A Black Runner's Desire To Be Seen Creates Community Pride, Diverse Run Crew
William Jones III named the group the Prolyfyck Run Crew after the lyrics in the Nipsey Hussle's "Victory Lap" song.
What started with a few runs around Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2011 became a movement. William Jones III relocated to the area and didn’t notice any fellow Black runners.
But when Black residents saw him run by, they’d shout out encouragingly and cheer. To Jones, it felt more profound than just getting a little support — these people, he says, were seeing him.
The 5-mile loop that he originally mapped out, winding through the area’s predominantly Black neighborhoods, is now the base of the city’s most diverse running group. Jones named the group the after the lyrics in the Nipsey Hussle’s “Victory Lap.”
