Our story
Black to Nature is a program of The Amsterdam News Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1991. Our mission is to empower Black communities by fostering a connection to nature and promoting outdoor recreation.
It’s all about community
Through community building, education, and advocacy, we aim to create a supportive network that inspires, educates, and empowers Black and Brown individuals and families to explore and enjoy the great outdoors. We’ve been doing this for decades – we just haven’t talked about it. It’s about time we start!
About us
Get to know people behind the movement
Elinor Tatum
Elinor Tatum, newspaper publisher, board member, part-time ski instructor, and full-time mom. As a child, I always appreciated the outdoors, but it wasn’t until I had a child of my own that I realized the true power of the outdoors and the underrepresentation of Black folks in outdoor industries.
Josh Barker
Josh Barker, digital editor. Growing up in my hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, I discovered the outdoors through Boy Scouts and Camp Fire. Now, as a city dweller, I stay in touch with my outdoor roots by going to my favorite locations near the city. Some of my passions include camping, nature walks, and swimming.
The New York Amsterdam News
As America’s most influential and oldest continuously published Black newspaper, serving the nation’s largest Black and Brown community with award winning racial justice journalism since 1909 – The New York Amsterdam News is a proven entrepreneurial leader – from its recent creation of the game-changing “Word in Black” to its first of its kind “Blacklight” Investigative Unit to “Beyond the Barrel of the Gun”, and so much more… We now bring you “Black to Nature”.
We want to work with the best organizations in the industry.
Those with a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and get it right. We want to help change the face of the outdoor industry and make this planet a more inclusive and gentler place.
