Facebook Group ‘Black Girls Fish 2' Aims to Show Diversity in the Sport of Fishing

The 2021 Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth has drawn large crowds to witness the event and one woman from Georgia is visited on a mission to show diversity in the sport.

Yolanda Edwards is the founder a Facebook group called "Black Girls Fish 2."

She said it's all about building a community and awareness that Black women can be anglers too.

"I want to put a face to the name of Black Girls Fish 2 because we don't get a lot of coverage," Edwards said. "I wanted others in the industry to know, 'Hey you have a demographic that loves to fish and here we are.'"

Edwards said she created the group because she was always fishing alone, but she knew she wasn't alone in loving the sport of fishing. So the group was created to build a community; it's also a way to show diversity in a predominately male sport.

She attended this year's Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth to show people there that Black women are avid anglers too. She also said she wanted to inspire other Black women to show them that with dedication they too could compete someday.

"I want all the women to know that this is a place that we aspire to get to where we can come and see other professional anglers," Edwards said. "At the same time, I want to know that we are welcome here too. Often times we don't know that we are welcome, but I have been welcomed."

Edwards said she hoped to continue to grow the Facebook group and eventually hold a Black Girls Fish 2 fishing tournament.