The 2018 Color the Crag Festival Celebrates Diversity
Justin Forrest Parks was one of many climbers to attend the first-ever Color the Crag festival, which took place last fall at Horse Pens 40.
The mission of Color the Crag is to celebrate diversity in the world of rock climbing.
“Our mission is to increase access and exposure to historically marginalized communities by building relationships, encouraging leadership, and providing positive representation of climbing and physical activity among populations of color.”
By hosting an event supporting diversity, the festival is directly supporting and connecting climbers of color.
“We will strengthen communities, increase leadership, and begin the conversation concerning other issues affecting our communities such as accessibility, public health awareness, and environmental education and advocacy.”
Forrest Parks has written about his experience. Below is an excerpt from the article he wrote, go read it here.
“Many of us who identify as climbers of color can relate to being the only person who looks like us at the crag or climbing gym. While the climbing community is extremely welcoming and accepting, it’s easy to feel socially isolated in a sport that doesn’t reflect the rich cultural and ethnic diversity in the United States. Especially if you’ve grown up in diverse neighborhoods with a diverse array of friends.
“Sports, like climbing, that aren’t well integrated, leave athletes of color with choices like: you can either have a diverse set of friends or you can climb every weekend. You can’t do both. Then there are the anxieties and insecurities of being “the only one.”
So many climbing videos, gear advertisements and brand ambassadorships feature only White faces; which makes a strong statement in 2017 when 38 per cent of Americans are people of color, which leaves us wondering, ‘Is this space for me?’ or ‘Am I welcome here?’
“Thanks to groups like Brothers of Climbing and Brown Girls Climb—the organizers of Color the Crag, Melanin Base Camp, Natives Outdoors, Flash Foxy, Latino Outdoors and a few other organizations, we now have online spaces in which we can share photos, videos and tell our own stories as women and men of color and lovers of climbing and the outdoors.”
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