Black Voices and the Outdoors

In order to be an ally in standing up for Black lives, we are suspending our online promotion of National Trails Day (our annual community festival had been canceled weeks ago due to Covid-19) and the Carolina Thread Trail. Instead, we will celebrate Black voices in the outdoor community and share articles, books and podcasts on racism and the outdoors.

FOLLOW:

Outdoor Afro: “We celebrate & inspire Black leadership in nature”
The Instagram account for the nation’s leading, cutting edge network that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature.

Outdoor Afro Charlotte
The local meet-up group of the national organization

Melanin Base Camp: “#BlackLivesMatter. We are People of Color in the outdoors.”
Website, blog and Instagram channel sharing stories of outdoorsy black, indigenous and people of color. It also features a guide to outdoor allyship.

Unlikely Hikers: “Diversity + Community + Body Liberation Outdoors”
A diverse and inclusive Instagram community featuring the underrepresented outdoorsperson and a new podcast.

LISTEN:

Code Switch: Episode 2: Made for You and Me
NPR podcast explores what it means to be a person of color outdoors.

Creation Care: Black History Lesson
Catawba Lands Conservancy Board Member CT Anderson interviews Outdoor Afro Charlotte’s local leader.

Outside Voices
A podcast series featuring personal stories from Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ folks and others who redefine “outdoorsy”.

READ:

The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors by James Mills

Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors by Carolyn Finney

The Rise of the American Conservation Movement: Power, Privilege, and Environmental Protection by Dorceta E. Taylor

Outside Magazine: Going it Alone

Outside Magazine: The Green Movement Is Talking About Racism? It’s About Time

Even more resources on racism in the outdoors from American Hiking Society.