I feel like I've published a post at least once a year about how camping is racist. Back in 2016, as part of something called the Centennial Initiative of the National Park Service, President Barack Obama noted that it consisted of a coalition of “civil rights, environmental justice, conservation groups and community leaders and activists” whose goal 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.”
Also that year, ThinkProgress reported on a study that found "disparities in who has access to parks and natural areas."
New study finds disparities in who has access to parks and natural areas https://t.co/LdlCcsDrHq pic.twitter.com/4szsoGZu8R
— ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) August 22, 2016
In 2020, ABC News looked at National Park Service data and found that the parks "have remained stubbornly white spaces over the last 10 years, despite efforts to raise awareness and improve access." "Outdoor spaces and our national parks are not free from the systemic racism and inequity that exist in other parts of our society. 77% of national park visitors are white," reported Stephanie Ebbs.
That same year, The Los Angeles Times wrote that the price of entry to camping was keeping black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) away from the outdoors. Camper Mo Jackson set up a Venmo and a GoFundMe and started something called BIPOC Camping Kits to provide black, Indigenous, and people of color with all they needed to go camping.
“Black and Indigenous people have historically had connections to nature and the land that have been stripped from us,” Jackson said.https://t.co/m49vAxD8sC
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) August 10, 2020
So, I couldn't pass up this post from Libs of TikTok, in which two professors disinvite white people from a BIPOC outdoor event. You can tell they're college professors from the one calling the group organizing the project a "collective." Hannah Shamloo informs us that "historically, members of BIPOC haven't had the same opportunities for safe engagement with the outdoors."
Two professor at @CentralWashU, invite only “BIPOC” people to an outdoors camp because black people haven’t had opportunities to experience the outdoors
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 4, 2026
White people are not welcome.
This is illegal race-based discrimination.
Cc @AAGDhillon pic.twitter.com/FtPgYVW86j
This is illegal, if true. We will investigate @CiviRights ! https://t.co/5TZNklmgev
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) August 4, 2026
I respected Zentner right up until the moment I read this post. Guy’s a pretty sharp geologist. Didnt expect this out of him.
— 11BravoCrunchie (@11BravoCrunchie) August 4, 2026
infantilizing the black and brown people. holy shit. They can't go outside sounds Just like they can't find a DMV, use a computer or get on the internet.
— DavidLV 🇺🇸 (@DavidM_LV) August 4, 2026
So, are these two going to be there? Being white and all.
— AstroRayne (@AstroRayne47873) August 4, 2026
White saviors.
— Islamomisic (@islamomisic) August 4, 2026
An especially narcissistic version of virtue signaling
🙄
I'd have thought Indigenous people would have a long history of safely engaging with the outdoors.
When will liberals be done discovering black people?
— Gigi Levangie (@GigiLevangie) August 4, 2026
When will BIPOC people finally have equal and safe access to the outdoors? The effort's been going on for 10 years by my count.
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