GirlTrek’s Vanessa Garrison and T. Morgan Dixon Turned Walking Into a Lifeline

Let me tell you about Vanessa Garrison and T. Morgan Dixon.

Two organizers looked at the health crisis facing Black women and asked: what if the prescription was as simple as a walk — and as powerful as a movement? That question became GirlTrek, the largest health movement for Black women and girls in America.

The Work

Vanessa Garrison is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of GirlTrek; T. Morgan Dixon is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer. Together they built a national nonprofit that supports Black women and girls in living their healthiest, most fulfilled lives — starting with one simple act: walking daily.

GirlTrek is rooted in civil-rights history and principles. It’s not a fitness app or a diet plan; it’s a movement built on organizing, community leadership, and a bold goal of one million Black women walking every day.

They’re also the co-hosts of Black-History Bootcamp, GirlTrek’s award-winning podcast that connects the act of walking to the legacy of the women who walked before them.

The Roots

Before GirlTrek, Morgan worked on the front lines of education reform, leading new-school development and earning fellowships from Teach For America, Echoing Green, Ashoka, and the Aspen Institute. She studied political science and American studies at the University of Southern California and earned a master’s in education policy and leadership from Seton Hall.

Their work earned them recognition as among the top 1% of social innovators in the world, two viral TED talks, and a Harvard Kennedy School fellowship. Morgan was even named an Essence “Health Hero.”

Why You Should Know Them

Here’s why Vanessa Garrison and T. Morgan Dixon matter right now: they took the single most accessible form of exercise on earth and wrapped it in history, sisterhood, and purpose. In a country where Black women face disproportionate health risks, they built a movement that meets women exactly where they are — on the sidewalk.

One million daily walkers isn’t a wellness trend. It’s a public-health campaign rooted in love.

Quick facts:

• Co-Founders, GirlTrek (Washington, D.C.) — largest health movement for Black women & girls in the U.S.
• Vanessa Garrison — Co-Founder & COO · T. Morgan Dixon — Co-Founder & CEO
• Goal: one million Black women walking daily
• Co-hosts, Black-History Bootcamp podcast
• Two viral TED talks · Harvard / Ashoka / Echoing Green fellowships

Photo: HaileyNOLA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons