National Parks Looking For Diversity

By Victoria Robertson on August 13, 2016

The National Park Service has a new mission: diversity.

In a time when diversity is such a large issue in the U.S., it only makes sense that more employers start looking to diversify their staff, and now, national parks and other tourist attractions might be looking to diversify their attendance, according to an article from NBC News.

Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens are two such locations that are looking to do just that.

The parkland in the heart of Washington, D.C., an area that’s about 96 percent African-American, brings in kids from across the district to participate in their tours and their festivals.

According to park spokeswoman Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles, “We are uniquely positioned in a district and have a large population to tap into … Many people may not make a trip up to Yosemite Park, so we are making sure to bring them to Kenilworth.”

Yosemite National Park (unsplash.com)

And it’s no coincidence that the National Park Service is celebrating its centennial this month, the same time this initiative is unfolding. Last year, the park had record highs in attendance (307 million visitors total). But within that total, only about 20 percent of attendees were minorities.

So with their anniversary comes new goals, especially since (according to Census data) minorities comprise about 40 percent of the U.S. So that 20 percent attendance marker is very low.

According to National Park Service spokesman Jeremy Barnum, “We recognize the Park’s need to attract more diverse visitors. Our goal for the centennial is centered on connecting and creating the next generation of park visitors and supporters, and that next generation looks different than before.”

25 senators support this statement, as they sent President Obama a letter in July asking the president to issue a presidential memorandum that, according to NBC News, would “direct the federal land management agencies to broaden the diversity in the sites protected, stories told, communities engaged.’”

According to Bennett, “This effort will help increase the cultural and geographic diversity of protected sites and improve opportunity and access for visitors from all backgrounds and communities. It will also help us diversify the workforce that manages our public lands.”

And this won’t be the first way in which Obama has supported this movement.

Earlier in 2016, the Obama family took a vacation to the Carlsbad Caverns as well as Yosemite National Park under a very watchful, public eye, in the hopes of increasing park attendance. They did the same back in 2009.

And this new initiative doesn’t end with attendance. The National Park Service is also hoping to diversify their employees, so that their hiring process and outreach is more representative of the country as a whole.

According to Barnum, “We are committed to reflect what America looks like and tell America’s story.”

This includes new additions such as the Stonewall National Monument — in honor of the LGBTQ community; the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument –in honor of equality for females of all races; and the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument as well as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad which honors African American heritage.

All of the monuments are meant to help Americans of all races, genders and walks of life to feel a connection to the country they live in while visiting these national parks/monuments.

The new initiative also includes ambassadors including: Terrence J, Rosalyn Sanchez and Mary Lambert.

According to Jose Gonzalez, founder of Latino Outdoors, “The parks lost a lot of time in getting this push off the ground.” So while they’re making the effort now, this is an initiative that is long overdue.

He continues in saying, “there is a value and a connection when someone who looks like you welcomes you to the park. They understand your experiences and needs — whether that be with language interpretation, or just knowing you’ll need a couple extra picnic tables.”

According to Rue Mapp, the head of Outdoor Afro, “When they tell our stories, the park staff needs to represent the cultural reference of those stories … they are going in the right direction, but need to start doubling down.”

Diversity is a challenge for the National Parks Service still, and it doesn’t help that about 83 percent of the staff is white.

According to Sangita Chari, who works at the National Park Service’s Office of Relevancy, Diversity and Inclusion, “We’ve faced a challenge in retention numbers … since the organization is so dispersed across the country, it’s challenging to make sure minorities feel welcome, know that they belong, and that they do have opportunities to succeed and advance.”

unsplash.com

However, employee resource groups, outreach and a strong push for this initiative are helping to overcome this issue. At the very least, it’s a start.

According to Chari, “We are working hard to expand the conversation and be real to the fact that if we don’t bring in diverse people, we cannot tackle bigger problems. We need a workforce that reflects the U.S. and the issues it faces, including climate change and other environmental concerns.”

According to Anzelmos-Sarles, the Parks Service spokeswoman, “National parks are the world’s greatest classrooms. It is a place for kids to not only explore nature but to know they have a place to go when they need to get away to pause and take a breath.”

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