Black Celebration

[BGeff]

Clean!  Great job on your reporting and giving air time to the need for diversity in our sport and way of life.   I watched and listened with interest your post and interview on the FP called Black Celebration.  Good for you!  It is way way long overdue and nice to see that there is some minuscule semblance of activity out there for African Americans and other non white ethnic groups who would like to sail and/or learn how to sail, being a part of the sailing community.  The Outdoor Industry was just shown its economic numbers by the Gov't.  2% of America's GDP to be exact!  Here is the article.
 
https://www.outsideonline.com/2281581/government-puts-outdoor-industry-size-673-billion?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WYM-Saturday-02172018&utm_content=WYM-Saturday-02172018+CID_b5b99f45760c417ccd385a7cba18e60c&utm_source=campaignmonitor%20outsidemagazine&utm_term=officially%20a%20big%20deal
 
Given that, the only way I see for the Outdoor Industry, which in my mind Sailing is a big part of, to survive and not die on the vine within the next 20-25 years, is to begin to start accepting and including and making it more possible for a more diverse population that the US has become.  Within the next 20 years, if not sooner, most of us will be a minority racial group in this Country.  Those figures and more are in these two articles I have included below.  The first is an excellent op-ed, and the second is a look at several of those individuals who are beginning to break that glass ceiling, or just buck the trend altogether.  
 
Enjoy the read!  And again, very nicely done, Mr. Clean!
 
From Outdoor Magazine online:
 

Last week we published an op-ed that argued the outdoor industry is dragging its feet when it comes to inclusion. But not everyone feels that way, and here are six emerging industry leaders—of varying backgrounds—sharing their opinions on the matter.


 
 


 

 

[VWAP]

how cool is this

https://apnews.com/63d3cf5911e54994a5fa4ab0bb7b0f10/Bubba-Wallace-set-to-make-history-as-black-driver-in-Daytona

 

[RKoch]

how cool is this

https://apnews.com/63d3cf5911e54994a5fa4ab0bb7b0f10/Bubba-Wallace-set-to-make-history-as-black-driver-in-Daytona

Wallace has got a lot of talent and potential. Wendell Scott is the true pioneer. Had his own team that operated on a shoestring budget, substituting brains for dollars. Even won a race, and over 100 top-ten finishes in a 12 year career. Natural born driver.

 

[Commercial Boater]

Loved this quote from the OP's second article: “It’s important to acknowledge that people of color are already outside,” says Williams. “We’re simply absent from the stories that America tells herself about the outdoors. Let’s get rid of the damaging stereotypes.”

Sailing needs more people. Young people, people of color, queer people. Sailing is something awesome and more people should experience it. On top of that, the "getting young people into sailing" mission coincides with increasing diversity, as the youngest generation in America is also the most diverse.

 

[Moosebone13]

Jackson park yacht club is cool as hell 

one of the few yacht clubs that I have been to that is trying to be inclusive rather than exclusive 

get people ,all people, in the door and have some fun

great breakfast as well!!

 

[RKoch]

Darrell 'Bubba' Wallace ran in the top ten all race, finished second. Pretty damn good for a rookie driving for a single car team, even if it's Petty. Outstanding even. 

 

[axolotl]

My yacht club has had near 50% female commodores since its inception.  We're a very incluse club; candidates are accepted regardless of diversity, but not many (1 or 2) black members over the years, fine people, but didn't want to pursue the commodoreship.  That's OK too.

 

[Varan]

And here in the States, tomorrow is a national day of morning. Enjoy your day off and please try to live your lives and conduct yourselves as anything other than mindless "shitholes". Peace!

 

[Svanen]

Bizarre that while on this thread we have people promoting inclusion in sailing - which any sane sailor, to say nothing of any decent human being, should agree is a good thing - simultaneously we have Mr. Angry Man spewing hatred of blacks, homosexuals, Europeans, Canadians, and probably a few other groups I've forgotten (his bigotry is so wide-ranging that it's difficult to keep up). 

 

[TwoLegged]

Bizarre that while on this thread we have people promoting inclusion in sailing - which any sane sailor, to say nothing of any decent human being, should agree is a good thing - simultaneously we have Mr. Angry Man spewing hatred of blacks, homosexuals, Europeans, Canadians, and probably a few other groups I've forgotten (his bigotry is so wide-ranging that it's difficult to keep up). 

Mr Angry Man hatred has a bit of an equal opportunities feel to it: he seems to hate everyone. Including most of SA.

In my experience that's usually a sign of someone who hates themself.  Which just makes him even more inclusive

 

[donuttakedonuts]

I don't know if this is inappropriate to post here but I saw the interview with Karen Harris and thought it was pretty great! My college (University of Chicago) sailing team is working with Jackson Park Yacht Club to purchase a fleet of 420s jointly. While we used to sail out of Columbia Yacht Club, the financial challenges that posed became unrealistic for the team. In order to make the team sustainable in the long run, we've decided to move our team closer to campus at Jackson Park. We recruit and develop sailors, as well as train people who have never been in boats before - this summer, one of my freshman teammates who hadn't sailed before joining the team sailed a return delivery for the Mac race. If anyone would be willing to help support our club in our mission to create lifelong sailors and a competitive Midwestern collegiate sailing team, we've put together a crowdfunding page here: http://c-fund.us/e8m. Thanks!

 

[RKoch]

The University of South Florida also has a sailing team that includes a lot of sailing newbies along with a handful of experienced racers. IDK if any AAs have participated, but there have been Latinos and Asians actively participating. AAs are certainly welcome! The head coach is Olympic Gold Medalist Allison Jolly, she does a fantastic job teaching and coaching the sailors into a competitive team. I think she's the longest tenured coach in the entire athletic dept. 

 

[Svanen]

Many people talk about increasing diversity in sailing; but this is the story of Jon Holt, a man who walked the walk and actually did something about it. Well done to him and his crew!

 

[slap]

Bizarre that while on this thread we have people promoting inclusion in sailing - which any sane sailor, to say nothing of any decent human being, should agree is a good thing - simultaneously we have Mr. Angry Man spewing hatred of blacks, homosexuals, Europeans, Canadians, and probably a few other groups I've forgotten (his bigotry is so wide-ranging that it's difficult to keep up). 

And he was promptly smacked down for his bullshit.

 

[Svanen]

Rightly so, too.

 

[BGeff]

7 hours ago, Svanen said:

Many people talk about increasing diversity in sailing; but this is the story of Jon Holt, a man who walked the walk and actually did something about it. Well done to him and his crew!

Good shows and spotlight on what this is all about.  I can show these to my students and they can see there are students who look like them being active participants in the outdoors and sailing.  Thanks for the post!

 

[12sail34]

Universal Sailing Club supports African-American maritime heritage


Since 2001, Marcus Asante has led one of the Bay’s first African-American sailing clubs

https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/universal_sailing_club_supports_african_american_maritime_heritage

 

[AJ Oliver]

Bill Pinkney led the way too . .  

 

[Svanen]

Good shows and spotlight on what this is all about. I can show these to my students and they can see there are students who look like them being active participants in the outdoors and sailing. Thanks for the post!

You're most welcome!

What I liked most about this program was that it required the kids to earn their place on the team, through fundraising, fixing up old boats, and training. Sure, they required some adult support and guidance; but they can rightly feel proud of their accomplishment, without feeling that it was just handed to them.