Camping in Color
Thanks for sticking with us. Welcome to the fourth installment of our five-part series. We are headed East, with recommendations to consider when embracing DEI at camp in the meaningful way your campers RIGHT-ly deserve. In this post we provide tangible, turn-key steps you can take to enhance the sense of belonging for campers of color at your camp.
“My greatest fear as a young girl was that I wasn’t meant to exist...silences embedded in a family, and in society couldn’t be replaced even by sounds so reliable: of water spilling down rock, of a thunderstorm rolling into far distance, or of branched sifting wind” - Lauret Savoy
Anyone who has ever experienced camp, would describe it as a break from reality. For this short blip of time, camp professionals strive to create a safe space where children can craft their own identity, try new things and explore the great outdoors. Camp is a place where children aren’t sandwiched between their school, community and at-home personas. It is somewhere to learn, laugh, and to feel free from at-home stressors. We in the camp world work tirelessly and for countless hours over the winter, trying our best to predict every potential camp scenario, just to conquer new challenges daily, all summer long. It’s almost impossible to describe the simultaneous stress and success that comes with each euphoric summer season to those who have never experienced it. As both a camper and a counselor, I distinctly remember moments where my experience felt euphoric, but I also remember the instances when I didn’t feel safe and camp didn’t feel inclusive. Some of those moments were related to the awkward adolescence which everyone experiences. Many of those moments were because I am Black.
Historically, camp institutions were designed as a way to limit the feminine influence stay at home mothers had on their white sons in the inner-cities. In the early 20th-century, camps were arguably meant to protect their masculinity and to uphold the status quo just as much as they were meant to preserve childhood for white males (Browne et al., 2019). Over the years, as more institutions were designed to cater to underserved youth, the population of campers changed and the demographics began to include other genders and BIPOC (Black/Brown Indigenous People of Color).
Regardless of the camper demographics, the main objective of camp, which is to uphold the status quo, did not change. By upholding the status quo of white-male privilege, campers are learning how to “adapt to life in society and form ideas about culture and values” that reflect dominant social constructs (Demakova, et al., 2016). For Black and brown campers, that means being made aware of one’s otherness and lack of privilege based on their race. Through her research on race at camp, sociologist Valarie Ann Moore concluded that campers use essentialist approaches to race to establish friendships and inform peer status (2002). As children play, social constructs like race emerge naturally, but the harm in letting children socialize in this manner is that it furthers assumptions based on stereotypes that can lead to microaggressions and other acts of subtle discrimination, but it undoubtably leads to racial isolation for Black and brown campers and “nonperson treatment” where members of the dominant race treat other races as if they “were not there at all” (Moore, 2002).
Today, camps are still socializing children by “using the outdoors as a context to strengthen and uplift, promoting character through exercise, chores, and discipline, and the use of camp craft, folk art, ritual, and imagery to idealize the United States’ colonial past” (Browne et al., 2019). But in a moment where the United States is beginning to acknowledge atrocities of the past in hopes of creating a better future for all, camps can seize this opportunity to teach youth to think critically about the world around them and to enhance their social emotional skills. Camps can become leaders in transforming the way campers view social constructs, by increasing representation and preparedness in staff, acknowledging the Afrocentric and indigenous roots of camp activities without appropriating them, and actively build up the self-confidence and positive self image for Black and brown campers.
Conversations about race, identity and position in the social hierarchy amongst campers mimic the same ideals of the society at large. These conversations are happening in dining halls, in rec rooms and in bunks whether the adults like it, or not. Here are some ways we recommend camps navigate conversations around race and hopefully prevent microaggressions:
Invite Inclusion and Curiosity. Children notice physical and behavioral differences. By not discussing race at camp it doesn't simply go away. Instead, this conditioning teaches campers to become “color-silent” (Tatum, 2017) and enforces the notion that campers cannot discuss their observations and experiences out loud because it is not appropriate. Instead, encourage campers to talk about their observations, experiences and emotions freely. This provides camp staff the opportunity to listen out for and potentially address any microaggressions and to teach campers how to navigate conversations about race respectfully and responsibly.
Prepare a Plan. All staff should be trained on how to recognize microaggressive and racist comments, and be ready to intervene. This training should empower staff to guide campers to conflict resolution or heightened cultural sensitivity. To address more serious or repeated incidents of racism and microaggressions, develop a safety plan. Similar to an anti-bullying plan, this plan should have a chain of command and disciplinary procedure designed to document these incidents and keep campers safe. If you are interested in learning some tangible and turn-key ways go about creating a plan to lead with racial equity, attend S’More Melanin’s session at the Northeast CAMP Conference entitled, Half a Loaf is Better than No Bread- Baking DEI into your Camp’s Program.
Engage Parents. A summer camp program is at its longest, three months. The other nine months of the year, campers are home with their families, existing outside of the camp bubble. In order to gain real traction on this work with our campers, it is critical to bring the families into the conversation. When talking about your camp to prospective families and already enrolled ones, your camp’s approach to leading with racial equity should be a talking point the same as an overview of your facilities and what is served in the dining hall. Liken it to this analogy: a child who attends a baseball camp is going to see vast improvement each summer if he goes to the batting cages during the year. Be open with your families that they may hear their child mentioning new topics and new ideas - and that is okay! Support your families. Give them resources for how to encourage conversations about equity and diversity within their homes. And, don’t stop there. Check in with your families during the year! Conduct brief surveys to see if campers are bringing up new topics at home and to gain a better understanding of what additional resources or support are needed!
Our next and final blog post in this series will focus on one of S’more Melanin’s core values - community - and how you can get connected with more BIPOC businesses and professionals that can help you do this work at your camp. Specifically we will provide access to guidance and resources to help push your camp in building a program that leads with racial equity. We hope it will be the gift that keeps on giving, so stick with us! Until then, come get s’more content - follow us on Instagram @smoremelanin.
Briana Michele Mitchell
Briana Mitchell has been a camp attendee since the age of six and a previous camp counselor and Teach for America Corps Member. She is the Director of AF Camp, a Change Summer camp where she works to create high-quality, summer opportunities for students that will increase their overall confidence, responsibility, curiosity, and independence.
Makela Elvy, M.Ed
Makela Elvy, M.Ed, is an environmental educator and camp enthusiast. Over the course of her career, Elvy has held camp positions ranging from head counselor to program manager. Her experience includes nature interpretation, curriculum development, and the creation of a 10-week venture program rooted in experiential learning.
Sources:
Browne, L. P., Gillard, A., & Garst, B. A. (2019). Camp as an Institution of Socialization: Past, Present, and Future. Journal of Experiential Education, 42(1), 51–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053825918820369
Demakova, I., Valeeva, R., & Shipova, A. (2016). Socialization of Adolescents: Cultural Practices in Children's Summer Camp. International Journal of Environmental & Science Education, 11(7), 1631-1640. doi:https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1114448.pdf
Moore, V. A. (2002). The Collaborative Emergence of Race in Children's Play: A Case Study of Two Summer Camps. Social Problems, 49(1), 58-78. doi:10.1525/sp.2002.49.1.58
Tatum, B. D. (2017). Is My Skin Brown Because I Drank Chocolate Milk? | TEDxStanford [Video file]. Retrieved 2020Is My Skin Brown Because I Drank Chocolate Milk?, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_TFaS3KW6s