A Love Letter to A Million Black Women
Dear Sister,
You are not alone.
Ten years ago, 500 organizers boarded buses bound for Selma, Alabama, to mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
Since then, we have grown from 20,000 Black women walking to 1 million sisters who are changing the very systems that made us sick in the first place.
We are the critical mass.
We are powerful because we are loving.
Our members can be found feeding the homeless in Richmond and organizing refugees in Rwanda. We walk in halfway houses and the halls of Congress. We are rowdy students on college campuses and tambourine-thumping churchgoers.
Gay, straight, rich, poor. Born here, been here, came here. Daughters, mothers, elders.
Black women, you are welcome here.
Our shared history, our collective trauma, and the wars waged against our families and communities since 1619 have created a perfect storm of sickness.
…but we walk for wellness.
We are sisters.
We are soldiers…
“…in the army, we have to fight, although we have to cry…”
Ooo that’s an old James Cleveland song that some of our younger members might not know?
Just know this—there are bloodstained banners across every Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. in this country. We walk for our cousins who are locked up. We walk for our aunts who died too soon. We walk for our partners who lost their minds. We walk for our parents who didn’t have time. For the veterans. For the workers. For those medicating their sadness with substances. The banner is bloodstained.
And through it all, we have worn our signature blue, knowing that we would have to be the superheroes of our own survival.
For a decade, there has been a sea of superhero blue at every significant social movement. Aerial shots of the 50th Selma March? A sea of superhero blue on that bridge. On the front page of The Washington Post during Obama’s inauguration, one of you was wearing a GirlTREK shirt. We’ve marched on the National Mall, climbed Alpine peaks in the Rockies, delivered votes to the polls, held vigils on campuses, supported the Women’s March, healed ourselves in wellness revivals, won seats on school boards, and told our stories around the world - on Good Morning America, CNN, BET, and TED.
But the true love of this movement happened in the quieter moments. When we walked by ourselves—but never alone. When you knocked on your neighbor’s door. When you wore your GirlTREK shirt to the grocery store. The deepest discipline and love of GirlTREK is found in these everyday acts—when we choose to walk in the streets of our own neighborhoods to heal from heart attacks and heartbreak.
The past 10 years were worth it. We worked so hard because we love you. And together we were wildly successful. You are so important to this movement. Thank you, we respect you and we need you.
We are starting something new.
Over the next 10 years, we will step up our own healthy behaviors - making sure that every single one of us establishes the life-saving habit of daily walking. It’s simple: 15 minutes in one direction, then come on home. It will save your life.
And more. We will level up our storytelling—across the globe. Pictures of you at bus stops. Quotes of our foremothers on billboards. Radio ads. Broadcast shows. We will become an undeniable voice at advocacy tables and bring a bullhorn to the streets. GirlTREK will become a household name.
And here’s what’s new: Over the next 10 years, we will turn our power toward caring for one another at scale - building villages and new systems that serve us. We are powerful enough to do it. And our love is unshakable. Do not be distracted. Do not be confused. One million Black women walking in the same direction is the answer.
What happens next?
On March 1, the first day of the GirlTREK season, we will provide dates and details for the year ahead. By then, this cold will start to ease up. We’ll open our windows, let the light in, and get ready to step outside.
Here’s what to expect in 2025:
March 10 – Harriet Tubman Day Our first official meeting of the year. And this year, it will be special. Wear a denim shirt if you have one - because we’re about to get to work.
Imagine being in a room with the most brilliant organizers in the country. The seriousness of the state of our union requires a different kind of membership meeting. Do not miss it. 8 PM ET. Stay tuned for more information. We won’t be hosting house parties that day. Instead, we’re asking you to log in, listen, and participate.
At the membership meeting, you’ll receive a toolkit to host house parties throughout the year - a classic organizing tactic to build power.
Spring Training (April–June) We’ll kick off monthly walking challenges that center on caring for you. We want you strong, healthy, and connected before summer. Vanessa and I will check in with you every Saturday. We’ll open the lines and hold space for you.
Summer of Solidarity (July–August) As we walk, we will support organizations making our communities healthier. We’re securing sponsors to fund this work, so that every step you take on Saturdays will directly power urgent solutions. The theme of the summer will be Joy and Justice - including weekly experiences to amplify these concepts.
Training for the Revolution (September) Level up your skills. We want you prepared. We will have an in person trainings the week of Labor Day. You will have the opportunity to specialize and get certified in content areas such as:
Emergency rescue
Self-defense
Mental health first response
Nutrition
People’s Gardening …and other vital skills.
Fall Service (October)
We are organizing the biggest ground game ever. A Care Crusade across America. It starts in the South and spreads—community service, canvassing, organizing walks, and forming powerful partnerships. We will go door to door, offering care to our neighbors.
Celebration (November) We have a big surprise for our end-of-year celebration. We’ve already said too much. Please stay tuned.
Until then, unplug.
Rest well knowing that you have a whole sisterhood waiting to turn up.
Mark your calendars for March 10 and stay tuned for registration details.
Happy Valentine’s Day,
Morgan and Vanessa