Carrying On the Legacy, with Expedition Leader Jeska Clark
Release day September 10th, 2025, 10am also on Spotify & Apple Podcast.
Journalistika Podcast Episode 3 Journalist Aaron Rasheed interviews Human Performance Specialist Jeska Clark, the leader of Team North Pole with Full Circle Expedition, as she prepares for a historic mission scheduled for April 2026. This expedition will be the first of its kind, featuring an all-Black team of eight explorers who will journey to the Arctic in honor of African American explorer Matthew Henson, the first person in history to reach the North Pole on April 6, 1909. The mission also aims to raise awareness about climate change.
Aaron covers Jeska’s story through personal interviews and by attending fundraising events. During these events, she speaks to college students and showcases exhibition displays aimed at promoting her team and the gear needed for the expedition.
Podcast available below
Team North Pole
Jeska Clark
Human Performance Specialist and Explorer.
L. Renee Blount
Pro-adventure photographer, director, and mountain athlete.
Demond Mullins
PhD in Sociology and is also a combat veteran of the Iraq War.
Erick Cedeño
Explorer and historian.
Thomas Moore
Participated in an expedition to Kilimanjaro.
Even Green
Avid climber, cyclist, snowboarder, and backpacker.
Danica Carey
The Director of Marketing Operations at Seirus Innovative Accessories.
Marcus Shoffner
Inspired to pursues mastering every adventure discipline, from alpine climbing to polar expeditions.
The History of Matthew Henson
Matthew Henson was born on August 8, 1866, in Charles County, Maryland. He faced significant adversity from a young age; by the age of ten, both of his parents had died, leaving him orphaned and determined to forge his own legacy in a world plagued by racism that sought to erase any legacy of Black individuals.
At the age of twelve, Henson became a cabin boy on the ship *Katie Hines*, where he learned seamanship and navigation under Captain Childs. After Captain Childs died in 1887, Henson worked in a fur shop in Washington, D.C. There, he met U.S. Navy Officer Robert Peary, who was impressed by Henson's geographic expertise. Peary invited him to assist in mapping the jungles of Nicaragua for a potential canal engineering project. This adventure through Central America marked the beginning of a 20-year partnership that would take them around the globe and deep into history.
Despite the racial disparities He encountered, by 1891, Henson was becoming legendary among Peary and other explorers during their expeditions through the unforgiving Arctic. While in Greenland, Henson adapted to Inuit culture, mastering essential survival skills needed to navigate the harsh polar terrain.
He was the only member of Peary's team to master the Inuit dialect, as well as the skills of sled building, dog sledding, and hunting, making Henson indispensable. Due to his expertise, the team was able to communicate with local Inuit tribes, find safe passages, use the most efficient travel methods, and conduct critical triage and rescue efforts while enduring extreme environments.
Peary and Henson's Arctic adventures would lead them to a dream: to be among the first to explore the unknown North Pole. Like many others, the Peary and Henson team soon realized that the North Pole would not yield its secrets easily. Their team failed to complete seven Pole expedition attempts, suffering from frostbite, amputations, sickness, deadly blizzards, and sub-zero temperatures, coming dangerously close to starvation.
While many exploration teams succumbed to the hardships, Peary and Henson's tenacity and determination never wavered. In 1909, the pair, now in their forties, organized a hand-picked team for an eighth attempt. They traveled to Ellesmere Island by ship, sledding across roughly 170 miles of rugged, icy terrain, often traveling day after day for stretches that lasted 12 to 14 hours, according to Henson's journal.
During this promising expedition, Peary fell ill during the final push, and Henson was sent ahead. Accompanied by his Inuit guides, Henson reached what they calculated as latitude 90 degrees north. He soon realized that he wasn't just the first African American to reach the North Pole; he also became the first human in history to do so. Peary eventually caught up and joined him. However, due to the prevalent racism and discrimination of that time, the United States recognized Peary as the first to reach the pole, giving little acknowledgment to Henson. It wasn't until 1937 that Henson received any recognition for his expedition accomplishments. In the mid-1940s, he was finally awarded the Polar Expedition Medal by the U.S. Navy.
Henson passed away in 1955 without fully widespread acknowledgment. However, his efforts were later recognized, and his grave was moved to Arlington National Cemetery in 1988, signifying the ultimate national recognition he deserved. In 2000, he was posthumously awarded National Geographic's Hubbard Medal.
