As you know, Def-Con News has been following intently as those brave liberals catalog everything that’s racist. To them everything is racist, but it takes time to list it all because obviously everything is a shitload of stuff. Luckily they were finally able to expose the inherent racism of mountain climbing because, let’s face it, mountain climbers need to be knocked down a peg or two.
Here’s something that is supposed to be serious from the NBC affiliate, King5, in Seattle from their “Facing Race” series:
Just 1% of the 7 million US climbers are African American, study finds
The lack of diversity in outdoor recreation is receiving more attention. Facing Race looks at how Washington state is pushing for more equity and inclusion outdoors.
Locking in and taking the first step, that’s how Sophia Danenberg approaches adventure sports like mountain climbing.
When Danenberg was getting started in the sport, she did not see people that looked like her.
“I mean, not just climbing, not skiing, not hiking, like nowhere,” Danenberg said.
Danenberg loves the outdoors so much. That’s why she moved to Seattle, but just like everywhere else she’s lived, she noticed a stark lack of diversity in outdoor recreation.
A report from the American Alpine Club shows Danenberg is right, few people of color are accessing the outdoors. The report found of the more than seven million climbers in the U.S., only 1% are black.
And? Oh wait, there is more and it’s even dumber:
Diversity experts say the lack of diversity in outdoor recreation is another example of how systemic racism plays out in our society. Outdoor recreation has traditionally been a predominantly white space, and many adventure sports take money and time that not all people of color have had the luxury to invest in.
People of color can afford $1,000 sneakers, which are way more expensive than hiking boots. It’s possible that black folks think it’s stupid to climb up the side of a mountain.
In any case, just because people can’t afford to do something doesn’t mean it’s racist. Due to financial constraints, I’ve been frozen out yacht racing and jet ownership. Does that mean these activities are discriminatory to people like me?
Also, is it just me or does seem weird that the premise here is that mountain climbing is racist and they only talked to one person who happens to be a black mountain climber? Here’s something else weird:
In 2006, Danenberg became the first African American to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Danenberg says it cost her more than $34,000 when she climbed Mount Everest, and when she made history making it to the summit, it didn’t even make the headlines of her hometown paper in Connecticut.
“The fact that my local newspaper in Hartford wasn’t interested meant that, like, it didn’t really get out,” said Danenberg.
If you are the first African American to do something tens of thousands of people have done that means you aren’t the first person to do it and therefore irrelevant.
This piece promised solutions to making mountain climbing less racist and delivered by noting that Danenberg is, “chipping away at the inequity by speaking out and changing the outdoor culture to open doors for everyone.”
Well there you go, problem solved. You can apparently chip away at inequity by making it up and then talking about it. The democrats won’t be happy with this style of problem-solving because it doesn’t cost a bunch money, nor does it require white people to grovel, but I can live with it.
