Black & Brown Faces in America's Wild Places

Encourage diversity in outdoor wilderness areas by reading interviews with 20 people of color who have active roles in nature.

During his travels around the country as a wildlife photographer, Dudley Edmondson made a concerning observation: he was the only person of color in many of the wilderness locations he visited. He began asking himself some important questions:

• “Why am I not seeing many people of color in the parks?”
• “Where are the voices of African Americans when it comes to decisions about wild spaces?”
• “Shouldn’t everyone care about the involvement of all Americans in these issues?”

The matter was far too important to let go. Instead, Dudley turned it into a project, seeking out people of color who thrive in the outdoors and asking them about their experiences, passions, and hopes for the future. He met with policymakers, park rangers, outdoor sports enthusiasts, and others with nature-centered careers. The compilation of his interviews became the groundbreaking book Black & Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places.

In these interviews, Dudley gets at the heart of what drew each individual to the outdoors, how they first became involved with nature, why they value those experiences, and why they believe people of color are underrepresented in this country’s natural landscape. He explores the connection between this topic and issues like social justice, racial prejudice, personal safety, economics, and cultural traditions.

“I am honored to let the insightful individuals that I interviewed during the course of writing this book explain how all of these subjects come together in this complex social problem,” says Dudley.

This 20th Anniversary Edition of Black & Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places features 20 personal stories from across the USA, told by African Americans with strong connections to the natural world. There is a bit of American history—and personal history—in every account. Each takes you on a fascinating journey through the life of a stranger. The portraits are insightful, revealing, and entertaining. They provide a foundation for discussion about the future of our wild places and hopefully encourage people of color to take up the torch of conservation and carry it forward on behalf of all future generations of Americans.