Celebrating Black History Month

Image via Enokson on Flickr Creative Commons

The Learning Outside team honors Black adventurers, outdoor education advocates, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts in solidarity with Black History Month and Black Futures celebrations around the nation. Here in Wisconsin, several exciting adventures and initiatives are happening as we speak in our remarkable landscape.

First up, did you hear the buzz around Emily Wood, the first woman to thru-hike the Ice Age Trail in winter? This photo feature and article in the Capitol Times is fantastic. Follow Emily's hike virtually; she's @emilyontrail on Instagram. In an NBC 15 interview featuring this historic effort, Emily shared her thoughts about the "firsts" she is striving for and promoting equality:

“Many other people have completed this trail, but winter is the elusive season for most folks. So I’ll be the first woman, the first Black woman, and I’m sure the first Black gay woman. I’ll tack that one on there!”

She hopes to inspire more people in minority groups to get out and enjoy the outdoors. “The other reason why I’m out here is just to you know show people that if you look different or something is different about you, you can still do the thing that people don’t think you can do,” says Ford.

She says especially after the year our country just faced, she’d like to use her journey as a platform to promote equality. “2020 started happening and unfolding itself and with the murder of George Floyd over in Minnesota and other stuff happening in other states, I’m just like man there’s got to be a way that I also can get my voice out there too for people of color and just continue to equalize the boundaries,” says Ford.

For more news on people doing great work connecting with the outdoors, check out the Joy Trip Project. Founded by James Edward Mills, a faculty assistant at the University of Wisconsin Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, the Joy Trip project serves as a "newsgathering and reporting organization that covers outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, and acts of charitable giving and practices of sustainable living." Mills is author of The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors. Last summer, a group of men embarked on an important trip to the Wisconsin Northwoods. Mills and Aaron Perry, one of the group's organizers, recently shared more about their experiences in an interview.

You should also check out Outdoor Afro, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting Black individuals with outdoor experiences. There's a Wisconsin and Iowa chapter connecting local folks with events and resources, and they have a Facebook community.

Wisconsin and the Midwest are full of great stories and exciting initiatives in Black lives in the outdoors. Additionally, read about ice climbers from Memphis, and youth from Atlanta heading to the mountains of Colorado.

Are you in the market for new outdoor gear as you contemplate the warming months ahead? While we can't stress enough the idea of finding secondhand gear and keeping it in use, consider Slim Pickens Outfitters, the nation's only Black-owned outdoor gear and apparel shop. Owner Jamicah Dawes is committed to sourcing sustainable brands and vintage gear and the mission of diversifying the outdoors.

Alexis Nikole Nelson aka The Black Forager on Instagram and Tik Tok has become popular for folks who are curious about understanding what's available to eat on the land around them. During the pandemic, Alexis became a popular follow for thousands of people new to foraging. Her songs and posts not only celebrate the plants and fungi of her Ohio neighborhood, but they help followers understand the historical challenges faced by Black and Indigenous people who have been systematically separated from the land and sourcing their own food. 

Speaking of history, spend some time learning more about the remarkable Betty Reid Soskin, who at 99 is the oldest National Park Ranger, and someone who has blazed many trails in her work and activism. Stationed at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Homefront park, Betty has spoken about the need for all Americans to understand our nation's complex history through experiences at all of our national parks and monuments, rural and urban, alike:

"We have created this system of national parks, where it's possible to revisit almost any era in our history. The heroic places, the scenic wonders, the contemplative places, the shameful places, and the painful places. In order to own that history. Own it, process it, that we may begin to forgive ourselves in order to move into a more compassionate future together." 

On a final note, we encourage you to continue to learn about the history and support present day adventures of Black individuals and groups getting outdoors as we work together to ensure equitable access and justice for people who have been historically denied rights, opportunities, and resources. This is imperative for our next generation, too. If you have a young reader in your life, consider finding the book, Where's Rodney, by Carmen Bogan, and illustrated by Floyd Cooper. While the publishing world is dominated by white writers and illustrators, this special book was created by two Black creatives who offer up the joy of a child's experience in the outdoors for all of us to celebrate.