You may find this episode uncomfortable. I am fine with that. John Griffith will call you out.
Our parks are not just for white guys in fleece jackets. You would have that impression though if you visited most of our national our state parks. Park Rangers are not a diverse group. Neither are park visitors, for the most part.
If the answer is to hire diverse employees for only office jobs and think that’s a good enough effort for your diversity goals, message of parks will eventually go extinct.
That is the message John Griffith preaches to stakeholders of national and state parks.
John is a supervisor with the California Conservation Corps, who has become best known for his hip hop dancing.
The attention John has received for his dancing has allowed him a new platform to spread his message of conservation and diversity.
What We Talk About
• The importance of exploring outdoors
• How urban youth respond to the outdoors
• Diversity in Parks
• Why outreach to minority groups does not work
• Finding ways to connect with diverse demographic groups
• Making recreation appealing vs. protecting the park
• How people build relationships with nature
• How dancing has allowed John to connect with Urban Youth
• The sacred role of a Park Ranger
Resources
• John Griffith’s Youtube Channel
• California Conservation Corps
• The Corps Network
• Outdoor Afro
• Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
• Totem Magic: Going Mad by John Griffith
• Music by Jason Harrod
Here is the video of John dancing that got all of the attention;
Once I saw this video I knew I had to talk to John;
John, one of my heros Keep up the good work and making learning fun for all.
Thank you for listening and commenting Jeanna. I am glad I had the opportunity to talk to John. He is an example of how one person can have a big impact.
These concepts that John has shared are vital to our nation’s future. The coming years are going to have challenges that would make John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, Teddy Roosevelt, Stephen Mather and Aldo Leopold bewildered and befuddled. They would all ask the same question, “how did you get into this mess and more importantly, why didn’t you do something about it, we did”.
Hi Steve,
You are right. Diversity is a vital issue for our parks. Individuals like John are doing what they can. And groups like Latino Outdoors, Outdoor Afro, and even Park Leaders are making steps to get this issue in front of people. It may be small victories right now, but it is the start of something bigger.
“As a leader, one must sometimes takes actions that are
unpopular or whose results will not be known for years to come. They are
victories whose glory lies only in the fact they are known only to those who
win them” – Nelson Mandela
Every Crew Supervisor, Project Coordinator and staff member of the CCC does their best every day.
Good point. CCC crews, park rangers, volunteers, all of them do their best every day. And it makes a difference.