[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 26, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E408]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING RUE MAPP

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 26, 2022

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Rue 
Mapp, whom I have named the 5th Congressional District's 2022 Climate 
Crisis Champion for her inspiring leadership in combatting the climate 
crisis currently gripping our communities.
  Ms. Mapp was born in Oakland, California. She earned a bachelor's 
degree in the history of art, with a minor in city and regional 
planning from the University of California, Berkeley. She also earned a 
Women in Leadership Certificate from Mills College, Institute for Civic 
Leadership in her hometown of Oakland.
  Ms. Mapp founded Outdoor Afro in 2009 to celebrate and inspire Black 
people to connect with each other through nature. For the past five 
years, Outdoor Afro has included a policy and education cohort that has 
advocated for environmental protection legislation, including the Land 
Water Conservation Fund, which funds parks and public land. Today, 
Outdoor Afro includes over 60,000 participants and over 100 volunteer 
leaders who promote and participate in outdoor activities, such as 
hiking, fishing, biking and more.
  Ms. Mapp has received various honors for her environmental work. Ms. 
Mapp has been appointed to the California State Parks and Recreation 
Commission, and the Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship 
Council's Foundation for Youth Investment, where she serves as program 
officer. Ms. Mapp is also on the board of the Outdoor Industry 
Association Governance Committee and the vice-chair of The Wilderness 
Society Governing Council. Additionally, she was invited to the White 
House by the Obama Administration for the America's Great Outdoors 
Conference.
  In her free time, Ms. Mapp is an avid outdoorswoman, Recreational 
Vehicle enthusiast, hunter, and fisher. She loves to cook, sew, write, 
and spend time with her loved ones. Ms. Mapp's family includes her 
husband, Darin; her three children, Seth, Delaney, and William; her 
grandchild, Kendrick; and her beloved Pitbull, Lulu.
  Madam Speaker, it is evident that Rue Mapp has dedicated her life to 
combating the climate crisis in our communities through Outdoor Afro. 
Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor her here today.

                          ____________________