Get Outside with Amplify Outside!

Hi, my name is Ian Solomon and I am the founder of Amplify Outside. A little about myself: I am a Detroiter with a passion for outdoor recreation, specifically the recreation offered in Michigan. My background is in political broadcast journalism and Public Relations including some time as a congressional reporter in Washington D.C.. I have always looked for ways to engage my community creatively while creating tangible infrastructure to enact change. After building a deep relationship with the outdoors, I grew tired of not seeing my community have the opportunity to the same.



Initially started in 2020, Amplify Outside is a community organization based in Detroit, Michigan with a goal to increase representation and access to the outdoors for Black Michiganders. While we are based and focus on the Detroit area, we hope to use outdoor recreation as a vehicle to connect Michigans vast Black communities. Amplify Outside is raising funds to help support the mission of increasing access and representation to Michigan's great outdoors for Black Michiganders.

 

Here at Amplify Outside we firmly believe Black Recreation is Black Liberation. While this organization is based on the joy and freedom we can find outside, it is informed by the history of our communities relationship to land. From chattel slavery and lynching to sharecropping and redlining- It's time we rehabbed and reimagined the Black American relationship to land, and we believe outdoor recreation is the doorway to doing so.

 

While the Black American relationship to land is complicated, we acknowledge that we are not of this land and thank the past, present and future generations of the Anishinaabe people for being the original stewards of this space long before we arrived and long after we are gone. Thank you for allowing us to experience the beauty and abundance of this landscape.

 

In March of 2022 we launched a survey to better understand Black Michigander's relationship to the outdoors. You can read about it here. We were completely overwhelmed by the response, with over 200 respondents and ages ranging from 16-70, data aside, it was evident just how enthusiastic the community is about outdoor recreation and tackling the barriers Black Michiganders face to doing so. You can see the survey results here.

 

Since the launch of the survey Amplify Outside has gained a following and had opportunities to partner with other amazing local organizations to put on events like a Sound Bath on Belle Isle, sunrise hikes and more. We were even invited to a round table discussion with U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland to discuss how to better provide access to the outdoors for our Black community.

 

 

 

It has been an extremely exciting time for the organization, and with all the new opportunities to serve this community it has become evident that more resources will be needed. Amplify Outside seeks to raise $25,000 to further its mission to increase representation and access to the outdoors for Michigans Black residents.

 

What will this money go towards?

 

There are three avenues these funds will be used for.

 

1. Administrative Duties

While we work towards 501(c)3 status to create more grant opportunities, we want to get a head start on organizational infrastructure. This includes creating a website, trademarking the "Amplify Outside" name, fees associated with incorporating as a non profit, creation of merchandise and more. We also want the ability to provide small stipends to community members that aid our mission. While there are plenty of folks offering their time for free, we want the opportunity to be able to properly help them the way they help us. As much as we appreciate and utilize volunteer work, offering something tangible to those who help push this organization forward is important to us, especially in the economic times we live in now.

 

2. Resources to continue Representation and Event work.

 

Representation:

Per the survey data , Black Michiganders need more representation in outdoor media. We have done and want to continue this representation work via social media that includes showcasing Michigans vast Parks system, the opportunities it offers and the Black history that connects our community to the land. We will expand our content to include more parks, activities and information that Black Michiganders find useful. This will include making more feature length content, while representation is just a stepping stone, it is not to be understated as a tool. We want Black Michiganders to know what's available to them, in their language, from their own community. The funds will be used for costs associated with transportation, lodging (campsites) and content creation. This organization started because of a passion for sharing information to create a tangible impact, this work will continue to be a pillar of our mission.

 

Events:

Per the survey data, what Black Michiganders want most is to not just get outside, but to build community outside. When asked what keeps them from participating in outdoor recreation or what would help them feel more comfortable the overwhelming answer was community. We want to continue to offer events the provide the opportunity for community building outdoors as well as expand the type of events we offer. We believe this is a great opportunity for educative programming around land and outdoor recreation in Michigan. Funds will be used for space rentals, refreshments, transportation and programming that aligns with the interests of Black Michiganders.

 

 

 

3. Outdoor Recreation Mutual Aid for Black Detroiters. Amplify Outside's "Get Outside" Fund.

While we will continue to offer opportunities for community experiences, we don't want our community's outdoor recreational opportunities to be contingent on our events. That is why we are launching the Amplify Outside "Get Outside" fund for Outdoor recreation. Outdoor recreation is an incredible tool for self empowerment and we want to empower our community to build a relationship with the outdoors for themselves. Our survey showed one of the largest barriers to outdoor recreation, specifically opportunities that require travel/ equipment, was money. Funds from this fundraiser will be used to buy a stockpile of equipment from tents to sleeping bags to cooking gear as well as a general fund that community members can apply to for funding for outdoor recreation. Let's say you have four friends who all want to go on a camping trip but lack the knowledge, equipment and funds to get there. You and your friends can apply to the Amplify Outside "Get Outside" fund to rent equipment for free, receive one on one informational help, and funding for gas, food, etc. If you don't feel fully comfortable taking the journey on your own, we'll help coordinate for an Amplify Outside ambassador to take the journey with you. For now, this will be limited to Black Detroiters, but we hope to have the resources to expand to Black Michiganders as whole soon.

 

This is just the beginning of this organization and we've been beyond excited by the response of the community. Thank you for taking the time to read, please donate and share to help us get Black Michiganders outside!

 

P.S.

 

Enjoy this highlight reel of a group trip we organized last summer to Michigan's Upper Peninsula! It was many of the participants first time there and everyone couldn't wait to go back. It is this type of curiosity and relationship building with land that we want to continue to activate with your help. Thanks again, and GET OUTSIDE!