OPEN LETTER TO BLACK WOMEN: YOU ARE WELCOME HERE
PRESS RELEASE
Date: Friday, June 9, 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tyreen Taylor, Campaign Assistant (239) 522-2423; Tyreen@girltrek.orgwww.girltrek.org
GIRLTREK ISSUES OPEN LETTER TO BLACK WOMEN: YOU ARE WELCOME HERE
1,000 Welcome Walks Planned for Juneteenth Weekend
Dear Black Women,
We know that you enter spaces every day where you are told that you aren’t good enough and made to feel invisible. We know this world can be rough, and we in turn become rough to ourselves, when what we need instead is a soft place to rest emotionally, physically, and spiritually. You need hands to hold you up and a sister to believe in you when you don’t have the energy to believe in your own magic.
That’s why GirlTrek, the national health movement that brought you Black History Bootcamp and #DaughtersOf is declaring Juneteenth a weekend of “radical welcome” to let Black women know that this sisterhood is their soft place. In the longstanding tradition of campaigns like “Assata you are welcome here,” we are taking to the streets of our neighborhoods and hosting Welcome Walks so Black women feel loved and cared for.
Will you join us in making this happen?
It’s easy to participate! Here are five ways to be in solidarity:
Host a walk in your neighborhood on Saturday, June 17th. It’s easy. Just choose a location that you love to walk in your neighborhood (or the Juneteenth parade or event that you are attending) and a time that’s convenient for you, and drop a pin on the GirlTrek map so that other Black women can find you.
Wear blue on Saturday, June 17th. It’s the official color of this movement and how we spot a sister on the street. If you want some special blue, you can shop at our store and use the code “WelcomeWalk” to get 25% off your purchase. But it’s not necessary. Any blue will do. We also have signs and posters for those women who will represent at a GirlTrek event or parade. We’ll be looking for your pictures online. #GirlTrek #WelcomeWalks
Change your profile picture to this graphic so that other Black women know they are welcome in this movement. Our hope is to create a wave of blue across social media and let Black women see the power of this sisterhood.
Tune in to GirlTrek’s all-day teach-in on Thursday, June 15th. To get us prepared for our Welcome Walks, we will be taking over GirlTrek's social media pages for the entire day in a first-ever teach-in extravaganza. We will be answering questions, teaching the GirlTrek trek code, and sharing everything that you need to know to participate.
Share your Welcome Walk fun on social media using the hashtags #GirlTrek and #WelcomeWalks. Let us see you out here representing Juneteenth and Black women everywhere. You can even print one of our posters for your walk or event to make yourself even more visible!
We want you to be a part of GirlTrek’s national welcome committee. The entire GirlTrek national team will also be participating by hosting walks of their own. Our goal is to have 1,000 women drop a pin on the GirlTrek map. We even have a list of streets named after Black women here and would love it if every one of these streets has a walk. Maybe only one woman will show up to yours, but to that one woman, you will be a lifeline.
[Pictured: Cicely Tyson Way in Harlem, New York]
This is what the revolution looks like.
We let peace be our fist, joy be our protest, and walking our celebration.
With love,
The million members of the GirlTrek movement
About GirlTrek:
There is a health crisis in America and Black women and girls are among the hardest hit. Every day 137 Black women die from heart disease. This is more than gun violence, HIV/AIDS, and smoking combined. And the effects of chronic stress are wearing on Black women mentally, physically, and spiritually. Black women die younger and at higher rates than any other group of women in the country: 82% of Black women are currently overweight, 53% are morbidly obese (CDC, 2020).
GirlTrek is a solution. With over one million active members, the movement organizes Black women to walk, talk, and solve problems together. GirlTrek has been featured on CNN, The New York Times, and Essence Magazine and has won the Webby Award two years in a row for its podcast, Black History Bootcamp.