It’s disappointing to know the color of my skin, in the eyes of others, seems to define me. It doesn’t. My core being isn’t my skin tone. My heart, soul, empathy, and many other things make me who I am. I am very self-aware. Margaret Schneider doesn’t need to give advice on race in this country. She needs to double check her research and resources. I watched her on your PBS Special and could confidently argue every point she attempted to make. She sounded ignorant and statistically inaccurate. It was similar to listen others shaming white people.
Often the guidance we need to create a brighter future can be seen through the fading images of the not-so-distant past. And by coming to a better understanding of where we have been we can set a path toward where we most want to go. Less than an hour’s drive from Downtown Denver, Colorado I discovered a carefully preserved memory of yesterday that has now become a dream of tomorrow.
Founded in 1922 Lincoln Hills is an outdoor recreation facility under the care and administration of African-American entrepreneurs. Originally developed as a vacation spot for the enjoyment of black families looking to escape the often hostile urban environments of cities across the country where they lived, this rural retreat has been a safe haven for people of color for more than three-quarters of a century. Today it is a world-class fly fishing resort with seven miles of trout streams along South Boulder Creek that serve the interests of aspiring anglers. And through a non-profit called Lincoln Hills Cares the current owners also provide opportunities for low-income young people and veterans with disabilities to experience the world outside in a safe and supportive environment. In the hopes of inspiring people from all walks of life to become more thoroughly engaged with nature Lincoln Hills offers up a promising gateway to bring a new generation of enthusiasts into the outdoors.
I had first heard of Lincoln Hills just a few months ago. A documentary film produced in the Rocky Mountain PBS series called Colorado Experience detailed the history of this unique destination. On the invitation of the Colorado Outward Bound School it was my pleasure to be the keynote speaker at their annual Black Tie & Tennis Shoe Gala. An audience of devout outdoor enthusiasts honored me with the opportunity to share with them the story of Expedition Denali as it is detailed in my new book The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors. Already excited for the prospects of encouraging efforts to get more people of color into nature I figured it would be a great opportunity to arrange a visit and tour the Lincoln Hills property. As the focus of my book hinges on the issue of diversity in outdoor recreation, naturally I was curious to learn more about this place where black people were made to feel welcome during an era in U.S. history when racial discrimination and subjugation of African-Americans ran rampant. Long before the Civil Rights Movement of the mid 1960s Lincoln Hills was a place where middle class black families could purchase vacation property and enjoy leisure time in a comfortable outdoor setting.
At the center of the property was an establishment called the Winks Lodge. Created by Denver entrepreneur Obrey Wendall “Winks” Hamlet and his wife Naomi, this modest hotel built during the Harlem Renaissance in 1924 was a cozy place in the woods where visitors could enjoy freshly prepared meals as well as entertainment provided by the leading black performing artists of the day. Noted figures such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Billy Eckstine made regular stops at the Winks Lodge while traveling between tour dates on both the West and the East coasts. Prominent guests included Lena Horne, Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. As the only resort to cater directly to African-Americans west of Mississippi and one of only four nationwide this area was a favorite place for many who had few alternatives.
Lincoln Hills was also home to a camp for girls operated by the YMCA. At Camp Nizhoni, a name derived from the Navajo word for “beautiful”, young women had the chance to play and learn outdoor skills for the development of their minds and bodies. And it is from these early experiences that many campers, some who are still alive today, acquired a lifelong appreciation and love of nature. As stewards of the environment they now work to protect and preserve this place for others to enjoy for years to come.
I’m part of the “dominant” race with privileges that I did not earn. I’ve been listening and learning about racism a long time, but many times I still “goof up” and say stupid things that hurt the feelings of people of color. I’m really tired of this separation and am willing to continue to be with people and listen and learn. The world is too small and there is so much that we can learn from each other. So let’s all be brave and start telling each other our life stories. I felt encouraged by tonight’s program. I especially need to hear how people across the country are making changes. We can’t ignore the evil of racism among us, but we can’t move forward without visions of hope. Thank you to everyone who took a chance to share their thoughts and dreams on this important PBS program.
REPOST from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/gwens-take-making-peace-making-coffee/
Gwen’s Take: Making peace and making coffee BY GWEN IFILL March 20, 2015 at 10:52 AM EDT
I woke up one morning this week to discover that Starbucks had decided to launch a new initiative at its coffee shops, branding their paper cups with a #RaceTogether hashtag and encouraging baristas to chat customers up about race.
My first thought: what an admirable idea.
My second thought: heck no.
So I dashed off this tweet: “Honest to God, if you start to engage me in a race conversation before I’ve had my morning coffee, it will not end well.”
Nearly 400 people retweeted it, which is a fair amount in my Twitter world. But what I found most interesting was the people behind the tweets — black, white, other — who for their own reasons felt Starbucks might be going a step too far. That’s actually not quite the interpretation I intended.
It’s true that I was unsure that empowering someone to goose me into a sensitive conversation at a time of day when I can barely say “Good morning” was a good idea.
But talking about race, I think, is actually quite a good thing. It’s how we do it that matters.
My friend Michele Norris of NPR has been dipping into these waters for some years now with her Race Card Project, an online discussion forum that invites people to talk about race in six words. The stories that emerge from these comments are invariably enlightening, and take us well beyond the racial straitjackets we usually live in.
On St. Patrick’s Day, for instance, the conversation was largely about what it’s like to be Irish. That’s because race is not just about conflict; it’s also about culture.
That’s why a Pakistani friend can laugh when people tell her sister she looks like the Indian actress Mindy Kaling. (She does not.)
It’s why young African Americans don’t laugh when they notice that a white, tattooed alleged mass shooter in Mesa, Arizona, was subdued with a Taser, while a black University of Virginia honor student emerged bloodied and battered — allegedly by apprehending officers — after an altercation outside a bar.
It’s also why, as admirable as it is, the Starbucks plan is a flawed one. A “conversation” about race cannot be a fleeting one. It certainly cannot be an under-caffeinated one. And it is, most importantly, not a black and white one.
Check out the conversation we’ve launched on this website.
It is about the nation we have become, and are in the process of becoming. It is about demography and destiny. It is about the distance we have come, and the distance we have yet to go.
It is not exclusively about conflict, but we seem to only want to have these conversations when conflict forces it out of the closet.
There are so many good ways to talk about this. Yes, at the barista’s counter, but also at our kitchen tables and in the workplace.
So yes, let me get my latte first. But let’s not end it there. I’ll meet you on the road.
Many Different Roads, But All Connected, six words on race and cultural identity by Ethan Tribsh of Marietta, GA. Photo Credit: Cindy Brown Photography
Read more about Michele Norris and Crossing the Racial Divide in Marietta, GA. One Church was founded by slave owners, the other by former slaves.
We are excited to share our partnership with PBS to capture the reactions from “AMERICA AFTER FERGUSON” — a PBS television special moderated by Gwen Ifill.
This PBS town hall meeting, moderated by PBS NEWSHOUR co-anchor and managing editor Gwen Ifill, explores the many issues brought into public discourse in the wake of Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri.
The program, recorded before an audience on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, includes national leaders and prominent thinkers in the areas of law enforcement, race and civil rights, as well as government officials, faith leaders and youth.
It is such a special treat to work with my dear friend Gwen on this project. She is the perfect person to navigate a deep conversation through difficult terrain.
Gwen Ifill interviews Michele Norris on her Race Card Project:
People equate young black gang members with crime and trouble… I was watching the PBS special and when the young black guys were speaking I felt they were in gangs and up to no good. You need to change the image of the young male black gang image or you will not make any progress…
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