Wireless!

Hey folks, I’m literally on the plane flying cross-country to take part in the SOLD OUT  Breaking the Color Barrier in the Outdoors Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.  I finally get  the chance to connect with many outdoor professionals, practitioners, and academics with whom I have had only digital and phone contact since the start of Outdoor Afro. My excitement is through the roof because never before has there been a conference dedicated to helping people of color get outdoors, and Outdoor Afro recognizes the privilege to be a part of this groundbreaking event.

So far my flight has been uneventful thanks to some great support from my folks on the ground, but BIG props go to Delta Airlines for having on board wireless, which enables me to write to you now, send tweets, and takes care of my typical flight boredom issues!
Prepare for a tweeting frenzy about this conference! Search for hashtag #BREAKCB to be in the fray if you can’t be there. If you are going to be in ATL,  please make sure to add this same tag to all your outgoing tweets to help people get a range of perspective and news.
Stay tuned — and safe travels for everyone headed to ATL!

Digital Strategist Cheryl Contee, MC Hammer, and Rue, TWTRCON SF 2009

You should know by now that I am passionate about the outdoors, but I also go nuts over social technology that connects people with the messages they care about. The combination of these two non-tangible loves of mine was the genesis for this blog. And this week has been especially inspiring and productive for me around both topics.
On Thursday, I met with Dr.Carol Finney, a dynamic Professor in the College of Natural Resources at Berkeley. My jaw hit the floor after learning from her about all the many unsung African Americans who share our enthusiasm for the outdoors. For example, Audrey and Frank Peterman have been writing about the outdoors in a newsletter and leading tours of the National Parks for decades. A forthcoming blog will share more about this adventuresome couple and others like them in the coming weeks.
Yesterday, I attended Word Camp because I was thinking of moving Outdoor Afro from its current Google platform to Word Press, and wanted to learn more from developers and users about what was possible. Word Camp gave me the technical answers I was looking for and dozens of its attendees expressed enthusiasm for my advocacy of African American participation in outdoor activities.
Right now I’m sitting in TWTRCON, the convention for Twitter, which has quickly become the fastest way to connect with tons of people at one time. Thanks to panelists like MC Hammer, I have some new perspectives on how to use Twitter as one more tool to help black people get outside, 140 characters at a time.
I am deliriously excited about using social media to share the mission of Outdoor Afro, and am grateful you have decided to join me.