What happens when Black women start walking en masse?

Part 4 of the TED Radio Hour episode A More Walkable World.

Black women are dying from preventable, obesity-related diseases, more than any other group in the U.S. GirlTrek co-founder Vanessa Garrison is asking Black women to take one immediate step: to walk.

About Vanessa Garrison

Vanessa Garrison is the co-founder and COO of GirlTrek, the largest public health nonprofit for African-American women and girls in the United States. With more than 1,000,000 supporters, GirlTrek encourages women to use walking as a practical first step to inspire healthy living, families and communities.

Prior to co-founding GirlTrek, Garrison worked within criminal justice, helping formerly incarcerated women access critical services. She began her career working in digital media with Turner Broadcasting System in Atlanta, where she managed digital media projects for news and entertainment brands, including, CNN, TNT and Sports Illustrated.

She has received social innovations fellowships from Teach For America, Echoing Green and the Aspen Institute.

This segment of TED Radio Hour was produced by James Delahoussaye and Fiona Geiran and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org. [Copyright 2024 NPR]