Diversifying the Stories of the Outdoors
The activity of hiking is something that’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. The physical experience of a hike has become so engrained in my body that I don’t have to think about what I’m doing. The way I can simply step across a stream crossing or lean forward while forging uphill aren’t things that require thought, my body just knows what it needs to do.
I came to hiking early and by default – my parents took me outside and set me on trail when I was still a toddler. Camping vacations were an affordable way to travel and hiking a natural extension of that. We were welcomed wherever we staked our tent, perhaps unaware of the privilege our whiteness afforded us. As far as I can recall, no one ever questioned our right to be there.
So I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be someone who introduces people to spending time in the outdoors, especially for hikers whose acceptance into the outdoors community hasn’t been handed down as easily to them like mine. Taking a hike may be a brand-new experience for those who whose form of exercise has been based inside gyms, on courts, or not far from home. Heading off into the unknown is fraught not just with the with potential danger of misstep, but for Black Americans, a history of violence as well.
Though it may be officially illegal to discriminate based on the color of one’s skin, the legacy of hundreds of years of slavery and segregation prior to the signing of The Civil Rights Act in 1964, has placed a massive hold on how many African Americans experience the outdoors to this day. In addition to having been denied access to parks, swimming pools and other outdoor spaces, the physical and emotional traumas faced by those growing up in the segregated South or in the shadow of sundown towns have been internalized by their descendants and are incredibly hard to overcome. Even my husband, a Black man who grew up in the Northeast in the 1990’s, occasionally takes pause prior to adventuring in unfamiliar territory. But after being told tales of family members lost to lynching just a generation or two back, I am beginning to understand why being in the deep woods may feel dangerous.
I also understand that while these lived experiences are not mine to tell, I can begin to more regularly point my audience toward the stories and the words of others who have been doing work in this space, sharing their experiences in order to normalize and accentuate diversity in the outdoors. There are an increasing amount of individuals and organizations who are unpacking this history and aiming to heal their personal and/or collective hurt through the power of outdoors. Here are but a few whose words and actions have helped inform me.
Author Rahawa Haile’s “Going it Alone,” published in Outside Magazine, is about her 2016 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. As an Eritrean-American, walking north during the runup to the Trump Presidency, she was regularly faced with the realities of racism in a way that her white hiking friends were often unaware were even occurring. She is currently working on a book about the Appalachian Trail for HarperCollins. @RahawaHaile on Twitter and @rahawahaile on Instagram.
Derick Lugo may have been the only black man who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail his year, but that’s not the only reason the trail was a unique experience for him. In his memoir, The Unlikely Thru-Hiker, we quickly learn that heading down to Georgia from NYC to hike the AT was a decision made just a few weeks prior to the start of his journey – and it was also his first backpacking trip! It’s a beautiful introduction to thru-hiking culture and his willingness to learn on the fly and stay positive throughout is uplifting. Check out his Instagram @dericklugo where this month he’s been going live and collaborating with @blackpeoplewhohike to share Stories of the Great Outdoors with other Black authors, leaders and influencers.
T. Morgan Dixon & Vanessa Garrison are the co-founders of GirlTrek, a non-profit organization whose mission is to “Pioneer a health movement for African American women and girls grounded in civil rights history and principles through walking campaigns, community leadership, and health advocacy,” and who have literally walked in the footsteps of history. In 2018, to celebrate the legacy left by Harriet Tubman, they hiked an 80-mile section of the Underground Railroad from Maryland to Wilmington, Delaware, the route likely taken by Harriet herself in 1849 to escape slavery.
• Listen to their Black History Bootcamp Podcast to learn a ton about some pivotal women (and men) in the Civil Rights era and beyond.
• Watch their TED Talk, which speaks to some of the personal stories behind the GirlTrek mission and how “The trauma of systemic racism is killing Black women and a first step toward change.”
• Read about their walk to honor Harriet Tubman’s legacy.
To be honest, I’ve struggled with writing a blog post this month (hence my just getting it in under the wire here with five days left in February). It being Black History Month I’ve wanted to celebrate those in the outdoors space who are working to dismantle the systemic racism that has often prevented people of color from participating in it, while also being conscious to not tokenize anyone’s lived experience or diminish it to one simple mention. For a while I felt paralyzed, unsure where to begin. But I know that I will never know what it is like to go for a walk in a skin color or gender other than my own, so my aim is to continue to educate myself about how spending time in the outdoors feels for others, in the hopes of being a better leader for and continuing to welcome all hikers, seasoned and newbie alike.
Know someone who deserves a shoutout or an interview? Let me know at interviews@girlgottahike.com