"There’s a huge difference between 'all are welcome' and 'this was created with you in mind'." - Dr. Crystal Jones
Often times, sharing one's feelings of exclusion from a community illicits a somewhat defensive response that everyone, anyone, is welcomed to join so the choice is on them. However, as the Crystal Jones quote above alludes to, being welcomed is not enough.
In this panel, we will discuss the difference between the “all are welcome” and “this was created with you in mind” and why the former is insufficient to create long-term meaningful change. We'll also talk about how non-BIPOC and companies can work in ways to support the latter part of that quote to create real change in the Outdoor industry and community.
Over the course of the week we'll be highlighting a different organization each day that have been selected by our panelists. We encourage you to take some to time learn how each organization is supporting diversity and inclusion in the outdoors. If you feel inclined to donate, please visit their websites to do so. Arc'teryx will be matching up to $15,000 of the donations made throughout the week!
Shelma grew up rather venturesome in California skinning knees on skateboards and raging on her snowboard through terrain parks. Though she was captain of her high school’s first women’s water polo team, it is ultimately through climbing that she found her girl crew. When she started climbing after a shoulder surgery sidelined her from other sports, she didn't expect to find the strong, passionate group of females that would inspire her to start Flash Foxy, a climbing community that brings together hundreds of self-identified women every year at women’s climbing festivals. Based in Brooklyn, Shelma’s advocacy work through events, writing and films intertwine her desires to create opportunities for women to support one another, work in partnership with other grassroots initiatives to amplify the voices of underrepresented folks and honour Indigenous connections to the places we recreate in through land acknowledgment. Shelma’s unmistakable style from her trademark outrageous earrings to her signature cut-off denim shorts bring a coolness to the crag but also remind others that there is more than one type of climber to be celebrated.
Kareemah Batts was born in New York City, and grew up in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, New York. She describes herself as a life-long outsider who has gotten used to “inviting” herself to every space she has entered. After college she worked with companies in marketing and publishing until she was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma in 2009. Her amputation due to cancer led her to Colorado Mountain School in 2011 where she fell in love with climbing and founded Adaptive Climbing Group, the largest climbing program for people with disabilities in the country. She is currently its Program Director while serving on committees across the outdoor industry for diversity initiatives. Past and present organizations of service include: Access Fund, Brooklyn Boulders Foundation, American Alpine Club, USA Climbing, and others.
Ashleigh Thompson (she/her) is a member of the Red Lake Ojibwe Nation and a PhD Candidate in archaeology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. Ashleigh is a climber, runner, and snowboarder, who finds healing and happiness outdoors. She is passionate about everything Indigenous and has given many public presentations on topics such as climbing on Indigenous lands, Indigenous archaeology, and Indigenous food sovereignty.
Grace is a network weaver and community organizer based on Ohlone Territory in Oakland, CA. Currently, as the Strategic Partnership and Operations Director with PGM ONE, Grace co-directs the largest racial affinity organization for BIPOC working towards environmental justice. PGM ONE envisions a world that centers, values, uplifts, and empowers those who are most impacted by environmental harm and climate change—and in particular black, indigenous, and people of color/of the global majority—to lead the way toward environmental justice and collective liberation.
Forrest Ubuntu Zola Mbali (pronouns: they, elle, ki, kin) is a passionate rock climber, mountaineer, outdoor enthusiast and community advocate born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. Ki's mission is to celebrate diversity in the outdoors and collaborate with communities to encourage, promote and amplify the stories and narratives from People of the Global Majority, women and Transgender individuals, the LGBTQ2IA+ community and folks with disabilities; to inspire our fellow sisters, brothers and siblings to venture into and engage with wild spaces. Ki has worked alongside the American Alpine Club, Chicago Mountaineering Club, Sierra Club, Access Fund, Outdoor Research and NOLS to help find ways to make adventure sports and outdoor communities more equitable, inclusive and welcoming to all. Forrest is the Co-founder of Sending in Color and a Coalition Member at Diversify Outdoors. You can usually find them exploring abandoned buildings, talking with friendly strangers, or reading a million books about a billion things.
Faith is a creative producer passionate about sharing contemporary stories from diverse communities. An avid runner who has always loved spending time outside, she left Discovery Channel in 2016 to travel the world with Columbia Sportswear. During a year of new experiences and adventures, she developed a sense of responsibility for the protection of our public lands. Faith works with brands, non-profit organizations, institutions and individual creatives - behind and in front of the camera - to create media representative of the world we live in and the better one we are working together to create. She has produced three short films aimed to share stories of diverse people in the outdoors, Brotherhood of Skiing, This Land, and We Hike to Heal.
For any inquiries regarding the Arc'teryx Climbing Academy, please contact climbingacademy@arcteryx.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
The Arc'teryx Climbing Academy Team