The study of race/ethnicity and leisure has been an area of great interest to researchers since at least the 1970s. Numerous studies have shown that differences exist in the ways people from different racial/ethnic groups participate in outdoor recreation. Most of these studies have found that racial and ethnic minorities (i.e. non-White groups) participate in many outdoor recreation activities at proportionally lower levels than do Whites. While these studies present numerous hypotheses to help explain this phenomenon, no study has been conclusive. In this dissertation, I present a theoretical framework and three empirical studies to investigate the nuances of this issue. The first study examines the theory of systemic racism (Feagin, 2006) and its utility to deepen our understanding of the factors that play into African Americans relationship with nature and outdoor recreation. The second study analyzes narrative and historical autobiographical accounts of African Americans from the three major racial eras in United States history in order to examine African Americans' relationship with nature over time. The third study examines the racially related constraints of African Americans who are involved in serious leisure pursuits of activities generally considered outdoor recreation, as well as African Americans who are involved in nature related careers. The constraints I found with this group are reservations of family and friends regarding being in "the woods," collective memory and fear, being the "only one," discrimination and "reverse curiosity," assumption of novice status, and balancing identity between being Black, and "acting White." In the fourth study I analyze this same study group, but explore their experiences of being involved in serious leisure and look at the negotiation schema that this group employed to sustain participation. These negotiation schema are childhood formative experiences, realizing deep connections to nature, transcendental experiences in nature, leaning on knowledge of nature, comfort with White people/places/groups, and positive experiences with White people in nature. The four studies in this collection represent a rethinking and deepening of our knowledge of African American participation in the outdoors.

Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors

"To Love the Wind and the Rain" is a groundbreaking and vivid analysis of the relationship between African Americans and the environment in U.S. history. It focuses on three major themes: African Americans in the rural environment, African Americans in the urban and suburban environments, and African Americans and the notion of environmental justice. Meticulously researched, the essays cover subjects including slavery, hunting, gardening, religion, the turpentine industry, outdoor recreation, women, and politics. "To Love the Wind and the Rain" will serve as an excellent foundation for future studies in African American environmental history.

Race, Ethnicity, and Leisure: Perspectives on Research, Theory, and Practice provides an overview of the current theories and practices related to minority leisure and reviews numerous issues related to these diverse groups’ leisure, including needs and motivations, constraints, and discrimination. World-renowned researchers synthesize research on race and ethnicity, explain how demographics will affect leisure behavior in the 21st century, and explain the leisure behavior of minorities.

Moving beyond catfish and collard greens to the soul of African American cooking

Features a new “where are they now” section, updating readers on lives of expedition’s original climbers Fully updated and detailed resources based on the "Anti-Racism in the Outdoors" (ARITO) guide Readers’ Guide explores additional context and questions for further consideration Outdoor journalist James Edward Mills’s book, The Adventure Gap, is a groundbreaking volume that is equal parts adventure story, history, and inspiration as it chronicles the first American all-Black summit attempt on Denali in 2013. Mills uses this momentous expedition as a jumping-off point to explore diversity in the outdoors, from Mathew Henson who stood at the North Pole in 1909 to contemporary adventurers such as polar explorer Barbara Hillary and rock climber Kai Lightner. This tenth anniversary edition once again shares the compelling events that unfolded during Expedition Denali’s summit bid. But it also provides fresh context: A new thought-provoking afterword by Mills examines what has evolved in and around the outdoor community since that effort. He highlights progress and inspiring stories, such as Full Circle Everest, an expedition led by Phillip Henderson that put an all-Black team on top of the world’s highest peak. And he points to places where we can and should all strive for higher achievement. The Adventure Gap has become an essential text in outdoor education and inspiration--a story of our times, now more relevant than ever.