There have been so many acts of violence against Black people in the United States over the past few months, and this week brought news of more. These stories – tragedies – continue to drive home the fact that public spaces are not safe for everyone. This violence is not new; it’s been going on for centuries.
Whether it’s a neighborhood or city street, a park, a hiking trail – benign, open places that we frequently tout as good spots to escape life’s stresses, especially during pandemics – these spaces are not safe for people of color. Ahmaud Arbery couldn’t go for a run without being chased and killed. Christian Cooper can’t go birdwatching without being threatened with the possibility of a deadly encounter with the police. George Floyd. Trayvon Martin. Tamir Rice. Michael Brown. Eric Garner. So many names. And there are so many more that didn’t make the news.
And we, white people, are the reason why. Every time news of a racially motivated tragedy hits we (white people) say “We have to do better. We can’t let this be the reality,” but these horrible things just keep happening, over and over. We (white people) are not fixing this. We are not doing enough to dismantle the racism that continues to cause pain every single day. It’s easy to say that the individuals behind these murders (and attempted murders) are outliers and racists, not indicative of the rest of us. We may not be the person calling the cops or pulling the trigger, but we are being still being violent through our inaction.
The gatekeeping of public spaces is a product of an institutionalized racism that goes back centuries. Beaches were segregated (read more about that in this excellent piece by Nikesha Elise Williams). Local indigenous populations have been excluded from their own heritage sites because of colonial travel practices. Access to public green space continues to be largely limited for communities of color, who have been neglected and abused again and again by city planning. Even our beloved national parks are made of lands stolen from indigenous people. When it comes to outdoor spaces, our constant media stream keeps churning out the “acceptable” image of an outdoorsy person – white, thin, cis, straight, able bodied. You see it in ads, article images and movies. All of it perpetuates the oppression and inequality that started the minute the land was stolen away by white colonizers.
We have routinely excluded people of color from public spaces, and now every space has the potential to become a place of violence. Breonna Taylor was killed in her bed, Philando Castile in his car.
As a traveler, I think about my white privilege a lot. I float between countries without worrying that the color of my skin will make me a target. I cruise between states without worrying that something as mundane as a broken tail light could lead to an encounter with the police that might end in my death. I walk trails by myself without worrying that people will accuse me of wrongdoing without any witnesses to absolve me. And, personally, I know I’m not doing enough to make sure other people can have that same carefree attitude.
I’m not saying these things in an attempt to be a white savior – communities of color have been doing the most important work when it comes to fighting for racial equality and have been doing it for decades. Brilliant, brave activists who have put their own lives on the line again and again to affect change. I’ve been addressing white people here because I know we can do better. We need to be real with ourselves, look into our hearts and examine our own actions with the purposes of expanding our capacity for understanding and moving our communities forward together.
Listen to people of color. Educate yourself without asking other people to do the labor for you. Read, learn, act, vote. Be a better steward of your community.
Here are the links to some resources I have utilized and plan on utilizing, as well as some social accounts that have educated me on racism, whitewashed history and environmental equality. If you’d like to add to the list, please comment and I’ll amend.
How Not to Travel Like a Basic Bitch
If you have thoughts or feedback, please comment. I want to hear it all. I want to learn. I want to be better.