Jack & Jill Politics

Nan Aron, president of Alliance for Justice, talks with Rachel Maddow about the coordinated effort by Republicans to block President Obama’s judicial nominations to keep positions open until a Republican president comes to power.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Good Morning.

As you make it through Hump Day, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

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Here is a wonderful short video produced by my friend and trusted collegue Dudley Edmonsdon. He eloquently captures in words and in pictures a tribute to nature. Set to jazz and narrated by naturalist friends Audrey Peterman, Shelton Johnson and Hank Williams Jr., all featured in his groundbreaking book: Black and Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places, we are reminded of the generous gifts and peace nature provides.

What do you notice in nature?

Learn more about how to connect with nature at Outdoor Afro

hat tips-The Obama Diary,3CHICSPOLITICO:

The First Lady continues her trip in South Africa.

US First Lady meets Mandela

US First Lady Michelle Obama met South Africa’s first black president Nelson Mandela at his home Tuesday, in a rare visit with the ageing icon whose legacy frames much of her journey here.

The meeting with the 92-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner was discreetly arranged after Obama and her daughters visited archives chronicling some of his 27 years as a political prisoner.

At the Mandela Foundation, his wife Graca Machel guided Obama, her mother, and her daughters Malia and Sasha through an exhibit of his personal photographs and journals, in which he meticulously drafted letters but also kept more mundane notes on his weight and daily routine.

“After leaving here, she proceeded to make a brief courtesy call on former president Mandela,” said Achmat Dangor, the head of the foundation, calling the first lady “a lovely woman without any airs”.

Their visit added to the symbolism surrounding Obama’s journey, with America’s first black family in the White House meeting South Africa’s first black president.

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Good segment from The Last Word about Michelle Bachmann. I always knew she was crazy, but now, it’s been confirmed what complete lack of character she has by what she did to a member of her own FAMILY.

The ideology of Michele Bachmann
By Sarah Muller – Wed Jun 15, 2011 7:22 PM EDT.

In tonight’s show, we’re going to take a closer look at Rep. Michele Bachmann and her unabashed extremism that’s giving her a grip over evangelicals in this country.

Author Michelle Goldberg joins us as a guest to discuss her new Daily Beast profile on the congresswoman. The piece reveals the depth of Bachmann’s born-again belief system and its impact over secular politics. Plus, there was an incident in Bachmann’s past involving a lesbian and a nun in a bathroom.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Good Afternoon.

As you go through the rest of your day, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue to have a peaceful day.

Had a great one-on-one with the incredible Laura Flanders of GRITtv during the weekend all about the power of progressives online. We talked a little about how JJP first got started and how things have changed online since 2008, especially where black folks are concerned. We also chatted about Netroots Nation and why, even in a tough economy, more people than ever before made the trip to Minneapolis to work together for a better nation. Check it out:

As reported in the Washington Post last week,

“The Obama administration argued Wednesday that its nearly three-month-old military involvement in Libya does not require congressional approval because of the supporting role most U.S. forces are playing there, a position that puts it at odds with some Republican leaders and the antiwar wing of its own party.

The White House reasoning, included in a 32-page report to Congress, is the administration’s first detailed response to complaints from lawmakers of both parties, who say President Obama has exceeded his authority as commander in chief by waging war in Libya without congressional authorization.

The report came on the same day a bipartisan group of lawmakers filed suit in federal court against Obama seeking to end the U.S. participation in Libya, pushing what has been a slow-moving confrontation over the power of the president at a time of war toward the center of the political debate…

The United States has spent $715.9 million in Libya, the vast majority of it on military operations, according to the report. The administration estimates that the cost will rise to $1.1 billion through September, although it does not plan to request additional funds from Congress to pay for the mission…

The report says that “because U.S. military operations [in Libya] are distinct from the kind of ‘hostilities’ contemplated by the resolution,” the deadlines for congressional approval or force withdrawal do not apply.

“We’re not engaged in sustained fighting. There’s been no exchange of fire with hostile forces. We don’t have troops on the ground. We don’t risk casualties to those troops,” said one senior administration official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity during a conference call arranged by the White House. “None of the factors, frankly, speaking more broadly, has risked the sort of escalation that Congress was concerned would impinge on its war-making power.””

However, this week, the Washington Post reported that:

But at the Pentagon, officials have decided it’s unsafe enough there to give troops extra pay for serving in “imminent danger.”

The Defense Department decided in April to pay an extra $225 a month in “imminent danger pay” to service members who fly planes over Libya or serve on ships within 110 nautical miles of its shores.

That means the Pentagon has decided that troops in those places are “subject to the threat of physical harm or imminent danger because of civil insurrection, civil war, terrorism or wartime conditions.”

Many in Congress have said they were outraged by Obama’s argument last week.

“Hostilities by remote control are still hostilities,” said Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), normally a close Obama ally, on Sunday’s “Meet the Press.” “We are killing with drones what we would otherwise be killing with fighter planes. And we are engaged in hostilities in Libya.”

Legislators have proposed resolutions that would express disapproval of the operation or cut off its funding — or authorize it outright. Congressional leaders have not said when any of those options will be voted on.

For the record, I oppose the war in Libya for the reasons outlined in my article entitled I’m Not Buying What Obama is Trying to Sell. I support Rep. Kucinich’s and Rep. Conyers’ War Powers Act lawsuit.

Clearly, by any definition, the United States is engaged in hostilities in Libya. According to the New York Times, “since the United States handed control of the air war in Libya to NATO in early April, American warplanes have struck at Libyan air defenses about 60 times, and remotely operated drones have fired missiles at Libyan forces about 30 times, according to military officials.”

Moreover, NATO action is US action. NATO is led and funded by the United States. As stated on the AP, “in transferring command and control to NATO, the U.S. is turning the reins over to an organization dominated by the U.S., both militarily and politically. In essence, the U.S. runs the show that is taking over running the show.”

Al Jazeera reports that NATO has hit 1,000 targets, killed approximately 718 (according to Libya), and injured 4,000 people. This past Sunday, NATO bombed a two-story house and killed two children and seven adult civilians. The Washington Post reported that “Libyan officials on Monday accused NATO of killing 15 noncombatants, including three children, in a massive strike on a farm in western Libya.” Again, the US is essentially waging war in Libya. Therefore, the President’s failure to get authorization from Congress is a violation of the War Powers Act.

This nation is supposed to be a democracy, not a monarchy. Article One, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, not the President. The War Powers Act enshrines that general principle into law. If properly enforced, the War Powers Act can prevent an abuse of power. If we elect progressive members of Congress like Conyers and Kucinich, the War Power Act may be able to curb America’s natural, imperialistic and militaristic impulse.

Some may suggest that members of Congress are taking action because the President is African American. That argument does not have much merit because similar action has been taken against other Presidents. According to the CRS Report for Congress – War Powers Resolution After Thirty, in May 1981, members of Congress took action against President Reagan for sending military advisers to El Salvador. The same report notes that members of Congress filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Reagan’s invasion of Grenada. According to the report, in 1999, members of Congress sued President Clinton for violating the War Powers Act with regard to US military operations in Kosovo. In sum, the War Powers Act has been raised during many conflicts during several Administrations. Obama is not being singled out because of his race.

Sure, the Republicans who support the lawsuit and proposed resolutions are probably political opportunists. I am sure that many, if not most of them, are merely looking for an opportunity to undermine the Obama Administration. While that may be true, it does not negate the fact that the President is violating the War Powers Act.

This article is cross-posted on New Possibilities.

Rachel Maddow has on Melissa Harris-Perry to discuss GOP Voter Suppression. Perry, as usual, is on point.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

From USA Today:

Our view: Republican ID laws smack of vote suppression

To many Republicans, it is an article of faith that minimalist government works best.

Except, that is, when Republicans want to impose tighter rules for their political benefit. A case in point is the flurry of states —six so far this year— rushing to pass laws requiring voters to bring government-issued photo IDs to polling places. All have Republican governors and GOP-controlled legislatures.

Supporters say this is necessary to prevent voter fraud. But the operative question is: Why, at a time of economic distress and state budget shortfalls, is this such a priority? The answer has less to do with prevention than with suppression.

In theory, there isn’t anything wrong with requiring photo IDs to vote, just as they are required to drive, board a plane or cash a check. The Constitution gives states broad latitude to run their elections. And a 2008 Supreme Court ruling upheld an ID law in Indiana, giving other states a green light for their own laws.

So states clearly can impose these requirements. The question is whether they should.

Scratch just gently beneath the surface, and these new measures appear unnecessary at best. Voter fraud is rare and consists largely of the types of actions that IDs would not correct, such as vote-buying and voter intimidation. Fraud is already kept in check by elections officials, poll watchers from both parties, and acceptance of alternatives to photo IDs, such as utility bills.

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hat tip-The Obama Diary:

The First Lady is on a trip to South Africa and Botswana this week. Her mother, daughters, niece and nephew are with her.

Good Morning.

As you go through your day, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

Read the rest of this entry »

The LameStream Media and the ReThugs Depend on This

Okay, okay – let’s be clear about some thangs.

Anthony Weiner was a fool and an arrogant one to think he could lie his way out of tweeting pics of his junk to a porn star, a college coed, and God-knows-who else.  But, this is one of but a pattern of what happens when the Democrats go after someone or something that they’re supposed to go after, and how dirty the Grand Old Perverts play the game of DISTRACTION.

Former Florida Rep. Alan Grayson no longer sits in the House of Representatives, and he probably could have done a better job of going after Unca Clarence to recuse himself from any and every case that has his wife Ginni’s paw prints on it.  With Democratic assistance, the ReThugs sent up a Tea Bagger to defeat Grayson, and therefore, cutting off a progressive voice in Congress.

Mary Jo Kilroy and Kendrick Meek got the same treatment from their own Party Members – but that’s not the point of this blog post.  I’m wondering why there are so few Democrats who are willing to be identified as PROGRESSIVES?  It’s like a cuss word – no Democrat, save for the original ones like Barbara Lee, Donna Edwards, Marcy Kaptur and others who will willingly identify as Progressive Dems, even though there’s actually a Congressional Progressive Caucus in the House.  Mr. Weiner was one of those members.  They should be taking up the fight to get Unca Clarence off the bench – my question is WHO WILL BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT?

Remember Eliot Spitzer?  As New York’s Governor, he was all but ready to shut down Wall Street, and out came the exposure of the fact he slept with high-priced call girls.  ANOTHER DISTRACTION that forced one of the best weapons we had to combat banking corruption.  They’re also fighting to keep Elizabeth Warren from the Consumer Protection Agency that has been formed to protect the American Consumer. Why are the questions not being asked, such as “Why are you trying to keep Elizabeth Warren out of that position?” being asked.

Because the American masses get DISTRACTED by the shiny object of a sex scandal or some shyt like that.  UGH.  And the crook goes unpunished and lives another day to do more rotten shyt in the government and on the Hill.

It seems every time one of ours gets the opportunity to do the right thing, out comes the DISTRACTIONS.  The DISTRACTIONS that keep the government from weeding out those who hold office, only to violate the tenets of that office they swore to uphold upon the Constitution.  But we should not give up hope.  When they take down one of ours, we need to have another soldier at the ready to continue the investigations and calling-outs that the Graysons, Spitzers, and yeah, even Weiners, have already done.  Their investigations should not die with their pecadilloes; in fact, it’s shown time and time again, that the indescretions of these individuals are really issues between them and their spouses.  America’s laundry is not clean, and we need to quit whining about moral character and value as if it is.

Real Moral Value would not have allowed the Ensigns, Vitters and other ReThug members to continue slimeing the halls of Capitol Hill.  But the public gets too easily distracted by the “shiny object” which is nothing more than a DISTRACTION.

Which leads me to this – What does Unca Clarence have on those who are so willing to protect any investigations of his obvious conflicts of interest in Supreme Court cases; his income-tax issues, or that his wife works directly for lobbying issues that will need to hold a hearing in front of him and his colleagues?

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Having infiltrated RightOnline earlier on Sat, I was able to help some of the organizers of the hijab flash mob plan the exact timing of their activity. I told them that folks would be lined up for the evening session around 4:30-4:45pm Sat and they’d have a huge captive audience waiting to see Herman Cain. Muslim women had come under attack during Netroots Nation with catcalls on the street from RightOnline attendees and even one man arrested for harassing them. The flash mob included Muslim women, women who were supporting them, and Netroots leaders like Jasiri X, John Aravosis of AmericaBlog and Lt. Dan Choi. I would have gone too except I was still incognegro.

From Raw Story:

A crowd of women wearing hijabs — headscarves traditionally worn by Muslim women — flooded the lobby of the Hilton in Minneapolis where the RightOnline conservative blogger conference was held this weekend.

The women stayed for about ten minutes, according to Talking Points Memo, and said they were protesting the man who had addressed a headscarf-wearing woman Thursday night, and asked why she was dressed like that “in America.”

“The point was mostly that Muslim women are an equal part of this nation, and that we have an equal right to exist here,” Allison Nevitt, one of the women, told TPM.

We have a lot of Muslims in the black community including people like Rep. Keith Ellison, Shaquille O’Neill and Mos Def. I believe in the founders’ vision of freedom of religion — and equality among all American citizens. Here’s a clip of what went down above. It’s pretty intense. Notice that the women in hijabs were asked to leave but Aravosis was allowed to stay. Hmm…

UPDATE: Listen to the audio of Elon James White and I talking about our experience on the June 20 Blacking it Up podcast episode.

—–

This is the story of how Elon James White of This Week in Blackness and Blacking It Up and I infiltrated the Right Online conference masquerading as black conservatives. Right Online was held at the same time and in the same place as Netroots Nation in Minneapolis this year. The right wing has struggled to mount a conference as popular, as successful and as important as Netroots Nation. BTW, this was the largest NN ever with over 2500+ people from all over the nation and the world, showing that despite a difficult economy — progressives online remain as committed as ever to coming together to design & promote creative solutions to turn this country around. Faced with the growing popularity of NN, a couple of years ago Right Online lit on the strategy of riding Netroots Nation’s coattails, hosting their conference in the same city around the same time as ours. While their conference remained small, it attracted media attention — which emboldened them further.

This year, not only was Right Online held at the same time in the same city as NN — it was in the same hotel! NN mostly took place in the convention center but the Hilton was the official conference hotel where many of the 2500+ attendees stayed. It was an aggressive move and beyond provocative. As a board member of Netroots Nation, I felt provoked. I wanted to know why they were dry-humping my conference with such determination and stamina. What did they want? What was their conference like? Why were they here and what did they hope to accomplish? And — what might we expect next year?

Yes, some of you may feel I’m playing into their hands and giving them attention they don’t deserve. Yet, I’d like to offer the notion that Elon and I were just giving them a little taste of their bitter James O’Keefe/Andrew Breitbart medicine. Why not take a page from their book and expose the true status of the right-wing internet movement — and how black conservatives are treated in that movement? After all, the day prior to Elon’s and my little adventure, Breitbart and his team had personally caused a ruckus invading Netroots Nation in the registration area. A bit of tit for tat and quid pro quo had been earned.

Kudos to Ryan Clayton, a blogger for US Uncut, an organization that wonder why corporations pay so little in taxes, for his brave confrontation of Breitbart in asking some very good questions.

So what’s it like at Right Online? And what’s it like being a black conservative? And how did we get in? Answers below…

June 18 (times are estimated)

8:59am

To create a right-wing appropriate look, I dress conservatively in a black wrap dress and apply extra bling: a big pearl necklace and big pearl earrings. I meet Elon over at the convention center at the end of his Steaming Morning News Dump show in the NN Exhibit Hall with Daily Show creator Lizz Winstead and special guests Rep. Grijalva and Rep. Nadler. I get to meet Rep. Grijalva and tell him that my company helped design the social media and mobile strategy for the largest reform immigration coalition in the country — I get a big hug!

9:05am

I give Elon a once over. He could not be dressed more inappropriately for a giant Republican-o-rama. I think some sort of effort was made with a buttoned up black cardigan over a clean white t-shirt but still, having done some reconnaissance work walking around the public areas of the Right Online conference on my way to the convention center, I’d had a good look at the crowd. Not only was it extremely super-white but also much more conservatively dressed than Netroots Nation.

Elon’s jeans were less of a challenge than his bright red Illinois State baseball cap, sneakers, giant swinging silver wallet chain, and “stop bullying” purple plastic bracelet. It was extra-fly for NN11.  The look screamed “hip hop boho NYC new media hippie”. It said: “I probably live in Brooklyn.” On the escalator up, I suggested strenuously that Elon remove the bracelet and hide the chain. He resisted; I insisted: “You haven’t been over there.” I adjusted our cover story: I would be a local black conservative from Rep. Michelle Bachmann’s district in St Cloud Minnesota (about 65 miles away) — her extra-special invited guest — and Elon would be my recently graduated, troubled at-risk youth nephew who I was saving/exposing to the wonders of the GOP. I was relying on the tendency for some white folks to have trouble guessing black folks’ true ages. We hurry over as we’re late — Michelle Malkin and Michelle Bachmann are both scheduled to speak at the morning session and we can’t wait!

Elon and I agree that we shouldn’t use our real names lest someone clever recognize us from our #NN11 tweets or from the internets in general. We construct feel-good fake identities: “Cheryl Johnson” and “Clarence White”.

9:15am

“Smile at the white people, Elon and say nothing! Let me do all the talking.”

My strategy was based on two trends:

a) the desperation of the GOP to have people of color join the right wing

b) the resulting VIP extra-special superstar status of black conservatives among white conservatives

Elon and I paste big smiles on our faces, endure the many hard stares of many middle-aged white people and stride confidently up to the registration desk. I inform the young lady at the desk that I am an invited guest of Michelle Bachmann. I explain that I’m “Cheryl Johnson”. I’ve driven down from St Cloud and “am active with the Stearns County Republicans”. Pays to do some research. “I should be on the list…?” I suggest expectantly.

This sounds plausible to her but she passes us off to 2 other people more in charge, first a woman and then a young man in his late twenties. I say the exact same thing while gesturing toward Elon and explaining that my nephew is my guest. He nods & smiles at Elon — checks not a list nor asks for IDs, welcomes us sunnily to the conference and begins to print name badges for us. No money changes hands. The fact is that Right Online’s registration fees were low, practically nominal – so eager was the sponsoring and wealthy Koch Brothers’ front organization Americans for Prosperity Foundation for warm bodies. A Saturday day pass would have cost us about $30 each. But where’s the fun in that?

Worked like a charm. Nervous, I joked about how Elon, who was attracting curious attention from the ladies and a positive appraising look from the young man behind the desk, was into “that hip hop”. The young man printing our badges chuckled and said: “That’s ok! I listen to some of that too…” (!) I wanted to say — then why are you a conservative but more about the strange cultural cognitive dissonance later. Then he handed us some packets.

Now all these kids are about to get in big trouble because of Elon and me so I’d like to say in their defense that if we’d actually been black conservatives who were invited guests of Michelle Bachmann, I’d hope that we’d be treated with the same warmth and deference to our specialness. They couldn’t have been nicer. I was relying on that too — the individual niceness of conservatives. They are almost always very nice when you get to know them personally.

9:25am

Elon and I receive quick glances at our credentials as we walk through the door. Neither of us can believe it — we’re in! Our hearts are pounding. We are immediately conspicuous — it’s hard to find any other black faces in a sea of white ones. Heads turns and people stare…hard. I start walking toward the front but Elon wisely suggests that we head for some empty seats in the back near the one other black conservative we see. Given that we stand out, best not to attract too much attention to ourselves lest we be recognized by a more plugged-in, net-savvy conservative. After all, a couple of years ago, Right Online speaker Erick Erickson and I had had a public and ugly battle on Twitter in which he kinda made an ass of himself. And Elon’s This Week in Blackness has achieved its own strong internet following.

I look hard for people of color in the audience. There’s a black hotel security guy at the door but not sure he counts. There’s the brother in a grey suit sitting next to us. Middle-aged, I’d guess. And hey, is that Dinesh D’Souza over there?

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hat tip-DailyKos:

Congressman Steve Cohen Calls for An End to the War on Drugs

Good Afternoon.

As you go through the rest of your day, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue to have a peaceful day.

Read the rest of this entry »

I just got back from Netroots Nation 2011. Lots of adventures to report to you!

Among other activities, I was excited to lead the African-American Caucus and moderate a fantastic panel entitled “Ask A Sista: Black Women Muse on Politics“. We had a full, multi-racial house with over 150 attendees. You can watch the video above and the panel will also be featured on Sirius XM later this week.

The Sistas (twitter handles, website, city)

Jenifer Daniels (@thefriendraiser, Sirius XM, Charlotte, NC)

Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell, TheLoop21, New Brunswick, NJ)

Janee Bolden (@JaneeTMB, Bossip, Atlanta, GA)

Chloe Hilliard (@ChloeHilliard, Vibe and TheLoop21, New York, NY)

Dr. Goddess (@drgoddess, Revelations Blog, TheLoop21, Pittsburgh, PA)

We discussed the treatment of black women in the Democratic party, how common it is for black women to be mistaken for prostitutes and how the popular Slutwalk protests might be perceived in the black community…and much more! Check out all the hot topics and let me know what you’d like to Ask A Sista!

Along with West Wing Week, some official White House pics, mostly from Pete Souza.

Good Morning.

As you begin a new week, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate.

Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

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By Danielle N. Lee Outdoor Afro Contributor and author of Urban Science Adventures! ©

Denene Millner and her family set up a tent

It’s summertime and the living is easy, especially if you’re a kid.  Schools out and fun is all that is on their hyperactive minds.  We adults still have jobs to attend, bills to pay and bellies to feed, but there’s no reason why we couldn’t be on the same page, at least for a single night. So, what’s the best way to enjoy the summer with your kiddos that’s fun, affordable, and engaging? Well, outside camping of course!  And even if you’re not big on ruffing it I think you could handle this one — camp out in your own backyard! On Saturday, June 25, 2011, the National Wildlife Federation is asking everyone to pitch a tent in your yard and participate in the The Great American Backyard Campout. It is a grassroots initiative to Leave No Child Indoors while also raising awareness and funds for more outdoor youth programs.  Families and communities are encouraged to spend time together and while you’re outside in the fresh air  why not explore nature (and science)!

So get your family and neighbors together and go camping – at a local campground, state or national park, or in your backyard. Being outdoors is a perfect time to connect to science. You can explore biology, conservation, ecology, astronomy, geology, geography, environmental science, and more.

COPUS – the Coalition of Public Understanding of Science – is encouraging everyone to participate in the Great American Backyard Campout and use that time to not only connect with family/neighbors but have fun exploring science, too.  Check out the blog post (link here) and read the whole list of recommended Citizen Science and Arts and Science activities.  Plus here’s one I overlooked: Waving at the International Space Station as it orbits over your night time sky! The International Space Station is visible in the sky, assuming the weather agrees, so you could actually keep an eye out for it while you tell campfire stories and eat s’mores. Visit the website http://www.isswave.org/ for details on how to plan your wave. You can also follow them on Twitter @twisst for a tweet when it’s visible from your skies.

Or if you’re ready to sign up right now, then go for it.  You can register your ‘camp site’ – your family, church or community event with the National Wildlife Federation Great American Backyard Campout website (link here).

Do you need you to check your supply list? Well, you know Outdoor Afro has you covered.  Here are some handy-dandy list of Tent Camping Essentials for Outdoor Afros.  In the meantime, check in with us and let us know if you plan on participating and how you’ll be connecting to science while you’re under the stars. We have some prizes for Outdoor Afros who participate.

Rue Mapp is the founder of Outdoor Afro, a community that reconnects African-Americans with natural spaces and one another through recreational activities such as camping, hiking, biking, fishing, gardening, skiing — and more! Outdoor Afro uses social media to create interest communities, events, and to partner with regional and national organizations that support diverse participation in the Great Outdoors.