Black Lives Matter

#BlackLivesMatter, Adventure Activism, American Rivers, Black History, Black Lives Matter, Blackwaters, Everyone Outside, Mississippi River, National Geographic, National Monuments, National Parks, Unhidden / 27.05.2024

This week Devin Brown begins her journey to become the first Black woman to paddle the 2300-mile length of the Mississippi River from Lake Itasca, Minnesota to New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. “When I do this trip, I will be the first black woman on record,” she told NBC news affiliate KARE 11 in an interview. “I like to say ‘on record’ because we know that enslaved people have made this journey up and down the river. So, part of it is to honor ancestors.” ...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Adventure Activism, Black Lives Matter, Commentary, Diversity, Essays, National Monuments, National Parks, Special Events, Unhidden / 29.02.2024

On February 24, 2024 I was asked to give a speech in commemoration of Black History Month. The Portland, Oregon non-profit organization, Love Is King, invited me to take part in their annual observance of the occasion by joining a community march across the St. Johns Bridge over the Willamette River. The event called Walk the Walk is a reenactment of the historic 5-day protest led my Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from March 21st to March 25th 1965....

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Black History, Black Lives Matter, Capitol Christmas Tree, National Forests, National Parks, U.S. Forest Service / 20.11.2023

The 2023 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree was harvested and packed for transport to Washington D.C. with the assistance of the young men and women from the U.S. Job Corps of Harpers Ferry West Virginia. This year, all were Black or Hispanic. As much as I would like to believe that this is not a big deal, I must acknowledge that this represents the change that we all must strive for in order to preserve the long-term sustainability of our natural resources both here in...

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Black Lives Matter, Diversity, Interview, National Monuments, National Parks, The Joy Trip Reading Project, Unhidden / 28.08.2023

A few minutes before our online discussion, National Park Ranger (Retired) Betty Reid Soskin and I spent some time getting reacquainted. She was to be a guest on The Joy Trip Reading Project to talk about her memoir “Sign My Name To Freedom”. After her daughter Di’Ara got her settled in front of her computer, we smoothed out a few minor technical difficulties with our Zoom connection. We then chatted amiably as one by one the attendees populated the waiting room....

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#BlackLivesMatter, Black Lives Matter, Destinations, Diversity, Essays, Outdoor Recreation, Private Land, Travel, Unhidden / 31.07.2023

There is such a thing as coincidence. But it is only when overlapping events are put into their proper context that we can draw substantive meaning from otherwise random occurrences that happen simultaneously. I was recently asked to give a lecture on the campus of the Bay View Association in Petoskey, Michigan. Under an endowment established in the memory of Donald B. Loyd, a 4th generation resident of this resort community just south of the Upper Peninsula, I was invited to share my work on making outdoor recreation...

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#BlackLivesMatter, Appalachian Trail, Black Lives Matter, Continental Divide Trail, Diversity, Hiking, Interview, Outdoor Recreation, Outdoor Retailer, Pacific Crest Trail, Walking / 26.06.2023

Having served in the United States Army through the Iraq War, Will “Akuna” Robinson suffered from severe bodily injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. When he returned home in 2003 after a tour of duty in Al Asda near the Syrian border, he found civilian life challenging and was full of despair. As he struggled through physical and occupational therapy, trying to manage chronic pain, he self-medicated with drugs and alcohol to make it through each day. Thankfully, he found support where he was raised in Southeastern Louisiana near...

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