People of Color

[SoniaButton]

So I have been thinking about this quite a bit. In the hiking clubs I have been in, I have only seen two other people of color. It seems that hiking is dominated by white folks. Anyone else out there in the Class of 2015 a person of color?

[Tuckahoe]

All the necessary information can be found here --
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/24b...lair-underwood

[Praha4]

like you, in my years of hiking the AT, I could count on one hand the number of people of color I've met on the trail. it's really a shame that more don't get outdoors and try backpacking and hiking, it's a great exercise in a world with rising problems of obesity and diabetes. When I'm President, I will propose legislation to Congress that hikers get a "hiking mileage" income tax deduction, like the business vehicle mileage deduction.

here's to better health thru hiking!

[SoniaButton]

All the necessary information can be found here --
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/24b...lair-underwood

Haha that made my morning. I should make a video like that on the AT. I'm a 5'1, female, Puerto Rican hiker. Once, on the first hike with a club, I was asked if I was in the right club. Then I was literally asked how I got so tan, by a woman who I could tell really meant no harm. "Um, I was born this way." It was followed by silence.

The thing is. I have seen lots of people from other countries out hiking, just only two of color. I know there are more out there. I mean, I know I'm not the only one, but when I try to find any proof of any of us having completed the trail, my search comes up without any answers.

Praha4, it's really a shame in general that more people don't get out and hike. Upon much thought, it is very easy to see why it is dominated by white people, and it is easy to understand how a person of color might feel alienated when trying to hike (i.e., "Where did you get your tan?"). Here's to breaking through those boundaries.

[Damn Yankee]

On my hike last weekend, we had an African-American woman with us. It was her first hike. Although I went back to the trail head later and not with them, she seemed to have a great time. On my High Sierra hike, the leader was African American and a superman on the trails. He was awesome. So yes, there are some out there but, certainly not as many Caucasians or other nationalities.

[tiptoe]

I've met, and chatted with, several black hikers in my years of sectioning, and I have never asked about tans! I've also met and chatted with a real milkman from England, two hikers retired from the NSA, a puertoriceno noo yawkah from Queens, a couple of blind people, two children thru-hiking alone, etc., etc. Yes, here's to breaking through the boundaries. We are all hikers out there. Praha4 for president!

[swjohnsey]

Mr. Wonderful, 2012.

[Majortrauma]

I must be doing something right; I have a Mexican and a black man in my hiking club. No one of mongoloid decent yet though. When was the last time anyone ever ran into a genuine Native American and not some clown perp'ing a fraud? I think they're even more rare than the blacks out there.
I think the answer to this is all about exposure to backpacking/hiking. There's just very little exposure to this in the black community in general. Next time you're in REI look around and do a quick survey of the ethnicities in there. THe black man we backpack with was VERY reluctant to go out with us and only after a lot of persuasion did he agree to go and now he's hooked.
We do need to get more kids out there of all colors or we're going to lose an entire generation.

[Feral Bill]

I must be doing something right; I have a Mexican and a black man in my hiking club. No one of mongoloid decent yet though. When was the last time anyone ever ran into a genuine Native American and not some clown perp'ing a fraud? I think they're even more rare than the blacks out there.
I think the answer to this is all about exposure to backpacking/hiking. There's just very little exposure to this in the black community in general. Next time you're in REI look around and do a quick survey of the ethnicities in there. THe black man we backpack with was VERY reluctant to go out with us and only after a lot of persuasion did he agree to go and now he's hooked.
We do need to get more kids out there of all colors or we're going to lose an entire generation.

You might want to rephrase that.

[gypsy97]

Hopefully things have changed and will continue to change. The only person of color I ever saw on the AT was at Punchbowl Shelter in 1997. There were quite a few hikers in the shelter and a couple of us struck up a conversation with the black hiker. To tell the truth I felt a bit nervous for him, but there were no problems. (Also at that time there were relatively few women backpacking.) I think you'd be much more likely to see black hikers the further north you go, but this is only my guess.

[Odd Man Out]

A few years ago, Oprah aired a couple of episodes about her camping trip to Yosemite. She was invited by Shelton Johnson to try and bring attention to the cultural divide that exists in this country WRT outdoor recreation. Johnson is a well know African American park ranger who was also featured in Ken Burns' NP documentary. I saw some of the Oprah shows. They were pretty funny. She was car camping (not backpacking). One morning she was lounging around camp in her flannel pajamas, digging through the food crate and yelled "Gayle, where's the truffle oil?".

Anyway, we were in Yosemite a little bit after that show and took a ranger-led walk through the Mariposa grove by another black park ranger. He started his talk by telling the group, "Now before you all ask, I am not Shelton Johnson. I'm the OTHER black park ranger". It turns out he did meet Oprah on her visit, but didn't have any time on camera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN5X86ZI0-E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxlUw8-hSZQ

[Dochartaigh]

You guys really have to get out more! Growing up in New Jersey (now living in Pennsyltucky) I always see non-white people on the trail and at campgrounds, fishing, kayaking, whatever.

Sure, they're the minority, but that's how the breakdown goes in general (did a quick google search and found a piechart from 2013 that says 62% of the US is white, 17% hispanic, 13% black, etc.)

[Majortrauma]

My use of mongoloid was deliberate. It's a legitimate term as are Caucasoid and Negroid.

[WingedMonkey]

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is aware that sooner or latter white folk will be a minority.

The ATC is aware that if they stay a white organization, that they will run out of members and money.

The ATC is going to study it. The ATC does a lot of studies.

Reaching younger and more diverse populations has been identified as a high priority for the Conservancy. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that within the next 50 years white Americans will comprise just 43 percent of the U.S. population, while Asian, Hispanic and African American populations will grow substantially, making up 45 percent of the 2060 population.


“This new diverse majority will be responsible for ensuring the continued protection and sustainability of our environment and the national treasure of our parks, forests and waterways, including the Appalachian Trail,” said Sandra Marra, chair of the ATC. “Therefore, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy believes it is critical to increase the long-term involvement of diverse youth in the work of our organization.”

https://www.appalachiantrail.org/who...alachian-trail

[Dogwood]

That was good Tuck. Funny but can be accurate. I enjoyed Blair Underwood in the roll.

I've met a handful of black, Hispanic, and lots more Asian hikers ALL wonderful people. Heck, on a 2006 At thru-hike I met an African American man, trail named Breeze, also thru-hiking the AT. He was one of most hilarious thru-hikers I've ever met. Liked hiking with him as he had a good hearted easier going nature. Damn he sure could hike when he wanted to crank it up. I even noticed some of the black stereotyping and odd looks he received with his nappy hair when we went into outfitters, restaurants, bars, at AT shelters, attempting to hitch, etc especially in the south just as Blair Underwood experienced on those trails in Cali in the video. Kind of a shame that we felt we had to do it but a few of the white thru-hikers would say things like he was with us or just to screw with people we would say we were with him. We'd say shart like he was a celebrity movie star or a professional athlete and we were his entourage. One of the other thru-hikers being his masseuse. Another his personal chef. Shart like that. LOL. Things like that shouldn't be. The Asians have mostly been in areas of Cali and Hawaii. Greater numbers of Asians, especially Phillipinos, on trails in Hawaii as they are a greater % of the overall population there. It's a little bit funny that the various Asian hikers are generally not pegged correctly as to to their ethnicity by whiteys who label Japanese as Chinese or Koreans as Japanese or even Indonesian hikers as from China. I've met quite a few Hispanics(lots of Mexicans) even extended families enjoying the outdoors in the southwest. I've met plenty of Native Americans on trails out west, southwest and in the northwest. We really need some more color brighter personalities greater cultural diversity other than the whiteys out hiking the AT. It's such a white trail!

I like the initiative of Oprah appealing to a greater number of minorities to connect with the outdoors. It's also why I support programs like this http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/a-day-at-camp-moreno. And, why I believe it vitally important that young minorities especially the inner city youth get acquainted with the outdoors and Nature beginning at a young age. It's why I believe it important for me to be involved in inner city community gardening programs and volunteering at Nature Centers. My motto is get em when their young. Introduce them to Nature showing them it's not all that big and bad something to just be feared but embraced and respected. Simply, by them starting out growing some of their own food and tending to butterfly gardens, beehives, a water feature, animal husbandry, etc they'll be more minorities electing to hit the trails. It's also why the hiking and outdoors communities should consider leading people of all colors on hikes and donating some of that unused garage of gear that hasn't been used in years.

[Coffee]

I have mixed ancestry but that's never been an issue on the trail for me, maybe because my background is pretty indeterminate. I noticed people from all backgrounds and a number of international hikers on the John Muir Trail. I met a Korean hiker on the JMT who was traveling the world on hardly any money. There were fewer minorities in Colorado. And I've seen very few minorities on the AT outside of SNP developed areas.

[Lauriep]

Hi SoniaButton,

I can't give you a direct answer to your question, but I can give you some relevant information, as I maintain the database of Appalachian Trail 2,000-milers.

Out of more than 15,500 hike completions that have been reported to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, 170 people identified themselves as ethnicities that would be considered non-white or people of color. Quite a few were Caucasian and something else. We have about 15 people in our database who identified themselves as black or African American. In 2014, two thru-hikers who identified themselves as African American or black completed the A.T. One was male and one was female. Another female started a southbound hike from Katahdin in late August this year and was going strong when she reached Harpers Ferry in early November. Not surprisingly, we haven't heard that she finished yet, given the weather conditions she would have encountered.

The upside to that very small number is that any of those who wrote about their experiences as a people of color had extremely positive things to say about their A.T. experience and their encounters with other hikers and people along the way. The last application I read from a hiker of color ended with the statement "My only regret is being afraid to do it sooner." This is the same guy who posted the question on ATC's facebook page early last year, "Is race going to be a problem for me?"

If you would like to connect with any of those hikers, write to me at [email protected] and request our 2,000-miler correspondence list for hikers of color. We have contact information for some of these hikers, along with some quotes from them that are really inspiring.

As mentioned above, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy has just identified "Broader Relevancy" one of our 5 strategic goals for the next five years. In the coming months and years, we will be looking at ways to engage younger and more diverse audiences. We have been aware for quite a while that the lack of diversity among both trail users and supporters is not good for its own sake and not healthy for the Trail. This is the first time we've had a formal plan to address it. We have two staff leads, Javier Folgar our director of marketing and communication, and Julie Judkins, our community program manager, who will start incorporating this into their work plans this year. No doubt that will start with studies and surveys.

Laurie P.
ATC

[illabelle]

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is aware that sooner or latter white folk will be a minority.
The ATC is aware that if they stay a white organization, that they will run out of members and money.

On the other hand, despite events in Ferguson and elsewhere, there is now, especially in the younger generations, much less division and less difference than there once was. Quite a few of us white folk now have people of color in our extended family. My daughter is bi-racial and looks it, but my granddaughter is blonde with blue eyes and honey-tan skin. If you saw her on the trail, you'd never know she's a quarter black.

[gypsy97]

Sounds like one of my granddaughters, illabelle.

[No Directions]

Mr. Wonderful, 2012.

Do you mean Mr Fabulous? I followed him in 2012. He is writing a book about his hike which should be out soon. He has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AnAppalachi...urney/timeline

In my Meetup groups I have hiked with Black people, Middle Easterners, and Asians. It seems quite common but these groups are close to a large metro area.