This is not true for too many of our fellow citizens.
In the last few months, we have witnessed George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery murdered, and Christian Cooper threatened while birdwatching. In the wake of these events, our country has erupted in violence and in riots.
Dr. Martin Luther King said:
“Certain conditions continue to exist in our society, which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality and humanity. And so in a real sense our nation’s summers of riots are caused by our nation’s winters of delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention”
“The Other America” Given at Stanford University on April 14, 1967. Full text.
We have failed to hear the injustices.
In our outdoor spaces, in recreation, and in our industry, we direct indignities and injustices towards Indigenous, black, and brown people. It has been a part of the fabric of America since our beginning. There is inequity in who is welcome, who is safe, and who has access to resources and opportunities. America has systemically oppressed people.
As climbers, hikers, backpackers, trailrunners, backcountry skiers, our identity is formed on our public lands and waters, and through our activities on National Forests and Parks. These spaces were created for us by displacing those who were here before us. Parts of our industry are sustained on the backs of indigenous, black, and brown people. The outdoors today is not welcoming or just to all people.
As a 125 year-old organization in a State originally created only for white people, the Mazamas have played a role in the oppression of minorities, perhaps not with intent, but the impact is no less. As an organization whose mission is to Inspire Everyone to Love and Protect the Mountains, we have work to do. Our pillars to educate, build community, and advocate for the protection of and access to our public lands and water is sound. But, we must redefine “everyone.” We, as an organization and all of us as individuals that make up our community, have significant work in learning, understanding, and evolving our actions to create a more just and equitable world.
Our vision to inform the mountain culture in the NW must include our work to acknowledge our past and actively redefine ourselves to create equitable access to our mountains and a just future for all.
We are working to become better.