>>> AMERICA HAS BEEN SHAPED BY  THE COUNTRY'S HISTORY.
IN A   SERIES, AMERICA OUTDOORS THE  HOST EXPLORES OUR COUNTRY'S   RELATIONSHIP WITH ITS NATURAL   PLACES.
IN ITS SECOND SEASON   PREMIERE EPISODE,  HERE IS A   LOOK.
>>  THIS IS A HUMAN  CONGREGATION.
>>  THEY LOOK SO FORWARD TO  THIS.
WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE   WHO COME OUT ENJOY THESE   SERVICES.
WE HAVE DONE THIS FOR  ALMOST 3 YEARS.
>> WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN   TERMS OF YOUR EXPERIENCE OF   SERVICE HOW DOES THIS FEEL   DIFFERENT ?
>> I FEEL LIKE  WE HAVE A MORE   SPIRITUAL CONNECTION TO GET   BACK TO WHAT GOD INTENDED.
THERE'S TIMES WHERE YOU COULD   FEEL LIKE YOU ARE ISOLATED SO   THIS IS LIKE RECONNECTING.
>> IN JOINING US  IS THE SHOW'S  HOST  WHO IS A WRITER,   COMEDIAN, AND PODCAST HOST.
WELCOME AND THANK YOU FOR  JOINING US.
>> HELLO AND THANK YOU FOR   HAVING ME.
>> THAT SEEN WITH  THE  CONGREGATION  IN THE OPENING OF  THE EPISODE, THEY ARE SINGING ,  WADE IN THE WATER OVERLOOKING    THE SWAMP  THAT I GREW UP IN  MISSISSIPPI,  GOING INTO CHURCH  AS WELL.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING   THAT MOST OF US  SEE AND   CERTAINLY NOT ON A TRAVEL SHOW.
WHAT DID  VISITING THE SERVICE   TEACH YOU ABOUT AMERICA?
>> IT  TAUGHT ME  THE WILDLIFE   , THE PLANT LIFE, THEY ARE AS  MUCH PART OF THE COUNTRY AS  ANY.
SOME OF OUR GREATEST  HEROES  ARE VERY UNSUNG  IN THE  SOUTHEAST OF THIS COUNTRY.
SWAMPS COULD BE BEAUTIFUL  PLACES.
I THINK OF THE SWAMP   IS SOMETHING , THIS  AREA IS A  MAGICAL AND BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
THEY ARE DOING A LOT OF WORK TO  PRESERVE WHAT REMAINS OF OUR   STABLE CLIMATE SO THERE ARE  LAYERS TO THE SWAMP  ESPECIALLY  WITH THE REVEREND AND HIS   CONGREGATION.
>> YOU VISIT MORE THAN ONE   SWAMP AS WELL.
LET'S TALK   ABOUT THE NAME, AMERICA  OUTDOORS  BECAUSE FOR THE   PURPOSES OF THE SHOW WHAT   QUALIFIES AS THE OUTDOORS?
IN   THE FIRST SEASON YOU VISIT THE   LA RIVER SO IT'S NOT   TECHNICALLY A RIVER SO THE   DEFINITION IS IT STRICTLY   NATURAL.
>> AS AN LA RESIDENT  I MUST  DEFEND MY AREA.
THE LA RIVER    IS IN FACT A RIVER, IT'S    NAVIGABLE AND I KAYAK IT.
I   FISH ON IT,  I GOT A BEAUTIFUL  CARP.
SO DON'T BE TALKING  TRASH ABOUT MY TRASH FILLED  RIVER.
>> OF MY APOLOGIES TO THE   RIVER.
>> THANK YOU.
WHAT QUALIFIES AS  OUTDOORS IS A REALLY GOOD   QUESTION.
ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF  YOUR DOOR.
WE DID AN  EPISODE   ON LA IN OUR FIRST SEASON  AND   WE FOCUSED ON BACKYARD   GARDENING AND LOOKED AT HIKING  WITHIN CITY LIMITS AND COUNTY  LIMITS.
YOU COULD HAVE   SOMETHING IN YOUR WINDOWSILL ,   YOUR GROWING HERBS, FLOWERS,  FEEDING THE BIRDS.
THAT'S YOUR   WAY TO CONNECT WITH THE  OUTDOORS  AND IT'S JUST AS   VALID AS THE TIME I SPENT IN  UTAH AND COTTONWOOD CANYON    ROCKCLIMBING WITH THE LEGENDARY   ROCK CLIMBER NIKKI SMITH    WHICH IS COMING UP ON A SOON TO  AIR EPISODE, THE UTAH EPISODE.
EVERYTHING BETWEEN THOSE TWO  POINTS IS OUTDOORS IF IT  INVOLVES GOING OUTDOORS.
WHATEVER IT IS,  IF IT   SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE,  THIS SHOW   IS ABOUT YOU AND YOUR  CONNECTION WITH THE WORLD   OUTSIDE.
>> OUTDOORS YOU ARE.
YOUR SHOW   MAKES ME THINK OF THIS OTHER   CHICAGO COUPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA   THEY CALL THEMSELVES  LACK   PEOPLE OUTSIDE AND THEY ARE   ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING OUTSIDE   WHETHER IT'S HIKING AND THEY   HAVE TO IDENTIFY AS BLACK   PEOPLE OUTSIDE BECAUSE WE KNOW   THERE'S A  COMPLICATION  DUE TO  OTHER MARGINALIZED PEOPLE, TELL  US ABOUT THE COMPLICATED  RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH THE  OUTDOORS.
>> THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS   UP.
FOR SOME OF US  THE   OUTDOORS WAS A FORCED  LABOR   CAMP OR THE SITE OF TORTURE,   DEATH, OR PAIN.
FOR SOME  THE   SITE OF INJURY .
THE PHYSICAL  BROKENNESS.
PEOPLE FALLING OFF   OF THINGS, INJURING THEMSELVES   DOING BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR  ACTIVITIES  SO WE DON'T SHY   AWAY FROM THIS AND SHOWS.
THERE'S A CELEBRATION,  THERE   IS MUCH TO CELEBRATE ABOUT THE  HUMAN CONNECTION IN NATURE IN  THIS COUNTRY AND BEYOND  BUT   ACKNOWLEDGING THE HURT  THAT   HAS HAPPENED IN THE OUTDOORS ,   THE SEPARATION  THAT WE HAVE   EXPERIENCED THROUGH  COMMERCE   AND CAPITALISM AS WELL AS   POLICY, REDLINING,  ALL SORTS  OF DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES NOT  JUST ON THE RACIAL FRONT BUT   GENDER AND WITH DISABILITIES.
I SPENT TIME  TRAVELING THE  COUNTRY.
I WENT WHITE WATER   RAFTING WITH A PARALYZED MAN.
MOUNTAIN BIKING WITH ANOTHER   PARALYZED AMERICAN.
PEOPLE ARE  CAPABLE OF A LOT MORE WHEN WE   OPEN UP THE DOORS TO ACCESSIBLE  OUTDOORS  FOR EVERYONE SO WE  CAN APPRECIATE OUR CONNECTION  TO THE PLANET.
THIS IS MY  FAVORITE PLANET TO LIVE ON.
>> IT'S MY FAVORITE PLANET TWO.
ALL THIS SAID WHAT DOES THIS   MEAN TO YOU AS A  BLACK MAN   HOSTING THIS SHOW?
>> IT'S FUN.
I GREW UP WITH   ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS.
MY   MOTHER WAS TAKING ME AND MY   FRIENDS ON BIKING TRIPS AND   CAMPING TRIPS TO GET US OUT OF   THE SITUATIONS AND THREATS FROM   POLICE OR GANG MEMBERS OR  WHATEVER WAS GOING ON.
THIS   WAS A NICE ESCAPE.
IT WAS ALSO  BONDING.
IT WAS FUN.
YOU COULD   PLAY TAG.
IF YOU SCRAPED YOUR   KNEE, ALL THE FUN THINGS TO DO.
FOR ME TO PLAY OUTDOORS AND   MAKE THIS SHOW BRINGS ME BACK   TO MY CHILDHOOD.
TO BE A BLACK  PERSON DOING THIS  IT'S A   CONSTANT REMINDER WE HAVE A   RIGHT TO THESE PLACES.
WITH AS  MUCH PAIN AS THERE IS TIED TO  THE LAND THERE'S ALSO    LIBERATION, JOY, AND HEALING.
WE BROUGHT A LOT OF NATURAL    ATTRACTION AND CONNECTION TO   THIS AREA.
AFFIRMATIVE   CONNECTION GETTING THROUGH   THESE CONNECTIONS, IT'S A BEEN    A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE FOR ME.
>>  WE SHOULD ALSO MENTION WE   KNOW THAT  YOU ARE RECEIVING   THE ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP  AWARD  BY THE BRUSH WOULD   CENTER IN LEE COUNTY ON   SEPTEMBER 29.
CONGRATULATIONS    TO YOU ON YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU  SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND   I WANT TO THINK THE BRUSH WOULD  CENTER, SING  YOU CHICAGO.
THERE'S A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL OUT   THINGS OUTDOOR THINGS.
I WANT