Even though I might be posting pictures and stories of all these cool outdoor adventure activities, here’s a little reminder that issues regarding racial equity in the United States also affect the “great outdoors.” In this picture is my wonderful crew leader (aka immediate supervisor) Alex! He’s kinda an absolute “badass” from Puerto Rico and has been such a guiding light for me through this crazy “living in the woods for 2 and a half months” thing I decided to do to myself. He’s an avid climber, incredible conservationist, and a person who’s somehow successfully hitchhiked halfway across the United States.
In this experience it really didn’t hit me until I entered this space that I would not only have to adjust to living in the woods, but also adjust to living in a space where I looked different than everyone else. I went from being part of the “majority” in the Philippines, to now being a minority in this country. Thanks to Alex and other positive people in my crew, I’ve had the chance to slowly readjust to culture of the United States and feel a little more comfortable out in these outdoor adventure spaces. Not only has Alex taught me how to live this adventurous life, but also share an experience I can relate too. (Because lol, who just doesn’t hate the Spaniards of the colonial past) I am extremely fortunate to have these people, but I think it’s important to recognize that many others do not. According to a National Park Service survey done in 2008-2009, 78% of park visitors were White. In comparison, 7% of visitors were Black, 9% of visitors were Hispanic/Latinx, 3% of visitors were Asian, and 1% of visitors were Native American. (Please note: There’s a lot of fine print here for sure. I couldn’t find the actual raw data anywhere, and just been finding this in news articles- which I do not think at all is the best method of making a point like this. I do think however there still is something to notice and think about! Without the data, I can at least tell you from first hand life experience, I don’t know many people of color engaging in these types of outdoor activities. I’ll attach some articles that discuss this topic. Please take time to do your research and learn more if you can). Why are those numbers what they are? There are certainly many reasons, and if you really know me well, I’m sure you know how I feel about those numbers. I want to work for a future where those numbers look very different, and every person in this country feels like there is true equal access to these most wonderful experiences that I now have had the chance to experience. If you want to add a book to your repertoire of “Anti-Racism reads,” I recommend looking into “Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors.” It’s a book discussing many of the reasons why many Black Americans in the United States have not had the same equal opportunities to appreciate these outdoor spaces. If you want to maybe follow some social media accounts that work towards bringing more people of color out in these spaces, look into @brownpeoplecamping @outdoorafro @latinooutdoors @outdoorasian and @melaninbasecamp! And most importantly, if you’re someone I know and my adventures have sparked a newfound curiosity into this whole outdoor adventure world, please know that you’re welcome to message me questions or concerns you have about taking that first step into this all. I know trying to learn the whole “camping” thing can be really daunting, but just know you aren’t alone! And I believe that you can do it too. Now I can’t promise you that I know everything, but I’m very fortunate to now know a new network of people who (somewhat ) do. Maybe if I get good enough at this, I personally can take you out on a trip. As we work on taking time to make our cities, neighborhoods, and streets more equitable, let’s not forget we too can do that same for the outdoors. Book link: https://uncpress.org/book/9781469614489/black-faces-white-spaces/ Articles: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/02/diversity-in-national-parks/ https://www.npr.org/2016/03/09/463851006/dont-care-about-national-parks-the-park-service-needs-you-to https://www.audubon.org/news/the-national-parks-have-diversity-problem-couple-has-been-working-20-years-fix https://www.backpacker.com/news-and-events/national-parks-diversity