Verna NezBegay Volker of Native Women Run: Special Episode, Running Is Political

I sat down with friend, colleague, community organizer, and racial equity advocate Verna NezBegay Volker, who lived for 16 years in Minneapolis, and recently moved just outside the city. The neighborhood where Verna and her husband raised their children is a focal point of ICE raids and crackdowns.

Central to this conversation: how running and politics are inextricably linked. Running requires freedom of movement and some semblance of safety. Increasingly, we are seeing those liberties threatened, thwarted, and extinguished because of political decisions. It's a reality people of color in this country have always understood; awareness in white communities is much less. I wanted to acknowledge and address these realities and this moment and also expand my own awareness.

So, I turned to a trusted source, to learn and to develop strategies for how to keep moving forward and be a better community member.

We talk about what Verna's recent and past experiences have been around civil unrest, as a runner, community leader, native woman, and mom living in Minnesota. And we discuss how this isn't new for her and her community, or other communities of color. We also discuss what she's seeing in the running community and ways that this community can be more supportive of those who are being targeted--specifically, runners of color. We talk about how difficult this time is and also how empowering it is to see community coming together to resist and to help each other.

I'm grateful to Verna for sharing her perspective and expertise. We're in this together. We are stronger together.

Keep Up With Verna NezBegay Volker and Native Women Run

Verna NezBegay Volker on Instagram: @hozhorunner4
NWR on Instagram: @native_women_run

Mentioned in This Episode

Pow Wow Grounds: powwowgrounds.com; @powwowgroudscoffee: ; Venmo, @powwowgrounds
American Indian Movement: @aimmovt
American Indian Center: maicnet.org

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Music Credits

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