced me to take. I think that giving girls at a place where they can be 100% comfortable just opened doors for so many possibilities. 

CJ (narration): Swim caps and hair. It may seem like a small detail, but it can be both the root of discomfort or the source of feeling at home, connected, and in community at Camp Founder Girls. When I asked Gabrielle about her favorite moments at camp, her response told the same story...

Gabrielle: I'm not necessarily outside. But I guess I enjoyed when we did game night like, and one of the questions were bring out your sleeping bonnet, and I guess I don't know, I guess I've only seen my mom and my sister wear bonnets before and it was just nice seeing other people do it too. I guess I just felt part of a group. It just it felt nice.

CJ (narration): We’ll be right back.

This episode was brought to life with our friends at Youth Outside. Youth Outside works to promote racial justice within the outdoor and environmental movement. Their systems change approach includes grantmaking, anti-racism training, career pathway development, and capacity-building. They center the voices and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and work to ensure a future where the healing benefits of nature are equally accessible to all. To find out more, please visit youthoutside.org

And we’re back. 

Angelica spoke about wanting a place for the Camp Founder Girls to feel 100% themselves and to be comfortable in their culture, in their personality, in their identity and all that brings. With this being the Outside Voices podcast, I wondered: How does the setting of camp, how does the setting of the outdoors play into supporting that for these girls?

Angelica: as a former classroom teacher, there are just so many reins and constraints on what you're allowed to do on what you have time for. And what is and is not covered by the scope and sequence and it's hard to deviate. And so when you have the opportunity to see girls in this completely different environment, you really get to see how important it is to their development, right? I think about collaboration and team building that you learn in being part of a cabin, and, you know, working together as a team. And I think camp is a really fun way to explore that.

that definitely gave me some room to explore more of my outdoorsy-ness, I was always like running around jumping off and stuff, being a quote unquote, tomboy. So it was definitely interesting balancing that when I had to dress up for church every Sunday with my diva mom. 

I think there's a place for everybody at summer camp. And I think there's just so much fun to be had there. I just think that it's an experience like I said that every girl no matter how much money her family has, no matter where she comes from, no matter what she looks like or what her background is, I think that it can be a really important experience for anyone.

CJ (narration): The Camp Founder Girls website talks about Miss Mattie Landry and how her work transformed the lives of hundreds of Black girls. Angelica gave me glimpses into how camp can be transformative and how it was transformative for her. We also dove a little deeper into exactly how camp supports and sets up these young girls and women for that exact same transformation.

Angelica: It's a new iteration, we have four pillars. So I guess kind of four like checkpoints of, are we accomplishing what we want to accomplish. So that’s strong, brave, creative and confident. We have girls take surveys after camp, for example, we have their parents take surveys after camp, but also in all of our planning, we want everything to go back to those four pillars. we want the girls to be able to leave saying “I feel stronger, I feel braver, I feel more creative, and I feel more confident.” So all of our activities that we plan, go around those four pillars, and that's really at the center of everything that we do.

Naphtalie: When my girls came, I mean it was all love, 

CJ (narration): That’s Naphtalie again, Gabrielle and Kayla’s mom.

Naphtalie: They were excited, they were very welcoming, impressive that in a pandemic, you know, we were told we're gonna have an outdoor camp in Texas, we're gonna be literally outside all day because we can't go into a building rain or shine, we were under oak trees and things like that, but it was just amazing how much fun you can have with just the basics of nature. I mean, they had a great time making great friendships, lasting memories, I think the yoga in the park and then the virtual drawing was the highlight. And just like they said, seeing other young girls like them, doing  impressive things and counselors who are very impressive and just confident in nature. And one thing I'm sure Angelica said is they have four pillars in Camp Founder Girl, to being brave, strong, courageous, and creative. They really got to tap into that. 

And just to see how from the first day to the last day how they just, you know, had confidence and were able to do the different you know, challenges or whatever the activities were, it really was empowering. And I could see it in my girls.

CJ: I love that. And I think that is a setup for anything that they want to get into after that. Whether they want to be an engineer or a lawyer or a teacher or anything like that, I think strong, brave, confident, creative. I think those four are great supportive, supportive catalysts in whatever transformation they make.

So, you've already mentioned that Camp Founder Girls 1.0 was the first Black camp for girls in the country? What makes Camp Founder Girls 2.0 different and special?

Angelica: Even though the OG Camp Founder Girls was the first, I think that it's still really important work for girls to have this historically Black camp. I don't know now that you said that. No, just historically black camp, it just feels natural.

CJ: So like historically Black camp, historically Black camp, historically Black camp, still relevant, historically Black camp.

Angelica: Exactly, exactly. But I think one thing that really makes us unique to a lot of other camps is that we center black girls in our planning in everything that we do, right? We want to make sure that our programming is culturally relevant for them. Even if we're showing a picture, or passing out a flyer, or they're looking at a pamphlet, they're gonna see Black girls in nature, and that alone speaks volumes and, and that's something that I think is really unique, you know, as far as representation goes, because we know you know, people say if you can't see it, you can't be it. So we make sure to show them a lot of positive images of Black people. Black women in leadership historically and like in modern times. 

I think that when we think about equity, diversity, inclusion, all of that, what's most important is that somebody who is who would be considered the most marginalized, could feel safe, could be comfortable, could be confident, and could have a great time. 

So we think about maybe a Black trans girl or a Black queer girl, who, maybe her family doesn't have a lot of money, and she doesn't have a lot of access to the outdoors. That's who we're trying to center. So if this girl who is at the intersections of so many identity markers, you know, everywhere she looks, they're trying to tear her down.... "They," this infamous "they" are trying to make her feel less than I think that if she feels affirmed, if she feels confident, if she feels comfortable, if she feels safe at camp, then we know that we've really done our job. 

Those are the ones that we are aiming for. Those are the ones that we want. And, you know, those are the girls that we think this camp is definitely created for.

CJ: There's so much that I love about your response, you talk about intersectionality, and how all of those different identities, you want to touch folks or to reach folks who are at the center of those identities, especially those who have been most marginalized. Because in the end, it will benefit everyone else, if those folks feel safe and comfortable. You talk about the equity in payment, you talk about the work that you do on the back end in fundraising to support that equity, you talk about, you know, the cultural relevance and what happens when things are rooted and grounded in Black girls. There's so many different facets of you know, diversity, equity and inclusion. And I think oftentimes people are like, let's do the flyer, let's change the pictures on the flyer and they don't realize that if all of these things aren't present and connected, it won't have that intended effect. And so I love how even if it was intentional, or even if it wasn't, the way that you told the story about what makes it special highlighted all of those different factors to what really makes intentional and equitable space, and inclusive space, a possibility. 

Angelica: straight up the fact that our leadership is Black, the fact that most of our counselors are Black, the fact that our volunteers, our staff, you know, look like the girls, who we are serving is definitely another really relevant piece that not only makes them feel more comfortable but shows the parents stuff like we are about what we say we're about, right? And those that share the same backgrounds of our girls, but also understand the importance of, you know, equity, diversity inclusion, we prioritize that over for girls who, you know, go backpacking every quarter, you know, we think that it's most important for them to be able to see our girls as human, and to, you know, start from that point, then, you know, all of our outdoor or all of our volunteers aren't outdoor experts. 

CJ: I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. So you said you started your position in April of 2020. Right in the middle of the panoramic, or the pandemic? Right in the middle of all of that. So what has life been like for Black Outside and Camp Founder Girls and adjusting to that? The situation that we're all currently living in?

Angelica: Yeah, it's been a journey. after we kind of adjusted and made sure that we were good, our next priority was just to make sure that we could support our community as much as we could. like, we don't really feel comfortable doing a lot of programming or putting people in any type of risk. But, you know, we knew that small businesses were being hit. So we sought out a couple of Black-owned small businesses and just shouted them out on our Instagram. 

We had some programming so the kids could just have a place to talk and have a place to relax. But we also just started picking up some of our programming like in a much lighter sense. Camp Founder Girls was originally supposed to have a five day five night away camp. We decided instead to have kind of like a modified day camp hybrid. 

So on a couple of days, the girls just met virtually. And we had a paint night, which was really fun. We had like a Bob Ross instructor who was walking the girls through their self portraits, which was really, really fun. And we had a game night that we did virtually as well. And then those times that we checked in during the day, we just had some of our camp activities that we would have done like at camp but in a social distanced way. we have tried to adapt our programming to whatever social distancing protocols and whatever the CDC has been recommending, but we also recognize the like, people now more than ever need to get outside. So we've been trying to figure out how we can encourage that in a safe, productive way. 

Naphtalie: I will say one thing about Camp Founder Girl, when the opportunity came to us, it was in March, right around the time when the cities went on lockdown. And, and one thing that was so special about Angelica, but they were so they were willing to be late, they were willing to make changes and accommodations, because they were really dead set on making this happen. And they just adapted so well. And all the protocols and having all these meetings, you know, as a counselor, and even informing the parents of how they would keep the girls safe, what they would do, especially with so much being unknown at the time. 

It's just, it really it, it makes me kind of tear up because they just really wanted these girls to have that experience. And based on what I know, the previous year, they had done it and had such a great turnout and just amazing time that they really didn't want to lose that momentum. So it just meant a lot that they were really determined to make it happen and be safe.

CJ (narration): So, after adapting in response to the challenges of 2020 and the pandemic, I was curious what Camp Founder Girls has planned for 2021.

Angelica: So we are pushing for Camp Founder Girls is going to be back at full scale this year, I'm knocking on wood, we're going through some extreme measures, to make sure that everybody can be tested that everybody can be quarantining that everybody can be like socially distancing, we're gonna obviously have to have all hands on deck, making sure that everybody is really safe, and that we are being really cautious trying to mitigate any risks. But I think we've figured out some ways to be able to bring that back. And then, with our other programs, like the Bloom Project, they're going to be having some camping trips over their spring break. So they've been meeting virtually very regularly with their pods, and they have little groups that they've been meeting with. So they're going to be able to go on a backpacking and camping trip, for spring break. So we are trying to figure out ways to, you know, get our kids outside and in a really safe, but also fun and memorable way.

CJ: Yeah, I think if you thought your audience had grown, when, over last summer, once you started telling people that you think you've figured out ways to get people outside and in groups in safe ways your audience might grow, might grow again, you've got might get more people to turn to talk to you and find out those secrets.

After hearing about Camp Founder Girls and Black Outside, if this is the first time people are hearing about it, how can folks get involved and support?

Angelica: The number one way people can, like, keep up to date with what's going on is to follow us on social media. Or check out our websites, our Instagram is @Campfoundergirls, the Black outside Instagram is @BlackOutside_Inc. So we try to keep people pretty updated with what's going on

through our website, in particular is how you can let us know if you want or are interested in being a volunteer. at the camp founder girls website, campfoundergirls.org if you're interested in applying, those applications are going to be live until about the beginning of April, or until the spots are filled up. 

CJ (narration): Applications are open. And who better to pitch Camp Founder Girls than people who have been there and experienced it themselves?

Kayla Gbolahan: This camp I really liked and I think you would like it too because it has your type of hobbies in it. And we could be entered like the same age, we could be in the same, like group. And we could be teams. And it would be fun to work together. 

Gabrielle: We are able to socialize, are able to talk to people and counselors, or counselors are very outgoing and nice. And you'll feel welcome. You also get to eat snacks.

Naphtalie: You know, you mentioned what would we share with other parents or potential young girls that would like to come to Camp Founder Girls. I think now I got a couple of people we can ask about inviting, so hold me to that.

CJ (narration): Angelica and I had an awesome conversation, and we talked about so many things, from her personal history, to the history of Camp Founder Girls, to the importance and relevance of Camp Founder Girls in the lives of the young girls and women they work with. Let’s hear some final words of wisdom and points of emphasis from Angelica.

Angelica: Everybody has the right to call themselves outdoorsy and to be outdoorsy and to lean into whatever it is that brings you joy in the outdoors, whatever it is, that brings you peace. A lot of times people feel like, there's so much pressure to go on all these long, extensive hikes or just fully drop off into the middle of nowhere. In order for them to be, I don't know, reaping the benefits of nature and of the outdoors. And I think that's completely false. I'm sitting here by a window right now, reaping the benefits of the outdoors, I’m experiencing nature, loving that breathing, that fresh air got a little crack in the window. I always encourage people to take advantage of what's around them and to try to get outdoors as much as they can. But again, that doesn't mean going on a seven mile hike right now that just means taking a deep breath outside and trying to recenter and refocus. 

CJ (narration): So to close us out, let’s check in one more time with the Gbolahans to hear a couple of ways that they connect to nature and the outdoors outside of camp.

Naphtalie: We have a goal. We're trying to see all the National Forests in Texas. And we went over Christmas break to...I can't remember the name of the forest now. But it's near Jasper, Texas. And while we were there, we experienced every type of weather pattern possible. It's a beautiful place. It was cold one day, sunny the next, and really rainy so we couldn't go out. So we decided we would binge watch movies together in that small RV. 

Kayla: Well, my favorite memory of being outside was when I was so I was at a pool party. And it took a lot of effort. But I actually balanced on like a thin rope above a pool. 

Gabrielle: I guess the first time we went RV like remember we had we made a whole road trip just to get the RV that dad bought in Iowa. So basically my dad bought the RV that we have now and like it was in a different state when we went there because it was cheaper than in here. So we basically made a road trip out of it. It was just fun just driving through the different states and seeing how the terrain and the environment changed.

Naphtalie: We went backpacking for the first time about four years ago like legit backpacking, and we had never done that before and can't say we were super excited when we learned that we had to carry a pack that's like 30% of our body weight. 

Kayla was 7, Gabrielle was 11 we went to Gorman falls Texas. And we did a 15 mile trip it was over three days and you know having the freeze dried food and just not knowing when this leg of the hike would be done. For me personally just seeing what they could do especially Kayla, she was so little, she took that backpack like a champ. being outdoors, you really get empowered and it brings out the best in us.

Gabrielle: Yes, I remember, there was this hill and dad said not to run down it with the backpack. And it was fun, I almost fell. But like it was fun we did in the group. And it was just nice seeing people who also wanted to go backpacking.

[OUTRO]

Thank you to Angelica, Naphtalie, Gabrielle, and Kayla for giving us a window into the Camp Founder Girl experience, and thank YOU for joining me in listening to their stories. I hope you leave this episode with echoes of the strength, bravery, creativity, and confidence that is seeded at Camp Founder Girls, and an awareness of how important spaces like this are for Black girls and women.

Our logo and cover art was designed by Brooklyn Bell. Our music was performed by LIVS or Olivia VanDamme and produced by Jamison Blue Stegmaier

All credits, links and resources can be found on our website: www.outsidevoicespodcast.com

You can also follow us on Instagram, @Outsidevoicespodcast

Outside Voices Podcast is a project by Resource Media. This episode was brought to life thanks to support from Youth Outside and The Avarna Group.

Until next time...

Gangstas to Growers is a worker-owned cooperatives that provides opportunities for employment, empowerment, and entrepreneurship in agriculture for at-risk youth and formerly incarcerated individuals. 

Their programming includes providing morning yoga classes, culturally relevant skill-building seminars, and teaches youth how to harvest crops on black-owned farmland. The program even allows the youngsters to produce and sell their very own all-natural, locally-sourced, hot sauce.

 You can follow them on social media on IG and Facebook - @GangstasToGrowers and purchase the hot sauce or donate to the cause via their website www.gangstastogrowers.com