Anti-Racism Resources for Outdoor People
Updated: Apr 15, 2021
Want to be an advocate against racism in the outdoors? Here's where to start.
Photo: Alexa Romano
Over the past few months, much needed attention has been drawn to the deep-rooted issues of racial equity, representation, and accessibility in the outdoor industry. We at Switchbackr recognize our privilege in learning about these issues second-hand and not through lived experiences of systemic exclusion.
Since founding Switchbackr, our mission has been to make the outdoors more sustainable and accessible. We have been working hard to help make sure everyone can access the places we love, but we recognize that there is still a long way to go before all people feel safe and included in outdoor spaces.
We'd like to share some of the anti-racist resources we've been lucky to learn from. We hope you take the time to read, watch, donate, and listen to some of the sources below. This page will be kept up to date as we find more resources, and please comment below if you notice anything we're missing!
Alex Friedman and Sasha Landauer (cofounders)
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Read
My Immigrant Story: Loneliness and Empowerment at the American Campground
Solving Climbing's Diversity Problem
How Black Books Lit My Way Along The Appalachian Trail
How can we make the great outdoors more accessible?
I Would But: I Am the Only Person of Color
Making the Outdoors More Inclusive, Accessible
The Unbearable Whiteness of Hiking and How to Solve It
Diversity in the Great Outdoors: Is Everyone Welcome in America’s Parks and Public Lands?
Anti-Racism Resources for Climbers
Racism in the Outdoors: Resources
The Melanin Base Camp Guide to Outdoor Allyship
Listen
Rahawa Haile on Writing, Diversifying the Outdoors, and Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail
Code Switch Podcast, Episode 2: Being 'Outdoorsy' When You're Black Or Brown
Watch
Majora Carter: Greening the ghetto | TED Talk
Majora Carter: 3 stories of local eco-entrepreneurship | TED Talk
Monserrat Matehuala: Walls Are Meant For Climbing
Ambreen Tariq: This Woman Is On A Mission To Diversify Our Public Lands [Insights]
WHERE TO DONATE
The Land Loss Prevention Project aims to minimize the loss of black-owned, financially distressed, and limited resource farmers in North Carolina. Their support involves litigation, public policy, and sustainability activities run by the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers.
We Act for Environmental Justice ensures that POC and low-income residents can build healthy communities by participating in creating fair environmental health and protection policies.
Green Worker Cooperatives builds, grows, and sustains worker-owned green businesses and promotes equity by serving immigrants and communities of colors.
AWESOME ORGANIZATIONS
Diversify Outdoors is an alliance of social media influencers dedicated to making the outdoors more equitable and accessible. These entrepreneurs, bloggers, athletes, and activists aim to create content that welcomes BIPOC, the LGBTQ+ community, and other people with diverse identities to outdoor spaces.
Brown Girls Climb creates climbing opportunities for POC and promotes visibility of woman climbers of color.
The United States Department of the Interior runs the Every Kid Outdoors program to bridge fourth grades and the outdoors. Every fourth grader can obtain a pass to visit all of the US parks, lands, and waters for free.
Through the National Park Trust, you can purchase a Buddy Bison stuffed animal to support programs that bring students to local parks. They also have a wealth of education resources for teachers and students.
Melanin Base Camp works to increase representation and opportunities for people of color in outdoor adventure sports.
The Blackpackers create economic equity in outdoor recreation and attempt to attack the wealth gap in vulnerable communities by providing gear and opportunities at a subsidized cost and connecting
participants to education, jobs, and more.