as someone who has family who has lived in these parts of the word - lotta truth there!Originally Posted by RockDoc
Both my children went through this exercise.
My 10 year old did it this year.
I think it is a great exercise and powerful to young children.
It demonstrates horrid people were treated and to not let history repeat itself.
I find it interesting that most of the racism she encountered was as a result of her perceptions and preconceived notions (prejudices) rather than what she actually experienced. Admittedly I didn't read the entire article from start to finish, and perhaps there are things that happened to her that she left out...I started skimming towards the end. But it seemed to me like she judged every person who had a Trump sign in their yard as a racist...which is far from the truth (I didn't vote for or support Trump). It seemed to me like she was looking to find racism in the world she passed through...and when you look for it hard enough, you're going to find it. But she didn't seem to point out any examples where she was refused service because of her race or otherwise treated badly by service providers. She did however point out examples where she decided not to go places or do things because of her own preconceived notions and prejudices.
This lady reminds me a lot of the thread a few years back on this forum about 3 people who were hiking the trail and writing a book about it...or a video project...can't remember which...it was like a young woman, a lawyer and someone else...don't remember what all their deal was but the young woman really had a chip on her shoulder acting like she was breaking through the glass ceiling by being a woman thru hiker, which nothing could have been further from the truth...she had obviously never heard of Grandma Gatewood. But she hiked her way up the trail projecting her misandrist views upon every male she encountered.
Just typed out 3 paragraphs of thoughts......not worth it.
HYOH. Enjoy it, be offended by it, whatever floats your boat. Just don't be shocked when not everyone agrees.
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Good writing. I enjoyed her take on walking in the rain. I often felt as though I were inside of a lovely orchestra when those raindrops came down and created that music. I also
Liked her reference to Harriet Tubman as an early black hiker. I never thought about her in that way, but it's a great point. I only met one black backpacker on my thru in 2015.
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Wow. I noticed none of that about you on our hike through part of Maryland into HF. I just saw you as a strong hiker who I shared some good conversation and fun hike with.
Furlough
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L’Amour
The original author, of course, wasn't directing her words at Whiteblaze. We're talking about a recent article from a mainstream print magazine, that just happened to be cited.
I'm amazed and impressed that the thread is still alive. I've ignored a few provocations myself...
Yeah, I read a bit of the article before my first post. I was more directing to her defenders and detractors both.
All good, time to work on some of my hammock gear.
Sure, nobody gets it but you
I'd refer back to RickB's point about reading the whole thing. Take a walk. Then read it again.Sure, nobody gets it but you
I mean it's pretty long, and some of it isn't pleasant to hear or dwell on. Won't fit on a bumper sticker. LW-pithy, it ain't.
The conclusion is upbeat and profound. Good stuff. Scroll way down and read the last few paragraphs.
Do it as a section read, if a thru-read is too much trouble...
I read every word, the first time, usually do, and I didn't need an invitation...maybe reread my posts.I'd refer back to RickB's point about reading the whole thing. Take a walk. Then read it again.
I mean it's pretty long, and some of it isn't pleasant to hear or dwell on. Won't fit on a bumper sticker. LW-pithy, it ain't.
The conclusion is upbeat and profound. Good stuff. Scroll way down and read the last few paragraphs.
Do it as a section read, if a thru-read is too much trouble...
...but if you goofballs have something specific you want to point out, by all means, enlighten us.I read every word, the first time, usually do, and I didn't need an invitation...maybe reread my posts.
IMO - the most unfortunate thing about this article is that it did nothing to encourage a person of color / and, or a LGTQ person from hiking - the same story with a slightly different tone ( I enjoyed the trail despite some stated imperfections, had no actual negative events, and would recommend it) could have accomplished this
instead she seemed to place vague blame for the lack of hikers similar to herself while simultaneously strongly discouraging them from hiking, despite the lack of any actual problems
as far as the confederate flag - I saw several in Alberta Canada ??? - it really made me determine that no specific meaning can be attached to the confederate flag
I read the whole thing, twice. Care to share what was so upbeat and profound about wrapping up a extended diatribe ranting about discrimination that (of her own admission) never really even happened, with a few words of "Oh and by the way it changed my life, it wasn't impossible, it was a good idea of large magnitude." The piece lacks cohesiveness and jumps around with any real voice, never missing an opportunity to remind the reader that, she is in fact, still black.
I found her ideas obtuse and her conclusions puzzling, but I'd like to hear what struck you as profound.
There is a strong secessionist movement in Alberta, Canada, so I would guess they fly the confederate flag as a symbol of secession.
The last two paragraphs...
What's obtuse or puzzling about that?There were days when the only thing that kept me going was knowing that each step was one toward progress, a boot to the granite face of white supremacy. I belong here, I told the trail. It rewarded me in lasting ways. The weight I carried as a black woman paled in comparison with the joy I felt daily among my peers in that wilderness. They shaped my heart into what it will be for the rest of my life.
One of the most common sentiments one hears about the Appalachian Trail is how it restores a person’s faith in humanity. It is no understatement to say that the friends I made, and the experiences I had with strangers who, at times, literally gave me the shirt off their back, saved my life. I owe a great debt to the through-hiking community that welcomed me with open arms, that showed me what I could be and helped me when I faltered. There is no impossible, they taught me: only good ideas of extraordinary magnitude.
She struggled, fell, got up. She wrestled with her demons. She persevered and learned to "embrace the suck."
We've heard the same story from Earl Shaffer, Ed Garvey, Dorothy Laker, Colin Fletcher, or anyone else who's hiked long distances through strange territory and written earnestly about it.
To me it reads like you get punched in the stomach and then they say "I's just kiddin'" I don't dude, we're just gonna have to agree to disagree. For whatever it's worth, I like hear writing style, and truthfully the article doesn't upset me one bit, it just reads like "sure whatever"
Very good article, thank you for pointing it out.
If you read it carefully - and a bunch of people here have clearly have neither read it nor understood it - she explains how her reactions to the thru-hiking experience, which is overall quite a positive one, is affected by real American history, by her past experiences, and by the experiences of other African Americans.
This is how the human mind works. The richness of our experience that we can describe is not simply derived from each and every day event, but draws back from history, facts, and draws forward from our expectations of the future. If you fail to understand this your understanding of human experience is really very shallow.
Sure uh huh, real balanced article, whatever you say.
I met the author in Franklin, in town, while waiting out a fire near the trail. It was a day or two after Prince died. She was really bummed out about Prince dying. We chatted for a bit, about Prince and dead musicians and how music impacted us. We talked about hiking injuries, and I was impressed by her toughness, and how she was putting off a (knee?) surgery until after completing her through hike. She had far more distance hiking experience than I did. She hiked much faster than I did, so that was the only time I saw her.
Like most hikers we refrained from religious and political ranting. That's just a courtesy most hikers extend to each other on the trail.
I only made it from Springer to Bland Virginia. I, an old white man from New England did run into some cultural differences, but I largely expected them, and have experienced them before. I was actually surprised at how few Trump signs I saw. I enjoyed the southerner concept of people greeting strangers on the streets. I was a bit horrified at the number of the "Drunk Driving Classes" advertised, and how the "taxi" companies in a certain town only ran at night to shuttle drunks home from bars. I thought a couple of "beloved" hostel owners who were oozing southern charm were snake oil salesmen.
It's not remotely surprising that a young black women would have a different experience going through southern trail towns. I'm glad I was able to learn more about her views in the article.
I got to know all sorts of people on the trail who were very different from me. Met a polyamorist stoner, a previous heroin addict, a very nervous hiker confronting her social fears, a socially awkward doctor, a redneck prepper, a semi homeless Irish American singer, a veteran battling PTSD, a manchild who ditched his kids to go hike in the middle of divorce proceedings, a bunch of vegans, many young people, one very judgy social crusader, and so many more. The vast majority were awesome hiking companions for a day, for an hour, for a week. I wish each and every one would share their trail experiences in more detail, just like the author did.
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