People of color in the “land of delight”
From staff reports
One of Northern Michigan’s defining traits, aside from its physical beauty, is its cultural and racial homogeneity. During the summer season, tourists from many nations and racial backgrounds may flock to Leelanau (dubbed “land of delight” by the natives — the original non-whites in North America), but this area is nonetheless very white.
One African-American family nevertheless played a key role as settlers here in the late 1800s. Kathleen Stocking wrote about them in her August story for the Glen Arbor Sun, “O Pioneers, African-American settlers on Glen Lake”. In the interest of illuminating that history, Stocking will give a 30-minute lecture about the subject at the Empire Museum at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Please spread the word among friends, neighbors, and while waiting in the grocery line.
Meanwhile, the National Park Service (NPS) has made a concerted effort this year to attract more African-Americans and people of color to its parks, lest they be perceived as destinations that appeal mostly to Caucasians. The New York Times published a story on Sept. 6 about this effort.
The Sun recently asked Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Deputy Superintendent Tom Ulrich if our Lakeshore has taken part in the NPS effort to diversify the visitor base. Here’s what he had to say:
“The Lakeshore has not made attempts specifically to diversify its visitor base, although we have made some attempts to diversify our staff, with limited success. We continue to try to improve our online outreach, which should help in regard to diversifying visitor demographics. We don’t, however, track ethnic/racial background of visitors.”
“Front desk staff informs me, and I have noted it myself, that 2013 seemed to see an increase in Asian visitors. I am told these folks have been international visitors who cite Pure Michigan ads, especially on international airplane flights, as an impetus. … The NPS is attempting to remain relevant to a changing American demographic, and these efforts are occurring at a national scale. It does seem that the most famous, and nearer-urban parks, have a much more diverse visitor demographic than less well-known and more distant parks.”
