The Outdoors is Whitewashed
There is a (mostly) unspoken white elitism that exists in the outdoor industry, where gear is astronomically expensive and cost-prohibitive to many would-be outdoorspeople. The majority of professional outdoor athletes are white, and 40% of outdoor participants make over $75,000 a year. Furthermore, low-income neighborhoods are 4.5 times less likely to have parks than their white, affluent counterparts, according to a study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. That being said, it may come as no surprise that 80% of National Park visitors are white.
Rashid Clifton is an African American paddler (someone who kayaks) and Charlotte native. He has competed in whitewater events throughout the Southeast, and got into the sport when he was working at the U.S. National Whitewater Center (USNWC) after high school.
Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, the USNWC is home to the world's largest man-made river, as well as an extensive trail system, multiple artificial rock climbing walls, a zipline, and high and low ropes courses. In short, the USNWC is an outdoor mecca situated at the edge of a major southern city.
The USNWC's story. Video courtesy of the USNWC.
When asked why there are so few paddlers of color, Clifton said, "Being able to get out and try to paddle after work [at the USNWC] made me more likely to stick with it...I think having access and proximity to the river is such a huge barrier. It has gotten a little bit smaller. But I think that is one of the main reasons we haven’t seen as many people of color in the water as you would for a comparable sport."
What about feeling out of place in the outdoors? Clifton said that kayaking in the Carolinas takes him to rural areas where residents are less than welcoming to an African American outdoorsman. He said he sometimes sees stickers and flags that make him feel unwanted.
Clifton said there aren't more minorities in the outdoors because "There are definitely issues like access and socioeconomic reasons. But there are also more nuanced reasons." Image courtesy of Melanin Base Camp.
The USNWC hosts over a million guests each year, and offers courses in leadership and communication development. They host schools, churches, corporations and other groups, but what percentage of these visitors are people of color?
While it's difficult to find concrete statistics, it's safe to say that the majority of the USNWC's clientele are white. The USNWC offers free events like the RiverJam concert series, plus 9 different festivals throughout the year, but these events generally attract middle and upper-class white men and women. Why? Partly because that's who the USNWC's marketing targets. Consider that a Day Pass for anyone over the age of 10 costs $59 per person, and this doesn't include the $6 parking fee. To rent equipment like climbing shoes, a harness, or a mountain bike costs extra. Locker rentals cost money. Also, food at the USNWC is expensive and they don't allow you to bring your own inside.
For anyone living off of North Carolina's minimum wage (a paltry $7.25 an hour), the USNWC could be a huge expense.
One way that the USNWC could foster diversity is by using more people of color in its marketing materials, like this photo. Photo courtesy of the USNWC.
So what are some ways in which the USNWC and other outdoor venues can draw a more diverse clientele? Here are a few I've thought of:
- Lower prices on admission! Customers already have to pay to park and pay for rental equipment, so offer a lower admissions price.
- Use non-traditional faces in marketing campaigns. Almost everyone featured on the USNWC's website is white.
- Host more diverse musicians. The majority of the bands that the USNWC books are comprised of white men and are generally classified as rock, country, or folk.
- Offer diversity trainings and create safe spaces for different races, religions, ages and genders to engage in conversations. For instance, Confluence Fest is an event in August that aims to "develop and support" Charlotte's music identity. Charlotte is a city that is nearly 40% African American and more than 13% Hispanic/ Latino, yet nowhere in Confluence's description is there any mention of African American or Hispanic/ Latino music, panel discussions, or artists performing.
The USNWC. Photos courtesy of the author.
Despite the high prices and homogeneity, the USNWC does provide access to the outdoors that many people otherwise might not experience. Thanks to summer camps and church groups in particular, the USNWC exposes many non-white urban residents to outdoor activities in a safe and educational way.
