I've done a lot of posts on how camping is racist. Back during the Obama administration, to mark the Centennial Initiative of the National Park Service, President Barack Obama said the initiative was to "increase inclusion and representation of America’s communities of color in our national parks and other public lands.”
Among the changes encouraged by the Centennial Initiative was a redesign of all national parks to remove "intimidating imagery," such as the vehicles driven by and uniforms worn by park rangers, both of which “have law enforcement connotations” and therefore “present a significant impediment to engaging all Americans.” In other words, blacks were scared away from national parks by park rangers who dressed too much like cops.
A few days later, a study by the Center for American Progress and Conservation Science Partners suggested further actions were needed to promote access and inclusion as the National Park Service celebrated its centennial.
ABC News in 2020 reported that national parks face an "existential crisis" and remain "stubbornly white," with 77 percent of national park visitors being white. The Los Angeles Times fretted that camping was too expensive for black families:
Camping is often called America’s favorite outdoor activity. But camping and national parks have a complicated past when it comes to racial equality and equal access for all.
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) August 10, 2020
One modern barrier to entry: the cost of camping gear.https://t.co/m49vAxD8sC
A couple of weeks ago, John Ekdahl compiled headlines about "the unbearable whiteness of hiking."
Hmm. pic.twitter.com/1dHeLeQiOv
— John Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) February 21, 2024
Outdoor outfitter The North Face is tackling the decentering of whiteness by offering a digital course about racial inclusion. Members who complete the course get 20 percent off online.
Retailer @thenorthface are offering 20% off if you complete their “digital course in racial inclusion”.
— James Esses (@JamesEsses) March 2, 2024
Customers are told that “white privilege grants access to the outdoors” and warns others are “excluded” from the outdoors because of “racism”.
Woke capitalism at its worst. pic.twitter.com/RiJK1KzLwI
"In this particular context we refer to "white privilege" meaning that your race and skin colour can give access to the outdoors when others can be excluded because of historic, enduring racism and biases," the description reads. Apparently, being white is your ticket to going outdoors.
This is woke capitalism at its worst. All of this is racist: blacks can't afford camping gear, and they're afraid of park ranger uniforms.
🤡🌎
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 2, 2024
I wish this were a scam to capitalize on white guilt, but I am afraid they might actually believe it.
— Barbara (@Barbara_Clemns) March 2, 2024
I am genuinely puzzled by this.
— Patty 🟩 ⬜️ 🟪🍒 Ultra XX (@pattycakes_xx) March 2, 2024
What is stopping people of any particular race going camping or hiking?
Why is the great outdoors somehow off limits unless you're white?
What am I missing?
What is "Allyship in the Outdoors"? Are white campers supposed to drag black families against their will out into the woods? And why does The North Face think all of its white customers are racist?
This is badly branded price discrimination.
— Jeff Lonsdale (@JeffLonsdale) March 2, 2024
Hide a discount behind an annoying process, and your rich customers will skip it but marginal customers will complete it.
It is badly branded because this class is offensive to more of their customers than they realize.
I had no idea that so many people were trapped in their houses and not able to leave. Are the doors stuck? Or are there armed guards preventing them from going outside?
— Howdy Duty (@Sarkasticbastrd) March 2, 2024
ABC News called it an "existential crisis" in that the majority of Americans are white, and the majority of visitors to national parks are also white. Why hasn't the Biden administration done something about this?
***
