James Dowell hasn’t always been a runner. He started casually, meeting up weekly with three to 10 people for neighborhood jogs in 2019. The group brought together Black men who wanted a challenge — and the healing that comes from moving your body. Some were avid runners, while others were totally new, like Dowell.
“I learned that I was able to do something that was so hard for me, and show up again,” Dowell said. “It gave me the encouragement to show up in other ways through life.”
By late spring of 2020, over 200 people of all stripes and athletic backgrounds had joined the running group, formally named “Prolyfyck Run Creww.” Part of the rapid growth was due to timing — people were yearning for a safe, fun outlet to exercise and socialize during the COVID-19 pandemic. But more than five years later, it’s still going strong…