Detroiters discuss how to make parks more accessible to people of color
Detroit residents met with local activists and experts in New Center Park Saturday afternoon to discuss how systemic racism is affecting black people’s experiences in parks and how Michigan’s outdoor spaces can be made more accessible.
People of color’s attitudes toward nature are shaped by outdoor treatment, prior recreational experiences, or lack thereof, and history of segregation in parks of all sizes from local to national, said Pulitzer Prize-winning author Desiree Cooper.
“The national park system desegregated in 1945… but they still abided by local ordinances. So, of course, the black part of the national parks has always been inferior,” Cooper said. “For us, the forest isn’t romantic, it’s a dangerous place…because we were locked out of the park system, we don’t have those childhood memories of going to the parks for fishing or camping in the parks.”
Panelists represented several local organizations and made presentations on racial justice in outdoor spaces before engaging in an open discussion with the public.
The discussion was hosted by the Detroit Parks Coalition and New Detroit. The panel was part of the Detroit Parks Coalition’s Freedom Arts Festival, as well as a precursor to the Just Lead conference in New Detroit promoting racial justice.
Ian Solomon, the founder of Amplify Outside, an organization focused on representing Black Michiganians in Michigan’s outdoor spaces, recently surveyed Black Michiganians about their outdoor experiences. 85 percent of respondents said racism affects their willingness to go outside.
“We can’t solve racism, but what we can do is strengthen our community,” Solomon said. “The sense of self-esteem, personal and collective, that comes from having the confidence … to go out on these explorations and say, ‘I belong here,’ can’t be ignored.”
While only half of those surveyed feel very connected to nature, the majority are very interested in outdoor recreation and 65% said they felt very comfortable being outdoors.
“People really want to get out there, they just have trouble getting there,” Solomon said. “They don’t feel as comfortable as they need to, they don’t feel like they have the access and the experience. So again, this work is necessary.”
Only 11% of respondents had been to five or more of Michigan’s 103 state parks, Solomon said. Those numbers support the theme of extraction when it comes to the relationship between the black community and land and space, he added.
“We pay taxes, right, these state parks are supported with our taxes,” Solomon said. “So if we don’t experience them, it’s just depriving our communities of resources and subsidizing other communities’ leisure and recreation.”
Black respondents also indicated that they did not feel represented in Pure Michigan ads that market the state’s parks. Correcting this lack of representation is a good first step in making Michigan’s outdoor spaces equally accessible to the entire population, Solomon said. He personally tries to “demystify nature” by posting his experiences on social media.
“There was a history of being denied entry, there was a history of being denied space in this arena,” he said. “You have to do that extra work to make sure you’re speaking specifically to those communities.”
Detroit city parks
David Cowan, chief public spaces officer at the Downtown Detroit Partnership, said his organization is trying to connect with Detroit residents from the ground up and invite people who use Detroit’s parks to help with programming and planning experiences . The organization manages programs and events at Campus Martius, Cadillac Square, Grand Circus Park, Capital Park, Woodward Esplanade, and Beacon Park.
“When we think about how to make public space more equitable, we have to think about who uses that space,” Cowan said. “Everyone from those who have nowhere to live, to the mentally ill, young families, to those who might be Detroit residents who might not have been downtown in 10 to 15 years and are rediscovering it.”
Detroit resident Dwan Dandridge said he doesn’t see Detroit’s diversity reflected in his leadership and that this change is necessary to make everyone feel welcome in the public space.
“Detroit is, you know, almost 80% black … but I look at the leadership team at Downtown Detroit Partnership — it’s the opposite,” the 48-year-old said. “I’m just not sure if we’re going to get where we need to be if we don’t see more balance in those spaces.”
“One of the things that continues to be a concern or a concern is that we’re creating spaces that don’t really feel inviting. Think about how much intention it takes to make the space feel like it’s inclusive and welcoming to Detroiters.”
Cowan said there’s plenty to do in downtown areas where corporate activities aren’t very diverse, but the Downtown Detroit Partnership is trying to diversify its leadership and has created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
“The perception of ‘I’m going for a walk into town’ is really deep because we have to heal something about it,” he said.
Alex Allen, a representative for the Chandler Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization in east Detroit, said that equitable experiences in urban parks are fundamentally facilitated by cleanliness, safety, and a pleasant atmosphere.
“Parks should be places that have an atmosphere where people can have passive recreation – that is, get together with family, in some cases have some kind of organized recreation, where there are programs and events, concerts, films in the parks and things like this,” he said.
While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for programming and event planning in Detroit’s parks, residents like Ayo Thomas believe it should reflect the diversity of the populations that use the parks the most.
“Thinking about what’s on the table for the different groups that want to interact with our spaces and then bringing that into the discussion,” said the 33-year-old. “Often we say, ‘Oh, here’s a program, everyone’s welcome,’ not knowing that sometimes they don’t even want that experience…taking into account what normal behavior is and then planning for what I think opens up.” the notion of what is welcome and who is welcome in spaces.”
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