Rulette “Rue” Mapp, is a pioneering leader in outdoor advocacy, transforming how communities of color engage with nature. Born on October 6, 1971, in Oakland, California, she is the founder and CEO of ‘Outdoor Afro,’ a national nonprofit that reconnects Black people with the outdoors and inspires more inclusive narratives around nature.
Born to a mother who struggled with mental illness (schizophrenia), Mapp was placed into foster care at just 22 months old. She was raised by A.C. and Ella Mae Elias, who had a ranch in Lake County, California, roughly two and a half hours from the city. There, she spent countless summers and weekends developing her love for the outdoors. Her time on the ranch, learning to fish, hunt, and appreciate the wilderness, profoundly shaped her connection to nature and became the foundation of her lifelong commitment to ensuring that people of color feel they belong in outdoor spaces.
Mapp founded ‘Outdoor Afro’ as a blog in 2009 to address the lack of diversity she saw in outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and conservation. She recognized that Black people often felt disconnected from these spaces usually due to historical trauma and cultural stigmas. Her goal was to break these barriers and help people of color rediscover nature’s joy and healing power. By 2015 she had garnered enough support to take the platform from a kitchen table blog to a full-blown Not-For-Profit Company.
Today, ‘Outdoor Afro’ has grown to have over 80 guides nationwide, and thousands of members enjoying the splendor of nature. Under Mapp’s guidance, the company has partnered with major organizations such as the National Park Service, Juneteenth, and the nutrition bar manufacturer, CLIF Bar. Her efforts have earned national recognition, including accolades from the Administration of President Barack Obama. Mapp, however, still believes her greatest success is witnessing people of color embrace the freedom and empowerment of reconnecting with the outdoors.
Ella Mae Elias, Mapp’s adoptive mother, was a well-known seamstress in the Bay Area, and through her young Mapp also developed an eye for fashion. She started by making outfits for her doll collection, honing her skills through her teenage years. As an adult, she successfully created a clothing line called Rulette Wear, founded in San Fransico. Combining her fashion sense with her love for nature, she created an outdoor collection seeing a need for trendy outdoor wear. Today that brand is partnered with retail giant, REI.
Her book, Nature Swagger: Stories and Visions of Black Joy in the Outdoors, published in 2022 recounts her own experiences and provides scientific research on the all-around benefits of getting outdoors. As a speaker she tackles topics such as: female leadership, environmental activism, and founding non-profits. Her influence on topics like these, and more, have led her to be featured on various news channels, talk shows, and her own TEDx Talk.
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Carolyn Jones, “Rue Mapp has natural swagger,” Alameda Magazine (April 21, 2021).https://alamedamagazine.com/rue-mapp-has-natural-swagger/.
Karen L. Smith-Janssen, “Rue Mapp wants outdoor enthusiasts to look more like the rest of America,” NRDC (August 18, 2021). https://www.nrdc.org/stories/rue-mapp-wants-outdoor-enthusiasts-look-more-rest-america
Paul Wachter, “Outdoor Afro founder Rue Mapp: ‘The trees don’t know that you’re Black,’” Andscape (May 23, 2023). https://andscape.com/features/outdoor-afro-founder-rue-mapp-the-trees-dont-know-that-youre-black/
