This project was conducted as part of the CIS 650 (Applying Diversity Leadership Theories and Praxis) class during summer 2023 that involved assessing the web information (and more) provided by the Kingsley Plantation property of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve located in Jacksonville, Florida with a focus on African American populations. On this page, I have collected resources and readings that relate to my project to fully understand the history of the National Park Service, programs created to reach the youth, and the impact diversity has.
Readings:
"People of Color and Their Constraints to National Parks Visitation" by David Scott and Kang Jae Jerry Lee discuss the constraints People of Color face when visiting National Parks. Despite the United States' diverse population growth, the majority of park visitors are White. The main constraints posed by Scott and Lee are limited socioeconomic resources, cultural factors and boundary maintenance, and discrimination and white racial frames. One of these factors particularly stands out. Cultural factors and boundary maintenance affects whether or not going to a National Park is considered a leisure activity. For example, within the Black community, there is a stigma that kayaking is something "only White people do".
"Thinking with Race-Conscious Perspectives: Critically Selecting Children’s Picture Books Depicting Slavery" by Angie Zapata, Christina King, LaGarrett King, and Monica Kleekamp add guiding principles in the selection process of children's slavery literature. The article sets up criteria when choosing children's books depicting slavery. This criteria is based on a race-conscious lens. The criteria includes: authenticity of the lives and livelihoods of Black persons, omission of historical facts, and fictive unity between Black enslaved persons and their White enslavers. This criteria can help give a well-rounded and culturally sensitive experience for young Black readers.
"No Ordinary American Girl: A Peek into the Creation of Civil Rights Girl, Melody Ellison" by Mark Speltz looks at the creation of American Girl doll, Melody Ellison. The American Girl dolls have an array of characters that face problems specific to their historical setting. The Melody Ellison American Girl doll was created with historical contexts in mind. The creation of her story considers the setting of the story to the experiences of those who lived in that era. This kind of process should be in place for all children's literacy books depicting diverse and historical stories.
Resources:
"National Park Service Continues to Grapple With Diversity in Workforce" by Lori Sonken highlights the minimal progress made in recruitment and retention efforts for POC within the National Park Service. Diversity is considered in the NPS objective, however it is not represented within their workforce. This article helps me understand how the lack of diversity in the workforce affects the programs created for youth outreach. The programs are open to all but some children may not feel represented in the content. The site features various photos of Black park rangers including the agency's first Black superintendent, a retired African American superintendent, and a former black park ranger.
"Free speech groups renew calls for DCPS to make ‘Essential Voices’ books available for students" address the protests in against the book bans sweeping across Florida. The 176 books from the Essential Voices Collection are apart of the books that were proposed for removal. The Essential Voices Collection is a curated list of books focused on diversity and inclusion. The website lists the 176 books that are on the proposed book ban list. Some of the books listed relate to Black topics. Some of the books include: Before She was Harriett, Sulwe, and Black Frontiers: A History of African American Heroes in the Old West.
"Racist roots, lack of diversity haunt National Parks" elaborates on why People of Color rarely visit National Parks. The article addresses the foundations of the National Park Service to the progression of diversifying the agency. Diversifying the agency includes adding new parks that celebrate diverse stories, hiring a diverse workforce, and creating diverse programming. The site features photos of Black, female, and Hispanic park rangers, as well as, a photo of the men responsible for the racist beginnings of National Parks.
Resources:
Hotakainen, R., & Jacobs, J. P. (2021). Racist roots, lack of diversity haunt national parks. E&E News by POLITICO. https://www.eenews.net/articles/racist-roots-lack-of-diversity-haunt-national-parks/
McLean, J. (2022). Free speech groups renew calls for DCPS to make “essential voices” books available for students. WJXT. https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2022/12/08/free-speech-groups-renew-calls-for-dcps-to-make-essential-voices-books-available-for-students/
Scott, D., & Lee, K. J. J. (2018). People of Color and Their Constraints to National Parks Visitation. The George Wright Forum, 35(1), 73–82. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26452993
Sonken, L. (2020). National Park Service continues to grapple with diversity in workforce. National Park Service Continues To Grapple With Diversity In Workforce. https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2020/07/national-park-service-continues-grapple-diversity-workforce
Speltz, M. (2021). No Ordinary American Girl: A Peek into the Creation of Civil Rights Girl, Melody Ellison. The Public Historian 43(1), 123-137. https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/809383.
Zapata, A., King, C., King, L., & Kleekamp, M. (2019). Thinking with race-conscious perspectives: Critically selecting children’s picture books depicting slavery. Multicultural Perspectives, 21(1), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/15210960.2019.1573063