“We are really doing this for real. lol”
I had to laugh when I read the text message from one of my good friends, Otelia Hudson, who I recruited to embark on a camping trip with me this month.
“She said some people like a separate tent for the toilet,” I replied. “And yes, we are really doing this. We might have to go two days without having a real shower. My ass is over here like, oh boy!!! Lol”
No motorhomes, and no cabins. Just tents and a group of Black folks who do this camping thing throughout the year.
This was new territory for me. Growing up, family trips were pretty consistent. We jumped on the highway heading east to visit family in New Jersey and then to Rhode Island to wrap up the Christmas holiday. My grandmother would also take us to theme parks in the summer and sometimes Niagara Falls, but we never went camping or even pitched a tent in the backyard.
For my family and most of my peers, Black folks didn’t or don’t go camping.
Well, that’s what I thought while growing up. Camping was for white people. There was this notion that only our white cousins head out into the wilderness, pitch tents, and live off the land.
But I was wrong. There are groups of Black people who enjoy the outdoors too.
Where did this notion that Black folks don’t camp come from?
I realized all I knew about camping was what I saw on television, including horror movies and commercials or in magazines. There was typically one thing in common — There were no Black people.
This month, I got over those fears, stereotypes, and generalizations and met a great group of people while on a camping trip with Black and Camping.
There was no Jason Voorhees (the homicidal psycho from the Friday the 13th movies) attempting to crash the outing with a hockey mask on and machete. I didn’t get attacked by a bear, lion, or some other wild animal.
But I did freeze my butt off on my first night when my heater went out while we struggled to keep warm in below 30-degree temperatures.
There are a number of reasons why some Black people generally don’t camp. One of the top concerns I found was safety and typically not from the wilderness. I realized that my fears of camping or being in the woods really stemmed from racism and past-day lynchings.
In 2020, the Washington Post reported that a Black activist escaped an attempted lynching after being accused of trespassing on private property. According to the article, Vauhxx Booker and a friend were out on July 4, 2020, to watch the lunar eclipse when they were approached by a group of white men who tried to lynch Booker. The incident gained national attention and also sparked fears that I really didn’t know were so deeply rooted in me. Bad things happen to Black people in the woods.
I could hear my mother saying, “Don’t go in those woods. You don’t know what’s out there.”
But it’s time to live life. I enjoyed myself and I look forward to many more camping trips in the future. I still can’t convince my mother to go, but my children are on board.
A Few Things I Learned
- It gets cold as hell at night in Maryland during November
- Black people own beautiful camping sites
- There are people out there working to find safe spaces for us
- Black women are showing up for that outdoor life
- A pee bucket isn’t always a necessity
- Propane heaters are from heaven
- Don’t forget to pack food
- Wine is a camping trip must
Stay tuned for our story next month about a group of Black people who are dedicated to the outdoors and how camping wannabes can join the movement.