Outdoor Afro is a national not-for-profit organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. I founded Outdoor Afro in 2009 because the prevailing narrative at the time suggested that Black people weren’t connected to the outdoors. That simply didn’t reflect my life or the experiences of so many Black families and communities I knew.

On a recent TikTok Live, Equalized Outdoors, George’s Boy Outdoors, and Ronnie "Cuz" Strickland came together for what was billed as an open discussion on turkey hunting. What unfolded instead was a rare, unscripted exchange that exposed a deeper tension—and opportunity—within modern conservation culture: how the resource is talked about, who gets invited into the conversation, and who is trusted to carry it forward.