19 June 2015

"What are you doing out of the city?"

I often attempt to find the verbiage to describe the inevitable union of racial ambiguity and my hobbies. I find myself facing the same comments and questions in regards to black participation in outdoor recreation: "Isn't [random outdoor sport] a white sport?" "I though brothas didn't like [camping/cold/water/anything not involving a ball]". My standard chuckle/witty retort usually staves off an awkward lecture that I usually do not have the emotional energy to deliver. The repeated barrage of ignorant questions, however, collectively take their toll. As if by guilt of participation, I'm loosing the privilege and membership to the exclusive club that is being black. Whenever someone feels the need to validate my blackness (or lack thereof) by comparing my lifestyle to that of the stereotypical blacks they're exposed to in pop culture and mainstream media, I quietly remind them (read: myself) that my skin color alone subjects me to racism by those that aren't familiar with my lifestyle. This is a concept that actually should unite a lot of black outdoor athletes. That and the fact that a common prejudice still alive in the minds of of many Americans exists where it is asserted that I can't be black because of how I do or do not talk, what music I listen to, or what I choose to do with my free time. I wish we all stood up and challenged others to realize that by lambasting me or other blacks by going against some unwritten definition of what it is to be black, you are discrediting the hatred I/we face on occasion because of the color of our skin (and believe me, at least for me it happens more than you think); you are denying such racism exists, further increasing the punch it packs when it's unleashed on us. I've always been proud of who I am. I will never say I cannot nor will not do something based on the color of my skin. That doesn't stop others from believing that such a racial or cultural barrier exists nor needs to be adhered to, however. 
     For the most part, the people I find myself exploring the back country with or the people I meet along the way are genuinely good people....especially climbers and skiers. Rarely do I meet an unfriendly climber or skier who's wondering what a black person is doing out of the city.....