>>> 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