Traveling art exhibit recognizes St. Louis founder of Black People Who Hike

Debbie Njai founded Black People Who Hike in 2019 to promote inclusivity in outdoor spaces. What started as a therapeutic outlet for herself has now become a global movement to make nature a place where all people feel welcome.

“When it really hit home for me — when I realized this was something bigger than me [and] something that the Black community needed — was when I had stumbled across forest bathing and really understanding what the outdoors can do to someone and how it can really benefit.”

Njai’s work as a St. Louis-based environmental activist and wellness advocate will be recognized in a traveling art exhibition coming to St. Louis on Friday: “Americans Who Tell the Truth.” It features the work of Robert Shetterly, who has spent the past 20 years painting portraits of Americans who are focused on improving their communities. The exhibition is put on by the Missouri Coalition for the Environment.