Black Lives Matter: In Parks
Our hearts are hurting. The need for justice following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department is evident. Justice matters and the police that perpetrated murder of a black man must be held accountable. We see, feel, and hear the outcry of black community members who are suffering another life lost to the most conspicuous form of racism.
Also important is a commitment to action in fighting racism in every aspect of our lives, and that means in our organization and in the park. We haven’t always gotten it right. Far from it. The history of parks is caked in racism—some overt and some more passive. We saw an example last week when a black man was harassed while watching the birds in Central Park by Amy Cooper, a white woman.
We often talk about diversity in parks, but rarely do we talk directly to our constituents about their own actions—intentional or unintentional—in perpetuating people of color’s discomfort in natural places, the very places that are meant to restore well-being.
Incidents of racism can go unnoticed in parks because they are farther from the eye of the media, but this community—you—can have an impact on making everyone feel at home in the outdoors. Your actions can make a difference by:
Respecting black, indigenous, and other people of colors’ basic human rights to take up space in parks and other public spaces.
Choosing to say something when you see racist acts occurring in a park.
Taking a video and serving as a witness to moments of racism, including in confrontations with law enforcement.
These are three steps that you can take to ensure that our parks are more fair and more safe every day that follows from here. We send our whole hearts to the family of George Floyd, and everyone who is grieving.