DEI & Outdoor Recreation

One of the qualities of literature most dear to me is its ability to exercise the muscles we use to empathize. It’s a way for the reader to imagine themselves in someone else’s shoes. “The Lady and the Crux” was a way for me to put myself in the shoes of a climber who’s black. I had to do some research to find out what it was like, and hopefully my research made for a story that allows you to imagine what it’s like.

In lieu of a book review this month, I’m sharing some of the resources that helped me learn more about the challenges people of color face in outdoor recreation. It’s a space that’s dominated by white faces, and it’s—everyone who enjoys getting into the outdoors for a little fun, from climbing to hiking to camping and everything in between—to do the work to make sure it’s an inclusive and equal space that cultivates diversity rather than discourages it.

Melanin Base Camp

Melanin Base Camp’s mission is to increase the visibility of black, indigenous, and people of color in the outdoors. You can follow the conversation with their hashtag #diversifyoutdoors or check out their Guide to Outdoor Allyship as a good introduction to how to be an ally.

Kai Lightner: Open Your Eyes to the Reality of Black Lives

Kai Lightner is an accomplished competition and outdoor climber who’s been at it since he was six years old. In this essay in Rock and Ice he discusses the daily challenges he faces as a Black man. He starts with a powerful list of things Black people have to think about on a daily basis. He finishes the list with this:

In light of George Floyd, I now must add:

Inspect the bills in your wallet—in search of counterfeits.

The list of things I need to remember during normal activities each day keeps increasing at a mentally exhausting rate. My mother gave me this list as I grew up, but as an adult I keep adding to it.

He goes on to talk about how these things affect the way he has to carry himself in the world, and some things we as individuals can do to be better in the future.

Within Reach

The women’s climbing organization Flash Foxy produced the documentary Within Reach about some of their work to not only increasing representation of women in climbing, but to increase visibility and fight back against sexism in climbing. I love this quote:

If you’re going to make change, it makes sense to start in the places you know.

I think it’s a great prompt to ask ourselves the real question that we all need to grapple with if we want to see change in the world: “What am I doing to create change in the spaces and places that I know?”