Racial Diversity on Appalachian Trail

[ruizrocd]

Well, different cultures have different perspectives. Some people can't afford such a trip. I did the math for my planned future AT trip, and if I want to keep my apartment I will have to save up $3018 just in rent (at $503/mo for six months). That's a lot of money. If they do a thru-hike, there is a potential job loss depending on the job because of the lenght of the absense, on the other hand if they do a section-hike, it'll be much more expensive.

It also depends on where and how the person grows up. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, I grew up in the rural side of our hometown (14sq miles lol), while my older brother grew up in the urban side of it. He's into cars and loud music, I'm into books, slingshots and coqui's being annoying.

Lastly, the culture around the person. When I first told my mom that I planned to do the AT she was everything but encouraging. When I first told my brother he called me stupid. I love my family to death and I appreciate their input in decisions I make (that's what family is for after all), but the "amount of ****s given" = 0 when it comes to certain decisions in my life. Not everybody is like I am though, they might be more easily persuaded by their family into doing something "safer"

[john gault]

Originally Posted by ruizrocd

It also depends on where and how the person grows up. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, I grew up in the rural side of our hometown (14sq miles lol), while my older brother grew up in the urban side of it. He's into cars and loud music, I'm into books, slingshots and coqui's being annoying.

Lastly, the culture around the person. When I first told my mom that I planned to do the AT she was everything but encouraging. When I first told my brother he called me stupid. I love my family to death and I appreciate their input in decisions I make (that's what family is for after all), but the "amount of ****s given" = 0 when it comes to certain decisions in my life. Not everybody is like I am though, they might be more easily persuaded by their family into doing something "safer"

That seems to be a common theme among all hikers regardless of cultural background. There have been whole threads devoted to reactions of friends and families to one's desire to thru-hike; it's just considered crazy to the wider population, regardless of culture

[LIhikers]

Originally Posted by john gault

That seems to be a common theme among all hikers regardless of cultural background. There have been whole threads devoted to reactions of friends and families to one's desire to thru-hike; it's just considered crazy to the wider population, regardless of culture

Yep, and right after they call us crazy they ask if we're going to bring a gun. Why would they want a crazy person to have a gun??????? Maybe we're not the crazy ones

[ruizrocd]

Yeah, the biggest concern to my family was, "where are you gonna sleep?" As if it wasn't obvious already. That's followed with, "what are you going to eat?"

[wintersturme]

I can speak for myself only: I was raised in Southwestern Pennsylvania - I'm of Afro-Caribbean descent and have often considered hiking the Appalachian trail.

The reason I've never followed that intuition is because of fear.
It is perhaps hard to wrap your head around if you are Caucasian, but people of color who live in or near rural areas fear racially-motivated bigotry and crime.

The idea of walking on a trail, in remote woods, to or from the south (retracing steps trodden 150 years ago by slaves escaping lynchings, rapes, being attacked by dogs and slave owners) is simply unsettling - in the way that many Jews never care to return to Germany.

American culture may have progressed beyond a consensus that some people are created unequal, but in many secluded towns in Pennsylvania (including where I grew up), West Virginia, Virginia and Georgia, the rhetoric of white supremacy is RAMPANT and real.

I am a birder and avid hiker, but realize that being non-white in small towns where Confederate flags inexplicably fly is putting your life into the hands of incendiary people who often feel jilted by a government that would afford all its citizens human status.


Speaking to the hockey comment, I also grew up in an area with a lot of aspiring hockey players. There are still major socio-economic disparities in this country between races. Many of the African American I know who are of the upper middle class have a recent history of success, with families that really fought odds of a recent civil rights movement. Their families emphasized academic excellence over athletic.

African American representation in the NBA is in part due to scouts tapping inner city schools for talent where young minority students play basketball, for free, in courts at school or in parks. Those same people can often not afford to play hockey: which can cost thousands of dollars in equipment, training, uniforms and being sent to camps. NHL scouts seem to tap talent in communities that are socio-economically & ethnically less diverse.