Diversity

#BlackLivesMatter, Black Lives Matter, Books, Capitol Christmas Tree, Choose Outdoors, Diversity, National Forests, National Geographic, National Monuments, National Parks, Unhidden / 03.12.2021

Earlier this week I met for lunch at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. with my new editor Allyson Johnson from National Geographic. A few weeks ago we finalized the details of a contract for me to write an ambitious new journal that shares the enduring legacy of Black American history as interpreted by the National Park Service. In part inspired by the Negro Motorist Green-Book published by Victor Hugo Green from 1936 through 1966, this project aims to reveal the hidden stories of our common heritage as...

#BlackLivesMatter, Black Lives Matter, Commentary, Diversity, National Monuments, National Parks, Outdoors For All, Public Land, Yosemite / 04.10.2021

Long before the National Parks were established in 1916, Black Americans men and women worked tirelessly to preserve the public lands that many of us today deem sacred. Though directly engaged as combatants in the Plains Wars that displaced Native Americans for the sake of westward expansion, people of African descent, many of whom toiled under the oppressive yoke of slavery, also cherished the sweeping landscapes and natural settings where we now visit for recreation and solace. That enduring legacy of environmental stewardship continues in the present through...

Black Lives Matter, Breaking News, Diversity / 14.09.2021

The Joy Trip Project is pleased to announce the release of the Anti-Racism in the Outdoor Resource Guide. Created by Dr. Don Rakow of Cornell University and Laura Brown of the University of Connecticut this annotated bibliography is a detailed list of articles and online content references that explore the complexed issues of racial disparities in the equitable access of all people to  the outdoors. In partnership with the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin Madison this new recourse guide will be shared in...

#BlackLivesMatter, Adventure Activism, Climbing, Diversity, Environmental Journalism, Everest, Outside Business Journal, Outside Magazine / 28.08.2021

Almost 60 years after the first successful American ascent of Mount Everest, a team of U.S. climbers aims to make history once again on the world’s highest peak. Led by Phil Henderson, a former instructor at the National Outdoor Leadership School and a veteran Himalayan mountaineer, this group, made up of athletes from across the country, aspires to be the first all-Black American expedition to reach the summit. This new project, called the Full Circle Everest Expedition, was announced at the Outdoor Retailer Summer show this August in Denver....

#ORSummer, Black Lives Matter, Books, Diversity, Environmental Journalism, Magazines, On Assignment, Outdoor Retailer, Outside Magazine / 09.08.2021

After more than a year of social isolation due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, our community of outdoor professionals is finally getting back together. Today I’m heading home after the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market where I spent a busy week of reporting on a few events meant to celebrate the continuing growth and prosperity of the outdoor recreation industry. The week before many of us gathered at the first ever edition of The Big Gear Show in Park City, Utah. That incredible outdoor venue at the Deer Valley Ski Resort...

#BlackLivesMatter, #ORShow, #ORSummer, An American Ascent, Art, Black Lives Matter, Commentary, Diversity, Expedition Denali, Outdoor Retailer, Special Events / 05.08.2021

One Day One of the first annual Big Gear Show in Park City Utah, I had the great privilege of presenting to the outdoor recreation industry a commemorative portrait of Charles Madison Crenchaw, the first Black climber to reach the summit of North America’s tallest mountain, Denali. This original painting by the artist Lamont Joesph White celebrates the enduring legacy of an American mountaineer. On July 9, 1964 Charles Madison Crenchaw ascended to the highest physical point on the continent of North America. Just seven days after the...