Female, black AT thru hiker

[soilman]

Here is an interesting and timely article about the lack of diversity among AT thru hikers.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...alachian-trail

[Ewker]

Good for her

[lkmi]

Thanks for sharing that link. It was a very interesting story.

[swjohnsey]

A few every year. I ran into Mr. Amazing.

[JNI64]

Awesome, much respect from me not an easy task on so many levels.

[Puddlefish]

I think we've posted this article before. I met her on my hike in 2016, in Franklin. She was lamenting that Prince had died, and the impact he had on her life. We talked about Prince for a bit, but I mostly listened. Then my shuttle came, and that was the last I saw of her. Just one of those chance encounters on the trail.

[soilman]

A few every year. I ran into Mr. Amazing.

Is Mr. Amazing female? Regardless, wow, a few out of thousands. We sure are making progress.

[swjohnsey]

Nope, maybe gay.

[Nirimba]

Thanks Rahawa for sharing your story of epic determination. You are truly inspirational and I wish you and every happiness in your years ahead.

[One Half]

So a couple of questions because the topic of lack of diversity comes up a few times per year.

What needs to be done to increase diversity on the trail?
Whose responsibility is it?
What can ACTUALLY be done? Real, concrete steps.
While these stories of POC hiking are few and far between, they all seem to say "the people on the trail are all friendly and welcoming."
While this story is about POC hiking, or not, it's similar to the lack of women on the trail. Is there/should there be a "movement" to encourage more women to hike as well? Of all the women I know, I am only 1 of 3 who really likes the outdoors and the other 3 would never strap a pack on their back and go for an overnighter, never mind a week long or thru hike. (1 likes snow sports and day hikes, the other likes "overlanding" and day hikes and scuba diving)

As for myself, I try to encourage other women to hike. Or do other outdoor things. My niece, I would like to think, got her love of hiking from me at least in part. Though she hasn't done much as far as overnighters. She has climbed nearly all the 4Ks in NH. I'm friendly to everyone when I hike (at least initially and paying attention to my gut). Except "creepers." LOL

[colorado_rob]

The lack of folks of color on our great national trails is a real head scratcher, I've never understood it.

The relative lack of women on eastern trails is also a big mystery, it is close to 50-50 on all the western trails I've hiked. Why is that? (the eastern/western difference in gender bias). Perhaps there are clues in this east/west difference; what aspects of east/west would correlate with this difference?

Still the lack of color is just as obvious out west.

[JNI64]

People are either into it or not, simple as that. I don't see alot of Latino or other races out there either.

I work with 100's of folks men,women, and from all over the world. Alot like to here stories but very will come out with me ,well none. I would more than welcome any of them along and borrow my stuff. I welcome all around the camp fire!

[Five Tango]

I think the greater question is "Why should one expect anyone else to share their same likes and dislikes?"
Of all the people I know,including the ones who embrace the outdoors,only a handful have an interest in taking a backpack
out in the woods for a few nights and ALL the people I currently hike with are friends I have made through social media and risked going hiking with as total and complete strangers.....

[TrailPossum]

This might sound crazy and it certainly will not sound woke, but, maybe the reason some people prefer to hike and some do not is because of culture. You know, that little thing that basically sets how you perceive the world. Yeah... Maybe it has nothing to do with a persons skin color, but rather, how they grew up and how they see the world around them. Maybe instead of posting virtue signally feel goods, and this may not be one OP but it sure reads like it. --> "Regardless, wow, a few out of thousands. We sure are making progress." - SoilMan <-- You could go out to other cultures and question why they don't like enjoying time in nature. Then tell them that they should and why your opinions of diversifying nature matter... Or not. /s

[One Half]

This might sound crazy and it certainly will not sound woke, but, maybe the reason some people prefer to hike and some do not is because of culture. You know, that little thing that basically sets how you perceive the world. Yeah... Maybe it has nothing to do with a persons skin color, but rather, how they grew up and how they see the world around them. Maybe instead of posting virtue signally feel goods, and this may not be one OP but it sure reads like it. --> "Regardless, wow, a few out of thousands. We sure are making progress." - SoilMan <-- You could go out to other cultures and question why they don't like enjoying time in nature. Then tell them that they should and why your opinions of diversifying nature matter... Or not. /s

People are either into it or not, simple as that. I don't see alot of Latino or other races out there either.

I work with 100's of folks men,women, and from all over the world. Alot like to here stories but very will come out with me ,well none. I would more than welcome any of them along and borrow my stuff. I welcome all around the camp fire!

I agree with both of these. I really think it has to do with "culture" and certainly with personal choice. My siblings and I grew up together and yet I am the only one into any outdoor adventures. We were certainly not encouraged even though we lived "in the woods." I was also the only one who liked sports growing up and participated in any of them. So, it sounds like people just make choices and we should encourage each person to make their own choice.

[Five Tango]

Now that you mention it.I had a pic made of me in my hammock and tagged the wife on FB from one of my local overnighters.My cousin commented that I am reliving my childhood.That is quite possibly the case.

I would think most of the "outdoorsy types" were raised in it more so than your typical metropolitan/suburbia type person.But I am shocked at the people I know who are outdoors oriented that want no part of the more primitive adventure.They do,however,enjoy taking their air conditioned camper,color tv,and hot water facilities to a campground which is my idea of Cruel and Unusual Punishment...........

[Dropdeadfred]

Ive wondered same thing in alot of activities I do. Almost 100% white. Many are expensive so figured just an economic average random thing. I dont think its culture, because I really dont think there is any such thing as "black" culture. Just lots of different folks with lots of different ways about them.

My initial reaction was similar to above... Well if they wanna hike , go hike I dont see the issue.
But the Author claimed,
"What gets lost in talking about diversity isn’t just [a question of] how can we can get more people of color outdoors. We have to address how we can get white audiences to acknowledge there are barriers and why that matters."

Wouldnt mind a sit down and just explore that more. She did mention town issues, specifically for longer hikes. That I can get, but would like to discuss the broader issues. I cant really acknowledge an issue I just dont get.

[StubbleJumper]

Ive wondered same thing in alot of activities I do. Almost 100% white. Many are expensive so figured just an economic average random thing. I dont think its culture, because I really dont think there is any such thing as "black" culture. Just lots of different folks with lots of different ways about them.

My initial reaction was similar to above... Well if they wanna hike , go hike I dont see the issue.
But the Author claimed,
"What gets lost in talking about diversity isn’t just [a question of] how can we can get more people of color outdoors. We have to address how we can get white audiences to acknowledge there are barriers and why that matters."

Wouldnt mind a sit down and just explore that more. She did mention town issues, specifically for longer hikes. That I can get, but would like to discuss the broader issues. I cant really acknowledge an issue I just dont get.

Oh, I think that culture is a real thing. I enjoy a number of activities which have become strangely white over recent decades.

I like jazz, but if you go to a jazz festival, it's a sea of white. The genre was invented by blacks in the United States, and the most famous artists of all time were/are black, but if you go to a show today the fans are now almost all white.

I like blues, and it's a similar thing to jazz. Blues was a genre invented and advanced by blacks, and now when you go to a blues festival it is overwhelmingly white.

I love professional baseball. From the Negro Leagues all the way up to approximately 1980, US born black players were well represented amongst elite position players. Look at the MLB today. Where are the US born black players? There are plenty of POCs who were born in the Dominican, Cuba, and elsewhere, but black players from the US have almost disappeared over the past 40 years (there are still some good ones!). When you look at the NFL and NBA, the black players are still heavily represented. But why are they no longer as numerous in baseball?

The only explanation that I can find for that is that culture changes and adapts. The activities and interests that were popular in a population decades ago become passé and people move on to other interests. And there are plenty of interests which populations have never acquired to begin with (soccer in the US comes to mind, backpacking in the black population, etc).

I have concluded that I have my interests and pursuits, and other people have theirs. I welcome everybody who shares my interests, but I don't particularly want them to push me into their interests and I won't push them into mine. Whatever spins their starter...