Recolor the Outdoors with Alex Bailey
Did you know that according to recent National Park Service data, roughly 77% of visitors to national parks are white?
In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting this moving TEDx by Alex Bailey, founder of Black Outside, Inc.
“Despite the rapidly changing demographics of the United States, the outdoors remains a non-diverse space. In his TED talk, Alex discusses the numerous benefits to spending time in nature, yet a lack of engagement for many communities of color today, particularly in the Black/African-American community, due to safety, access, relevancy, and representation. Although participation in outdoor activities remains predominantly white, many communities of color have centuries of history in nature, both tragic and triumphant. As painful as these histories have sometimes been, a deeper understanding of these dual truths could be the key to ensuring that the future of the outdoors is not only relevant but representative of the cultural and ethnic diversity of the United States.”
Looking to learn more?
- Check out Carolyn Finney’s book “Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors.“
- Read this interesting article by Nicole Gwishiri, Working for the Most Marginalized in Mind: Lessons that Led me to American Farmland Trust.
- Head to our 2022 Black History Month blog post for other suggested readings, podcasts, videos, and action steps.
