The (RE) Series: (Re)newing Our Hope in the Outdoors
For the past three parts of The (RE) Series, you’ve been a part of this journey with me, as I have led you through a metaphorical hike. This time, rather than monologue and call you to action, I want to make space for a newer voice in the outdoors. I could easily create another graphic or model to wrap this series up, but I would rather show you what it looks like for a youth of color in a program that enables him to develop holistically while experiencing the outdoors free from all barriers. It’s important that I provide you with a glimpse into his experience to demonstrate why it is important for our outdoor community to continue to push for safe, equitable spaces.
Allow me to introduce, Z. Z is one of the participants in our Brothers with the Land program. This program is a cohort-style leadership development program that mentors Black boys in San Antonio. He is a junior in high school and has been a part of the cohort for two years now. In this interview, I ask Z a multitude of questions and reflect on our times together. The authenticity of our relationship shows up in our banter and through our shared experiences.
This is a condensed Google Meet call, held in December of 2023.
Thurman:
Hey bro. Thanks for taking my call and taking time out to do this for me. Quick question, did your Christmas gift from me come in yet?
Z:
No? What was it?
Thurman:
I got you some of those insoles to help make you a little bit taller.
Z:
[Laughs sarcastically] You thought you were funny.
Thurman:
[laughs] Thank you for helping me out with this. Just to give you a lowdown on what is going on, this is the last part of a four-part series. The first part talked about me and my connection with nature and how we all have had this connection with nature. The second part talked about the barriers that people of color experience in the outdoors. Part three, talks about a “new” approach to programming in the outdoors. Then with this last part, instead of reading my words and thoughts, I wanted to hear from the people. Well, youth and you essentially. So, I have a couple of questions that I just want to ask you. So feel free to answer however you want to answer. I guess for your sake, do you want to be called Z or do you want me to give you an alias?
Z:
[Call me] Tyrone Johnson.
Thurman:
Bro, this is being recorded. I am not calling you that.
Z:
My Bad. Z is fine.
Thurman:
Thank you [laughs]. Let’s dive into the first question. I want to know, how does the outdoors help you be the best version of yourself?
Z:
It helps me connect and calm myself down. It’s a stress reliever. That’s what I was saying. Just being out there in nature and everything and experiencing new things. It relieves stress and just helps me [to] not be stressed [or] worried about the city and all that. When we went out camping or fishing, I wasn’t worried about what was back at home. I wasn’t worried about things like I gotta get these grades up. I was more connected with doing the activities and [being] with my brothers. I was more connected with them and focused on other stuff than what I had to do back in the city.
Thurman:
Yeah, no, I feel that. I think that’s super important to [experience] how you can be in nature and I don’t want to say dissociate but you can leave all those things and problems back at home and be freed when in the outdoors. I appreciate you sharing that with me. Another question I have for you was can you tell me one of the most memorable outdoor experiences you had?
Z:
I would say Colorado, Colorado, Colorado.
Thurman:
For the people that don’t know about this trip can you set the scene about what [The Ascent Trip in] Colorado is?
Z:
So Colorado is way different. It’s like a whole bunch of green, way bigger trees, [and] I think it was cold. It was chilly but it was such perfect weather. Like I loved it. And there’s actually way more wildlife out there. One time we were hiking around and we were able to see a bear from far away on the other side of the mountain and then we saw elk. I think that was my favorite trip. Colorado was by far my favorite trip.
Thurman:
Bro, that was not a bear. That was an elk. I’m telling you right now.
Z:
You can call Marcus. It was literally a bear.
Thurman:
Okay, you say it was a bear, but it was not a bear. I guarantee.
Z:
There for sure was. It was for sure a bear.
Thurman:
[laughs] All right. Can you tell me, with Colorado, how you prepared for that hike mentally and physically? What I am asking is if you have some kind of transformation from pre-trip to post-trip. What did that look like if you did have one of those?
Z:
I would say before the trip I was probably concerned with everything. I was at the house and just worried about everything. Like, what if I get over here and I get attacked by bears and all that. Or like, even at home, I was like, I don’t really feel like doing anything. I didn’t feel motivated to do anything. And then I got to Colorado. This summer I want to live and move to Colorado. [I told myself] let me get my money up so I can eventually have the motivation to live out there and live a lifestyle like that.
Thurman:
Yeah, I think this year Colorado was definitely a unique trip with all those personalities on the trip. And also just been able to take a new route this year. Can you also talk about being on top of a mountain [in Colorado]? I don’t think that a lot of kids from San Antonio get to experience something like that. Can you tell me what was going through your mind when you hiked up to the summit [of the South Arapaho Peak]?
Z:
Yeah, at first. I was like, oh, I’m tired. I thought we reached the top. I thought we were done [but then] I saw another top. I was like, oh my god the view… the views are immaculate. We were able to see glaciers like fresh water glaciers melt. We were able to see everything. It was just a beautiful view. We saw a big lake. We were even able to see some of the other camp members [back at base camp] on the other side of the mountain. I think everyone has to experience this at least once in their life. I feel like that was just a beautiful, beautiful sight to see.
Thurman:
Ya know, I didn’t make it [to the top]. I got to 13,000 feet and I was like yeah, this air kind of thin and let me stop here. But, the view is why I ultimately picked this route for us this year.
Z:
If you would have kept going you would have made it. You were legit right at the end.
Thurman:
I was tapped out. There’s no way I would have made it.
Z:
Yeah I get that.
Thurman:
So obviously I’m in my 20s. You know, you are a teenager. We’re relatively close in age, but at the same time, we are not relatively close in age… I want you to kind of think of this next question as the big picture. Thinking seven or ten years in the future. You know, I’m saying imagine you chilling and cooling out in the woods and stuff like that… I want you to be able to be successful and comfortable in nature. You know what I’m saying?
If you got a little girlfriend, I want you to be able to take her out and experience nature and you know what you’re doing and feel comfortable and stuff like that. I want you to be able to experience nature [with your loved ones] whether that’s with your extended family, with your parents, or in the future if you want to have kids and stuff like that. I know for you to get to that point, you’re gonna need some help along the way. So I guess what I’m trying to say is how can we [experienced recreators] help you make sure that you feel and belong in the outdoors?
Z:
I’d probably say: more knowledge and experiences. Like we had practice hikes before [Colorado,] but we should have something to help us like set up our tents and stuff. So we get [to] prepare. I say let’s just prepare some more [opportunities] for setting up a tent and carrying heavy packs, or you know, how to use the hiking sticks. I say just [in general] giving out more knowledge or giving out more books so people could read them and just sending informational videos out showing them what it’s going to be like in the outdoors.
Thurman:
I appreciate that. I think that is helpful for someone in my role to know. I’ve known you for about two years now. Right? We’ve been to I think two or three state park campouts, done like two barbecue cookouts, and backpacked in Colorado together. We’ve spent quite a few hours outside together. How important is it for you to have somebody who looks like you when doing these new things outdoors?
Z:
I would say it’s more of a hope thing. Like just knowing that [I was with people that looked like me] it made me more comfortable. Seeing more Black kids around me that looked like me made me want to go more. Even now, that I’ve seen new Black faces [in our program] I’m like yeah, our generation is gonna be alright. [My] generation [is] gonna be a good next generation- knowing our stuff and everything. The more Black people I see, the more comfortable I get. This last year, I saw three or four more comfortable faces in our program and we just hit it off instantly. It was an instant click thing.
Thurman:
Yeah, I think that’s important for us to all have that experience of having people that look like us. I know for me, that’s exactly how it was my first time being around people who looked like me in the outdoors. This December we did a fly fishing trip with Brothers with the Land. That was the first time you went fly fishing, right?
Z:
Yes, first time.
Thurman:
Yeah, that’s what I thought. Can you tell me a little bit about that bro? I think that was a cool experience just to watch you just catch on really, really fast. I just kind of want to hear your thoughts on it.
Z:
It’s like I’ve never been fly fishing. That was my first-time fly fishing ever. I’ve done fishing so I kind of knew the areas and stuff but I didn’t know that with fly fishing you had to push it back for it. I’ve never done that before. When I was shown it at first, I didn’t know what I was doing. But as soon as we got in the water, like after the first few minutes, I sat back and watched one mentor do it. I forgot his name. It was the one that had dreads.
Thurman:
Yeah, Jahmicah [laughs out loud].
Z:
But when I watched him do it like go back and forth I was like oh like this is lowkey just all in the wrist. It was lowkey simple. I was like I just need [to catch] a fish. If I were to catch a fish that day, I think I would have been hyped that day. You would have heard me talking about it every day. If I caught a fish, you would hear me [talking about it] every day.
Thurman:
[laughs] You know, that’s how it was my first time when I caught my first fish [fly fishing]. It caught me off guard but, ever since then, I’ve been hooked. Granted, I only started my fly fish journey this year and got into it this October but I get that and agree. Have you felt people kind of notice you a little bit differently now that you’ve been in the outdoors a lot more?
Z:
Yes! Like, even when I post or something everybody is like, “Oh Z, you’re one of those country boys now” or like they’re like, “You’re not a city boy anymore”. When I came back from our first trip, I felt more like… I’m not gonna say country or like… I felt more… like I don’t know how to describe it, you know. When you come back, you feel like you suddenly changed, like you feel more in line with nature. You feel like you know more [and] you lowkey like, you know, wake up more. I don’t know how to describe it. I feel like every trip I feel more motivation and connection. I feel like that’s the effect nature has on me.
Thurman:
Yeah, it’s like another piece of you kind of like starts to grow almost and it’s like it almost makes you feel as if there’s something growing inside you like the more time you get outside and the more time you’re that you do all these different events. Oh shoot, our time is almost up. Bro, I don’t want to take any more of your time but thank you for allowing me to include your voice in this piece.
Z:
No problem.
Thurman:
Well I will see you in January at our next event. Peace!
Looking Out on The Horizon
Over the last couple of months, you have journeyed with me through this not so easy conversation of equity in the outdoors. Thank you for allowing me to share my candid thoughts and experiences with you.
I want to leave you with this question: How will we know when the outdoors is a place for all?
To make this very simple, we will know when the outdoors is a place for all when it becomes second nature for marginalized communities to say they attend summer camp, ski, rock climb on the weekend, hunt every winter break, and summit a mountain.
We will know once our communities of color can say they did a certain outdoor activity and the other participants in the conversation who look like them say “No way. Me too.” or “My family and I always do that.”
We will know once BIPOC residents from the Southside of Chicago, The Eastside of San Antonio, Rio Grande Valley, Oakland, California, Jackson, Mississippi, and Atlanta, Georgia, can all collectively feel they belong in the outdoors. We will know when these outdoor experiences span across the BIPOC elites, middle-class living in the suburbs, on reservations and those living in the “trap”. Only then will we have made substantial progress, which must be maintained.
Until then, let’s continue to work together to actively push mediocrity in outdoor spaces, challenge outdoor spaces and groups, and provide safe spaces where diversity can flourish.
I Am Because We Are
I grew up in an old Southern Baptist Church and know not to name names when thanking people publicly unless I want to be in trouble. I want to thank everyone who had a part in helping, reading, editing, and encouraging me during this series. It truly is something I am proud of as there was always a push to make it better and not to release the next part until I felt it wholeheartedly embodied the work, passion, and love I have for creating access for youth and people of color in the outdoors. Thank you to all the BIPOC-led outdoor organizations and groups and our accomplices around the country who are pushing the boundaries of making the outdoors a more equitable space. I see you and recognize that our work is hard and sometimes feels never ending. Don’t forget to recharge, take space for yourself, and seek community in this journey because we need you. If you need anything, you know how to find me.