S’More Melanin
Welcome to a five-part blog series powered by S’More Melanin. What is S’More Melanin? S’More Melanin is a destination for resources, historical context, and connectivity centered around Black experiences in the camp world. Our goals are to, through sharing our experiences; spark reflection, dialogue, and eventually change. This series addresses topics about camp, as it relates to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), and Belonging from the perspective of two cis-gen Black womxn.
Consider this introductory post your field guide to maximizing your reading experience. Here are some things to be mindful of as you read:
If DEI is new for you, keep an open mind. Discomfort is to be expected.
We are speaking from our own experiences. Our experiences are just that - our own. People of color and their experiences are not monolithic.
There is always more to learn. There are countless resources to help you better support both your staff and campers of color. S’More Melanin is one of them.
Much like a compass, the four posts that follow will touch on the cardinal directions.
W- First, we are headed West, to the places that we have already LEFT. We will share stories of the places where we ventured and why our journey must continue as we delve into our own experiences with camps.
S- Next we head down South, because the past is not always behind us. In this post, we will discuss historical elements that account for the current whiteness of recreation.
E- Then, we go East. We will provide tangible, turn-key guidance for how to go about building the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging that your campers RIGHT-ly deserve.
N- Finally, our culminating post will guide us North, towards the future and beyond. This post will come out in the month of December, and we will unwrap the gifts of connectivity and community that can move us forward.
Meet the Womxn Behind S’more Melanin
Briana Mitchell
Briana has been a camp attendee since the age of six and a previous camp counselor and Teach for America Corps Member. Most importantly, Briana is a lifelong chaser of that ‘camp feeling’.
She is the Director of AF Camp, a Change Summer camp where she works to create high-quality, summer opportunities for students that will increase their overall confidence, responsibility, curiosity, and independence.
While these past few months have not been the first of their kind, they have felt different than times past. I found myself being more critical of my (in)action than I had before. This summer has been what meteorologists describe as the ‘perfect storm.’ A deluge of emotions brought on by the sweltering heat. We are in the midst of a global pandemic. There are senseless and unprovoked killings of unarmed Black people at the hands of the police and self-appointed vigilantes. While any one of those conditions in isolation would not necessarily turn a nation on its head, the fusion of all three has been seismic in their impact.
For the first time since my top-heavy SUV flipped twice on southern California’s I-5 freeway and I walked away unscathed, I found myself asking, what am I going to do to make a contribution to humanity? What is my part in all of this? I contemplated life’s big questions because I found myself mulling over all of the things I do not do. I do not march at civil demonstrations. I do not tweet nor do I retweet. What do I do? I work with children. I navigate the swells of racial, economic, and educational inequity by attempting to eradicate them through education and access. But, this time is different. I am a newly appointed camp director with no camp - one of many results of COVID-19. I was forced to look inward, and outward. I consulted my cadre of trusted advisors. I joined a book club. I listened to podcasts. And then, I was approached with an opportunity to co-author a blog post about DEI in the world of camp. Yes, (insert fist-pump)! A solution to my inquiry. I’m now co-writing this blog, with Makela that covers Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in the camp world. My approach to change has always been to make an impact wherever I am. I am now a professional in the camp space and there is much work to be done. Increasing awareness is the first step.
Makela Elvy, M.Ed
Makela Elvy, M.Ed, is an environmental educator and camp enthusiast. Over the course of her career, Elvy has held camp positions ranging from head counselor to program manager. Her experience includes nature interpretation, curriculum development and the creation of a 10-week venture program rooted in experiential learning.
Over the years, the outdoors has provided me solace. It has always provided me the space for reflection and a chance to be free from distraction. Every year around April, when the camp preparation begins, I am rejuvenated by the opportunity to share my love and knowledge about the outdoors with bright, young, and insatiably curious minds. But this year felt different, for Briana and me, when the first few days of July rolled around and our camps lacked the energy, laughter, and questions that one could normally hear, coming from the inner-city youth as their minds are blown, all throughout the trails. In a PBS article, Beatrice Alvarez described 2020 as a “non-stop stunner” and I couldn’t have said it better myself (Alvarez, 2020).
The key difference between an epidemic and a pandemic is that the latter impacts the entire world. Recent headlines that are shared by many social media outlets and articles claim that we are in the middle of two pandemics happening in tandem: racism and coronavirus. This claim emphasizes the severity of racism by pointing out that it somehow affects us all - despite our individual identities.
The words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ring true today as they did in 1963, “It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment” (“I Have a Dream: Full-Text March on Washington Speech.”). As we move forward, preparing for a new normal in the camping world, it is important that we remember this time and it is imperative we make camp a safer experience for all. Camp - a place I once reserved for reflection, I now prioritize with action. In another account, Dr. King also said “that we must feel that we count, that we belong, that we are persons...and it means that we go down in our soul and find that somebodiness” (Kroll, 2012). My personal and professional goals have graduated from providing an opportunity for more inner-city youth to experience the outdoors, to creating a more conscious and inclusive camp culture so black and brown people, of all ages, can safely explore the great outdoors.
Thank you for reading this introductory post; it will be accompanied by four subsequent posts. Until next time, we encourage you to stick with us, keep an open mind, and to share S’More Melanin.
Sources Cited:
Alvarez, B. (2020, June 18). This Year's Juneteenth Serves as Teaching Moment. Retrieved August 31, 2020, from http://www.pbs.org/articles/2020/06/observing-juneteenth-in-2020/
Kroll, J. (2012, January 14). Martin Luther King Jr.: April 26, 1967, Cleveland Speech, Annotated. Retrieved from www.cleveland.com/pdextra/2012/01/martin_luther_king_jr_april_26.html.
I Have a Dream: Full Text March on Washington Speech. (n.d.). Retrieved August 31, 2020, from http://www.naacp.org/i-have-a-dream-speech-full-march-on-washington