Rhiane Fatinikun was a self-confessed fan of Netflix and raving when she spotted hikers getting off a train in the Peak District and, on the spur of the moment, decided to take up hiking! She set up the Black Girls Hike Instagram page and began leading groups of black women on hikes. Rhiane's mission now is to make the outdoors a safe and welcoming environment for people like her, breaking down barriers, broadening people’s horizons and empowering women to get outside their comfort zone.
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SHOW NOTES
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- Black Girls Hike Instagram page
- Went on a 5 to 9 adventure to watch the Perseid Meteor shower - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseids
- I hadn't done a midweek adventure before, but this showed I can fit more things in.
- Had a great night's sleep in a bivvy bag
- 4 years ago her aunty took her on a hike in Rivington, aged 28
- I used to come home and watched Netflix
- I loved raving, Carnival and reggae festivals
- Chronixx - https://chronixx.com/
- Buju Banton - https://www.bujubanton.com/
- When you admire someone you feel like if you meet someone you might cry.
- Was on a train journey from Barnsley to Manchester when she saw hikers getting on and off.
- Said to herself "I'm going to take up hiking this year", then a week later set up @bgh_uk
- The day before my first hike I went and bought a raincoat and new boots
- I was late for the first hike and there were 13 people waiting for me
- Followed a route she found in the Manchester Evening News
- On that first hike I was winging it a bit, but I managed to get us back to the start. I was an imposter
- I don't have a favourite hill yet as I haven't done enough
- Likes Mam Tor
- Chooses places to go from what she sees on Instagram
- Anyone can get out in the hills. You don't need all the gear. Try to find a community.
- Start small, start local.
- When you don't have experience in something you lack confidence and you need someone cheering you on. It's just about finding a community.
- Don't live in the prism of other people's opinions
- Bouji - https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bouji
- Black Girls Hike is a safe space for black women to explore the countryside together
- Not connected to the other BGH groups worldwide - just doing her own thing
- Her idea of building a community came straight away - "This is great - you need to come!"
- Delegating her 'baby' is hard. The other group leaders she met via Instagram. It felt natural to try to target the UK
- I don't always want to be in the spotlight, just because I'm the founder. I'm just leading the spirit.
- Safe space: you experience so much racism in the UK that you want to be around people who have the shared experience.
- Good to go where people don't ask "stupid questions about your tan / hair" and everyone is in the same boat as you.
- You can be your authentic self in a safe space.
- In her work she senses people have lots of negative perceptions about black people from TV. She is always code-switching so as to not conform to the ideas they have about her.
- Conversations in the hills - people are more focussed on their well-being. Positive energy.
- BGH is a way to connect people. Friendships form.
- Manchester is a transient city so this is place for people to form relationships.
- A chance for people to be their best selves
- Over 100 people came to the first hike in London
- Most of them were new to the outdoors and had never really considered going hiking
- 99% of the time everyone is really happy to share the outdoors and see you enjoying what they are enjoying.
- Marketing the outdoors to black people is not being done right.
- The management of National Parks, brands etc are too white and cannot relate.
- They want you to be involved but they don't want to include you in the decision making.
- Need more than just having the odd black person in the marketing.
- It's quite exhausting when people seek her opinion as representative of all black people.
- The girls that come to the Black Girls Hike events do not come to the other ones that Rhiane organises - they want to be in that safe space
- @talesofahiker - https://www.instagram.com/talesofahiker/?hl=en
- https://www.humansofnewyork.com/
- By the time I was 33 I should be married with a mortage, but I'm not like other people my age. I don't want to get old before my time.
- Don't compare your journey to anyone else's.
- We are supposed to have an abundance mindset.
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