'Yo Dayton, Let's Hike!' is looking for Black hikers in Miami Valley

I am a Black hiker who didn't get into the woods until my mid-20s. Growing up on Seven Mile and Livernois in Detroit, we didn't have a lot of exposure to open green space, but my mom's tiny garden plot was filled with heirloom tomatoes, wax peppers, and collard greens. It was an oasis for me, surrounded by all the concrete and cars of the city.

I've since moved to much greener surroundings and have learned why that little patch felt like such a calm, centering space. But when I go hiking here in Ohio, I notice an obvious absence of people who look like me on the trails and waterways. Where are all the Black folks?

There are Black hiking groups in the Miami Valley region, but they're still small and hope to grow. They also have challenges reaching the very folks who would benefit the most from these groups.

I spoke to two Black leaders of Ohio hiking groups and discussed the rewards and challenges that these groups face.

Lack of exposure

My friend Luther Palmer runs a hiking group called "Yo, Dayton, let's hike!" We went on a hike at Sweet Arrow Reserve in Dayton, and I asked him if he attracts many Black hikers to his hiking group.

"Absolutely not." Palmer said, "I still do a double take every time I see a Black person on the trail."

I also hiked in Hocking Hills with AJ Boyce from Outdoor Afro for this story. Palmer and Boyce both said they weren't exposed to nature at a young age.

"What inspired me to get into hiking and outdoor anything was actually my lack of exposure." Boyce said, "Growing up, I always had an innate, I guess you could say, appreciation of nature and natural spaces."

Palmer said, "So my family's not really outdoorsy. We're more into baking pies and eating macaroni and cheese. I went to a white high school, predominately white high school, and I remember some of my friends inviting me out into the woods one weekend. And I was skeptical but I went out there and had a great time, like I had a blast."

Hiking while Black

While both of these leaders started their groups with hopes of attracting Black hikers, they're seeing the complexities of drawing Black people to them, including "hiking, camping, and rock climbing while black."

Boyce told me a story about a friend, a Black woman who set up at the wrong campsite by accident. Instead of speaking with her directly, other campers in the area went straight to the Ranger. Sometimes the police are called on Black people who are trying to enjoy outdoor spaces because people are not used to seeing us there.

Both leaders are thinking about ways to make these spaces feel safer and more accessible for people who are understandably hesitant to explore them.

"Being around Black people feels safer," Palmer said. "I have done a bad job of explaining why that is to people. But if I was in a room full of Black people, or if on a hike full of Black people, A whole park full of Black people. I wouldn't feel like my presence is threatening to someone else. That's a big part of it."

Boyce said, "If I can be outside every day with Black people, I think that's like my dream. I walk away from events and things, like I travel around the country to go to Black rock climbing meetups, which are very few. And when I leave, I literally cry happy tears. It's just so gorgeous to feel accepted and seen and not have to defend yourself. We're all doing what we want to do, regardless of societal expectations for our demographic."

So those are the big ideas. But both leaders know that there are barriers to people participating.

"A lot of people don't have experience, which makes them hesitant, but also things like gear and transportation," Boyce said.

"One of the challenges is that my group is full of very experienced hikers, so we hike challenging terrains, we hike very quickly," Palmer said. "And I think if we wanted to be more inclusive, we would have to do a wider variety of hikes to get beginners to feel welcome, to come out and try something new."

So I asked Palmer if, since we were already discussing it, he would consider doing a wider variety of hikes with his group to attract more people.

"I've been thinking about it for a long time, so I think maybe exposing myself on the radio, like this is going to cause me to do it," Palmer said.

As a result of this story, we decided to be the change. Palmer and I will be starting a new group with accessible hikes where all are welcome. Watch for more details on the "Yo Dayton, Let's Hike!" page.

This story was produced at the Eichelberger Center for Community Voices at WYSO. Culture Couch is supported by the Ohio Arts Council.