Visiting national parks to detox from the oppressive whiteness of her MFA program, Minda Honey is reminded the only places to retreat from whiteness are the spaces women of color hold for each other.
Your words resonate with me deeply. I’m also a Black woman, and more than a little in love with outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking. I’m 63 and have had more of the encounters and conversations you shared than I’d like to admit. Yet, “I too sing America,” and refuse to leave these natural spaces. A poet/writer you might enjoy is Camille Dungy. I’m thinking specifically of her book Black Nature. Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry. In the introduction she talks about the unique history Black people have with nature and how that’s reflected in our “nature writing.” Our nature experience is unique, and our “nature poems” reflect that. “Many Black writers simply do not look at their environment from the same perspective as Anglo-American writers who discourse with the natural world…we see [nature] poems as written from the perspective of the workers of the field.” Obviously you also talk about accessibility, and other issues, but to me, your essay is an extension of that foundation of our unique perspective as Black Americans. Thank you.
I love the way you shaped your story. This is such a sensitive topic. You are right, it is difficult to escape the racial tension that is so embedded in American culture. Racism is so embedded, that it is not recognized as offensive when it is displayed. To truly be able to relax, you must find the place that we keep sacred for ourselves that also fits the cultural paradigm of our lives.
Your words resonate with me deeply. I’m also a Black woman, and more than a little in love with outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking. I’m 63 and have had more of the encounters and conversations you shared than I’d like to admit. Yet, “I too sing America,” and refuse to leave these natural spaces. A poet/writer you might enjoy is Camille Dungy. I’m thinking specifically of her book Black Nature. Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry. In the introduction she talks about the unique history Black people have with nature and how that’s reflected in our “nature writing.” Our nature experience is unique, and our “nature poems” reflect that. “Many Black writers simply do not look at their environment from the same perspective as Anglo-American writers who discourse with the natural world…we see [nature] poems as written from the perspective of the workers of the field.” Obviously you also talk about accessibility, and other issues, but to me, your essay is an extension of that foundation of our unique perspective as Black Americans. Thank you.
I love the way you shaped your story. This is such a sensitive topic. You are right, it is difficult to escape the racial tension that is so embedded in American culture. Racism is so embedded, that it is not recognized as offensive when it is displayed. To truly be able to relax, you must find the place that we keep sacred for ourselves that also fits the cultural paradigm of our lives.
" My friend was my Yosemite, my Yellowstone, my Sequoia. I didn’t need wide open spaces to find peace." Such an honest, poignant, and beautiful essay!
Thank you, Minda (and Sari)! I am looking forward to reading the book.
<3
Thank you for writing so thoughtfully and honestly <3.
A very meaningful and well written essay. I am glad I discovered it.
Just ordered your book. Incredible honesty in your writing.