When journalist James Edward Mills was growing up in Los Angeles, he was fortunate to have parents who exposed him to outdoor recreation and a Boy Scout troop that helped get him away from the asphalt of the city. He realized, however, that as an African American, his outdoor experiences weren't typical.
Years later, now living in Madison, Mills is trying to encourage people of color and those living in urban environments to enjoy the outdoors as he's done.
His new book, The Adventure Gap (Mountaineers Books), describes the first all-African American team ascent of Denali, the highest peak in North America. But the expedition was far more than just a mountaineering adventure. "The purpose of the expedition was to create a cadre of role models who would ultimately go back into primarily African American communities across the country," explains Mills. From the Denali expedition, Mills goes on to report stories of other minority adventurers in the wild, including polar explorer Matthew Henson.
What is the "adventure gap"? Mills says that African Americans spend less time in nature than their white counterparts: "As the population shifts to a non-white majority, which is expected to occur in 2042, there's expected to be a smaller number of people who would ultimately be able to support the wilderness places that many of us have come to enjoy and appreciate."
Mills' book covers the influence of race, though he is quick to point out that the reasons for people not seeking outdoor adventure could be anything: "It's really the divide for anyone who decides that outdoor recreation or adventure isn't for them -- because they are poor or they live in cities or they don't have equipment. It's any divide that prevents people from actively spending time outdoors."
Mills is also the creator and host of the Joy Trip Project blog and podcast, a self-described "newsgathering and reporting organization that covers outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving and practices of sustainable living." He will sign copies of The Adventure Gap on Thursday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. at University Book Store-Hilldale.
