WASHINGTON — The brutal killings of nine people who welcomed a stranger into their midst to study the Bible unleashed a torrent of grief and anger.
And communities across the country are finding ways to work through it. For the members of Girl Trek, it means lacing up their sneakers, and walking through their communities: finding strength in themselves and each other.
Girl Trek is a national organization of 35,000, aimed at connecting black women in a network of health and fitness. But that isn’t limited to physical fitness, according to co-founder Vanessa Garrison.
“Girl Trek is a national health movement of thousands of women and girls across the country who we inspire and support daily to lace up their sneakers and walk for better health to both heal their bodies, inspire their daughters, and reclaim the streets of our neighborhoods,” she says.
But there is a spiritual element as well, and Garrison says the killings in Charleston could shake anyone to the core, but that simply underscores the need for positive action. “That feeling should be one of outrage,” and she says it’s one that should push people to ask: “What do I need to do individually as a person to make sure that this never, ever happens again?”
Garrison says the network that GirlTrek has created allows members to lean on each other when they are struggling, and share in the joy when they reach a goal. “So that people can feed off of that joy and that light and that positivity” and Garrison says that kind of energy “can illuminate the way towards a peaceful coming together for all of us which is something that our country really needs right now.”
Garrison says on a recent walk, she listened to a song that inspires her (Mahalia Jackson’s “Precious Lord”). She explains there’s an obvious spiritual connection, but adds, “Negro spirituals actually for many of us have been kind of an organizing rally and a call for action.”
Garrison says while the group’s aim is to tackle health issues in the African American community, particularly the issues surrounding obesity, Girl Trek is a diverse community of women.
“We invite all women to lace up their sneakers and to walk with GirlTrek.”
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
