Connecting People of Color to County Parks
“When people are interacting with the outdoors, they are healthier as an individual and as a community.” Chevon Powell
In celebration of Black History Month, County Parks is highlighting six African American Environmentalists who are leaders in helping to overcome racial inequalities in public parks and the nature gap that exists in America. These environmental champions and their organizations have made significant progress in connecting people of color to the great outdoors.
Shelton Johnson
a true champion among people of color engaged in the outdoors.
He once wrote that he “lived only to encourage people to look at the Nature’s loveliness”, and this is precisely his goal for people of color here in the United States who don’t have a connection to parks and wilderness lands. His dedication as a Park Ranger at Yosemite goes well beyond his 33+ years of service. Shelton is an orator, playwright, star of screens big and small, and a thespian to list a few.
Betty Reid Soskin
At age 99, she is the oldest National Park Ranger serving the United States.
Betty has been celebrated as a tireless voice for making sure the African-American wartime experience –both the positive steps toward integration and the presence of discrimination has a prominent place in the Park's history. Her critically acclaimed memoir, Sign My Name to Freedom released in February 2018 is a feature documentary about Betty, her lost music, and her experiences confronting housing segregation in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Chevon Powell
Creator of the first Refuge Outdoor Festival in 2018
At 5 months old Chevon was rescued and survived first and second degree burns on about 75% of her body during a fire that burned down an apartment building where her family lived. She found solace at Camp Janus, a burn victim camp where she realized that, “Nature keeps me grounded”. Camp Janus inspired her to create the first Refuge Outdoor Festival in 2018 to elevate people of color and their experiences outdoors. Chevon stated, “When people are interacting with the outdoors, they are healthier as an individual and as a community.”
Audrey and Frank Peterman
Pioneers in the green and conservation movement since 1995
Seeing no black or brown people in the national parks of America , they resolved to help make a change, working on fixing the diversity problem in National Parks by serving on the boards of numerous conservation organizations. They are are coauthors of the book, Legacy on the Land: A Black Couple Discovers Our National Inheritance (2009). Mrs. Peterman wrote the travel guide: Our True Nature: Finding a Zest for Life in the National Park System (2012) and cofounded the Diverse Environmental Leaders Speakers Bureau (2014.)
John C. Robinson
Biologist and birder who has birded in almost every state
In his youth, Robinson felt like he had to hide behind his binoculars and needed permission to go bird watching because no one looked like him. Today, he leads birding trips in Central America and South Africa. But wherever he goes, he says, he often hears: “I've never met a black bird watcher before!” His mission is to encourage inner city and minority youth to become more interested in nature through bird watching. He explores the topic in his book, Birding for Everyone: Encouraging People of Color to Become Birdwatchers.
Founder of Outdoor Afro, connecting people to black history found in nature.
Outdoor Afro inspires communities to protect vulnerable public lands for all. Rue’s important work has generated widespread national recognition and supported by major organizations for her role in addressing the ongoing need for greater diversity in the outdoors. With nearly 90 leaders in 30 states from around the country, Outdoor Afro connects thousands of people to outdoor experiences, who are changing the face of conversation. Mapp resides in Vallejo, CA and is the proud mother of three young adults.
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