How This Woman is Inspiring Black Women to Run

By Amanda Scriver via https://www.brit.co

Running is one of the most popular and widely-practiced sports worldwide, and it’s easy to understand why: It’s a workout that doesn’t cost very much, and it can be done literally anywhere you go. For friends Toni Carey and Ashley Hicks-Rocha, graduates from Middle Tennessee State University and sorority sisters at Alpha Kappa Alpha, the convenience of running was also the appeal. So they decided to embark on their very own running journey together.

But almost immediately, Carey and Hicks-Rocha noticed a serious lack of diverse representation in the running community, specifically among African-American women. But as they began to seek out running groups and challenge themselves to marathons, they encountered unwelcome behavior — with racist undertones — from others. Carey recalls one time when she and Hicks-Rocha joined a group run in Charlotte, North Carolina and someone in the group asked the pair if they were lost.

“I remember thinking to myself that I never want anyone to feel how we felt that day,” sharing that although they loved running, it was clear to both of them the community was not welcoming or inclusive.

The pair were inspired to launch Black Girls RUN! in 2009 to make fitness and healthy living a priority for women, especially Black women in America. “We knew that our community …

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