By Nanci Dixon
I have had several weeks to think about and process the strong reactions many readers had to my article “Where are all the Black RVers?” A rather innocuous article, I thought. I felt I was basically saying that Black campers don’t feel safe or welcomed into what have been traditionally white spaces – that there is a history of exclusion within the National and State Parks.
I have reread the article, and then read it again and again, and still can’t figure out what was so offensive. It was just the facts of our lives and the history of exclusion in the park system, particularly in states where Jim Crow ruled. There was so much more that could have been said, from a personal and historical perspective. Perhaps that will come at a later time, when we are far away from elections, vote count, COVID, the economy, job losses, and overall world stress. Maybe then I will feel comfortable writing that article.
I was astounded by the amount of comments that followed! There were so many hateful responses that the RVtravel.com staff had to shut down the comment section. I read many of those comments before they shut it down and I was amazed (and not in a good way) and so very disheartened and sad at the amount of vicious, malicious remarks. It was not just some article – it was personal. It was about my family, my Black husband, my brown children, grandchildren and other Black RVers.
We are usually the only Black and mixed family in a campground and that has not stopped us from camping, nor will it. We have met wonderful people and have made some very good long-term friends. The lack of other families like ours, though, still begs the question: “Why aren’t there more Blacks camping?”
After all the hubbub, I thought perhaps Chuck Woodbury would ask me, kindly, to refrain from further controversial articles at best or ask me, again kindly, to not write for RV Travel anymore. I was amazed (this time in a good way) by the support from Chuck, the RV Travel staff and the hundreds of readers that wrote their good wishes and support for the article. They supported me and my family, and they supported RV Travel for the decisions made to shut down the hateful commentary.
For that support, I will be forever grateful, especially to those who said they did not agree with everything in the article but respected my opinion and the integrity of RV Travel.
As difficult and jaw-dropping as the hateful comments have been, it gave me a deeper insight into how divided and troubled the soul of this nation still is. That being said, the positive comments and letters of kindness I received outshine the hate. And for that, I am truly grateful.
So as I sit here, watching yet another glorious Arizona sunrise, I know that there is goodness in people. There is healing. I woke up this morning, still alive in a global pandemic. I am sitting in my RV overlooking the mountains and desert, living my best life ever. I am filled with gratitude, because of the comments left by some of my fellow RVers and in spite of others. Thank you, RV Travel – and thank you, readers.
NOTE FROM EDITOR: If you comment, please do so with respect. Thank you.
##RVT973
I look forward to hearing more. You are always welcome in our campsite and once COVID is history, in our RV. So sorry for the hate you’ve had to endure but know the vast majority of people are good and embrace diversity at home and on the road. I am partly angry at hateful people, but mostly pity them. Carry on!
What was so dismaying to me was the number of white supremacists who climbed out from under their rocks to posture, threaten, injure and kill their fellow citizens. People who come to the woods to enjoy nature are always welcome. Perhaps a true story might show u how I think. I was an Assistant Scoutmaster in my son’s BSA troop and stayed active for the other young men. Once, at the District Adult Leadership monthly meeting, the topic was reaching out to the underserved, of color, economic disadvantaged, and the differently abled. I got all fired up next day recounting the presentation to my best Mom friend in the troop, and saying we should definitely be bringing in more diverse scouts + volunteers, since we didn’t have any. She looked at me like I was nuts- “Have you forgotten our Scoutmaster is black, and so are his two sons in the troop? And that my son is mentally challenged and Eric is in a wheelchair, and we’re in the poorarea” I said “They don’t count- they’re just people”. Then we both laughed, because I never thought of Tony and his sons being black, They were just people.
Perhaps the white supremacists can crawl back under their rocks now.
Nanci , When this mess of Covid is over I wish I can meet you and your family. Yes there is a lot of hate still and I think a time will come when the world will know we are one people. Keep true to your self.
I appreciate your insights and experience very much. I take for granted that folks treat other folks with kindness and consideration because that’s how I was raised and how I run my business, I didn’t see controversy in the other or this article either. Please keep up the good work writing and you and your family is always welcome at our campfire.
When I was a child, I went on a YMCA trip through the south. Being from New England, I hadn’t encountered any restrictions. Being on a YMCA camping trip, we used laundromats to wash our clothes.
I remember going to a laundromat somewhere in Louisiana. There was a sign on the wall that read, “Whites Only”. Being a naive 12-year old, all I knew about laundry was to separate colors and whites. I then asked the trip leader where to go to wash the colors. I don’t recall the answer he gave me. It wasn’t until years later that I realized that the sign wasn’t talking about the washing machines.
In my lifetime, I have seen the news in Little Rock about integrating schools. I have seen George Wallace on TV saying all kinds of hateful things. I saw the race riots major cities on the evening news and many other things. Being Jewish, I experienced prejudice first-hand in both subtle and not so subtle ways.
I have also seen the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act…
and others. I thought that when we elected a black President, we had moved down the road past the prejudice and racism of the past. After all, I hadn’t received any overt prejudice against me in years.
I guess I was wrong. It was all still there, just bubbling under the surface (sometimes it wasn’t under the surface). In the past few years, it seems it has become OK to shout hateful things from the rooftops. I guess hate and fear of ‘others’ is more powerful than love of ‘ourselves’.
Everyone, including me, has prejudices in one form or another. It’s up to us, as rational adults, to not give voice to them. That makes us better.
Watching the evening news these days makes me very sad. As a country, we haven’t really progressed very far, have we?
The last paragraph says it Michael, the evening news. Who would of thought we would see the news take sides, categorize stories based on sex, political affiliation or race. And opinions. We have gotten away from facts, or wait until the facts come out. God, I miss Walter Cronkite and Hugh Downs
The last 4 years have revealed that not everyone was too happy with a black president.
Nanci, thank you for the courage to share your very personal stories. It is so important that stories like yours are shared. Listening and learning is only the first step in a very long road to healing racism. Wishing you nothing but strength and happiness.
When I was a child, I also grew up in New England and lived in a place where I had very little interaction with black people. However, we were not allowed to watch the cartoon Deputy Dog because that darn deputy would say “get your cotton picking hands off of that”, or something to that effect. My Mom wouldn’t let us watch that cartoon because it was prejudiced. Having that upbringing, I have a very difficult time understanding the prejudice and bigotry (of all kinds, I must say!) of today. I would have thought we would all know better and I am glad I don’t think like that. Thanks, Mom!!
Wow! I just learned something today. I never gave it a thought when I’ve used that very same response as Deputy Dog. It was just some I grew up hearing as a child. Thank you for eye-opening lesson!
Hi Nanci. Your original article was well written and explained the intent of the story nicely. For myself and my family, skin color, creed or other differences between folks has always been a non-starter and personally I think it’s ludicrous. Discussion topics concerning any specific group of society will always solicit responses from the fringes. I believe that a story based on an overall demographic study of RV’ers, with less immediate polarizing headlines, of, if you will pardon the expression,black and white, will serve to be more inclusive and help to show folks for who they truly are and share their love for RV’ing, regardless of skin color, creed or other differences. I hope this makes sense and I hope I have not offended anyone with this post. Keep up the good work.
Keep writing Nanci. There’s an entire nation (and beyond) who need to hear what you have to say.
I, too, saw nothing in the article that offended, or even anything with which to disagree. I was saddened initially and then angry after reflecting on your mistreatment in so many campgrounds — one is too many. I have an especially close friend that I made in high school. She is black and we have talked of her accompanying my wife and me on a camping trip in the future (post-virus). Thank you so much for writing and thereby forewarning us of what could lay ahead. Thank you, too, for all the articles that you write so often for “RV Travel!” They are always enjoyable reads and usually very informative for me. I hope to meet you and your wonderful family one day. Hopefully by then earlier mistreatments will only be distant memories. Happy trails and safe travels!
Dear Nanci,don’t be discouraged by the idiots of the world. I hope someday my family and yours meet in a campground. You see in my family there are three shades of kids. How did this come about. I have been doing foster care for fifteen years. I had children with needs and I stepped up to that task. You see, I don’t see color. Only human beings looking for love and stability. I have had many hateful remarks from all races on my family. And being quick wit I always have a comeback to shut em down. My famous saying is,”we are one race, the human race”. If people would only get that part. Thank you for being strong. I know your family does. Till we cross paths, God bless you and your family. Should we ever meet I will tell you some of my comebacks that will have you rolling in laughter. 🙂
Nanci, I grew up in the heart of the deep south in the 50s and 60s, where Whites were prejudiced against Blacks as a matter of course. My family, indeed all of my relatives fell into that category. Segregation was the norm. It wasn’t until I went into the Army that I discovered that it was all a lie – skin color doesn’t matter. Brains and heart and human decency are all that count. People, regardless of color, fall into two categories in my opinion – A-holes and non. I try to avoid the former at all costs.
It is a sad commentary on our nation that in this day and age, with all that we should have learned in the last decades that we’re still even having these discussions. I’m sorry that you’ve had those experiences and will tell you that my family would welcome the opportunity to hang out with yours. Happy travels.
I also fall into the category of Mr. Allen being from deep East Texas. I listened to all the talk and hate when I was young and thought that is just the way it is. I joined the Navy during Vietnam and I saw what the real world was about. I found that there is more to life than sitting around talking about hating someone you don’t even know.
Thanks for the article you wrote and maybe some of the naysayers will think a little more before they speak or write something negative. Hope to see your family out RVing.
You don’t solve problems by denying them. Please keep telling your story.
I am SO sorry for the ugly responses, Nanci. The article was a fine description of a sad situation, and should have aroused only sympathy and empathy. But it’s now clear that this country is bigoted beyond anything that “our” half could have imagined. Please don’t let the “other half” get you down. There are enough who are with you and will work with you to one day get us beyond this mess.
PS: For anyone who wants to better understand what’s driving this unfortunate situation, I can highly recommend the book “Caste” by Isabel Wilkerson. Understanding isn’t a solution, but it may help us figure one out…
I have oftened wondered about why there aren’t more black or Hispanic RVers. I appreciated your article and am ashamed of the comments people made. We have a gorgeous, fantastic black daughter-in-law who is a joy to our family. I can’t imagine our world without her in it. She and our son are both working and raising children, but they would love to RV as we have done. I pray the world becomes a safer and more welcoming place for them.
Nanci, I truly enjoyed reading your article “Where are all the Black RVers”. It was thoughtfully written and enlightening. We obviously have a long way to go in this country with respect to inclusivity and equality. I’m glad to read that the hateful comments haven’t deterred you and your beautiful family from doing what you love to do.
Keep it up, Nanci. The stories from your family and others of color need to be shared. If we ever see you in a campground, we’ll invite you ’round our campfire.
I want to thank you both for your original article, and for this one. I am a white 65 yr. old man. My wife is Hispanic. I was raised “color blind”. I was taught from an early age that people that looked “different” than me were just a different color, and otherwise were no different “on the inside”. A good person is a good person, and a bad person is a bad person irrespective of religion, color, or any of the other labels put on them.
I have always balked at the idea that racism is still a big problem in this country. I just didn’t see it. I live on the east coast and have never witnessed any overt racism. Of course I admittedly never looked for it either.
Your article, but even more so the venomous reactions to it truly opened my eyes. For the first time in my life I was compelled to think about how you must feel, and how I would feel if the situation were reversed. I have more to say but space here is limited. Thank you so much for helping me see.
Other articles could be written similar to the missing black RVers eg. where are all the black golfers or baseball players or hockey players or fans in the stands or …
The response would probably be the same; or would it?
Maybe RVers are a special breed.
This comment is really thought-provoking — especially asking about other sports and the apparent lack of black participation. I was STUNNED and sickened to hear that hate mail was received from some RV’ers about the original article. These beautiful loving comments have warmed me greatly. In my whole life I’ve never been prejudiced and have never understood the hate but felt powerless to change the way others felt. I’ve seen and talked to some black RV campers and wished I could talk to more. I really love the comments contained here — but I repeat myself.
Let the haters hate~ I would love to be camped by your family. My kids are grown and for my Hubby and me we so enjoy watching young families having fun. Keep on making memories and I pray for safe travels and HAPPY Campers all around.
Keep on writing, America needs more stories like yours to better understand.
I thought the original article was thoughtful and thought-provoking, and I am happy to see this one: you took the reaction to the original better than I likely would have.
You write well from a unique perspective and I’m delighted to see you on these “pages” . . . or in the adjoining campsite.
I can’t say I enjoyed your article, because made me sad. Thank you for writing it.
I want to also thank you for writing such a personal, heartfelt article. Love will prevail and I hope to see you sometime in a campground somewhere in the USA! Stop the Hate!!
I didn’t read any of the comments about the first article but was shocked to read you had received hateful comments. Dumbfounded actually. You were simply sharing your experience. You weren’t hateful or bitter. I was glad you wrote it because it gave me insight into your experiences. Thank you.
I cannot express how sorry I am that so many people expressed their vile remarks to the article on “Where are all the Black RVrs”. We should not be a country divided by anything, especially color of skin. We are all Americans created by a loving God, who knows no difference. If we all would practice love for each other this would be an amazing country. Thank you so much for your article and I look forward to meeting many RVrs of color in our travels and welcome them to this lifestyle.
For many years my wife and I had talked about not seeing many black RVers. Your article clearly described why. We REALLY appreciated the insights. Thanks!!!
I found your article very Insightful, probably as you point out, it comes from first hand experience. My partner and I have wondered the same thing and in fact, you may be able to replace “blacks not feeling safe” with LBGTQ campers also not feeling safe. We have met very nice and respectful people as we RV,we wouldn’t trade it for anything, but those comments that come from a place of ignorance, we’ll, I’m sorry for those individuals that cannot Put themselves in other peoples shoes
Your article took me back to my childhood. Milwaukee in the 1950s was segregated but we lived close enough that my grade school was integrated. When we traveled by train to visit relatives in southwest Oklahoma we went through Chicago and St. Louis. My Dad warned me not to speak to or sit next to any person of color but wouldn’t tell me why. In the late 50s and into the 60s I began to see how much discrimination there was (and still is) in this country. My first job was at a predominently black movie theatre. I was told to be polite to all who entered and I did. To this day the color of a person’s skin, their nationality, etc. means nothing to me except curiousity. How do they do this or that? How do they handle things? It makes me curious. We are all humans. There are always different viewpoints [think of Republicans and Democrats today]. I wish we would be more tolerant of those differences and learn to get along. At 75 I doubt if I will ever see that happen. I remain hopeful.
As of today there is hope.
I’m embarrassed by all the hate comments you received. It’s a minority of people but they are pitiful.
It’s not what you wrote so much, as the times in which you wrote it. We live in the time when white people are continuously kicked. Nick Cannon calls all white people, savages. Holidays for white explorers and white presidents are being replaced with generic holidays, or being eliminated all together. Statues of white people are being pulled down….Yes, including Abe Lincoln. The name of Washington is now under fire shortly after the removal of the NFL Redskin brand. Reparations are being discussed to pay people who were never slaves by people who never held slaves.
The black NFL players are somehow angry that they don’t hold many more coaching positions,
as they hold 80% of the player positions….and make huge dollars doing so.
Now we are told to believe meanie white people are lynching black folks in the forests.
Can you see why you received backlash?
George, of course, is the problem because like most of his type he has absolutely no understanding or concern about anyone or anything other that his own very small word.
“His type.”
Hey Chuck. Is this what you mean by being respectful to others? Nanci doesn’t understand why her article was taken so badly by some and George gave his answer to that question in a respectful way. No one has to agree with George but that’s his opinion stated respectfully. I have been RVing for decades primarily in the southeast. We spend about half our time traveling in the motorhome. I am in an interracial marriage and have never been treated or witnessed behavior described by Nanci. I am not saying that it’s not true, but I don’t believe it is a wide spread problem as her article indicates. I have always viewed myself as an intelligent and open minded person, but you seem to have a double standard going on here. If you are going to allow people like George to be disrespected for simply trying to answer Nanci’s query, please unsubscribe me.
I can agree that some reactions appear to be unreasonable.I doubt that every statue being removed is because the person depicted is white. Can you understand that a statue of some person that represents the concept of white supremacy would be very offensive to many? Considering the time and politics of the local when these symbols were erected makes me agree that it may not be reasonable to celebrate that individual’s actions. I find it difficult to believe the intent of many such statues was not to intimidate one segment of the population. IMO statues and other monuments are normally erected to celebrate positive actions and behavior. While I can agree that I am ignorant of the reasons some would want to pull down a statue of Lincoln, I can certainly understand the problems many would have with a monument to a person who wanted to destroy the United States. To those claiming the statues just depict history, I would ask if they would support a monument to Hitler or Benedict Arnold?
I am saddened by the need for there to be a BLM movement in the US. While I grew up in central Massachusetts, I had no first hand experience with racism but have learned over the years that my home town basically practiced “Red-Lining”. I don’t recall ever interacting with “people of color” or any non-WASP until I started traveling in my teens. My first experience was in New Orleans when I ran into “colored” drinking fountains and segregated seating on the ferry across the Mississippi. I basically grew up with “white mans privilege” but was ignorant of that fact till the Civil Rights Movement hit while I was in college. I will admit to noticing a lack of a reasonable representation of Black RVers in my RV seminars other than a few in my Genealogy seminars. I can only hope that after covid is brought under control and RV conventions start-up again that most of us can work to heal and expunge the 400 year old curse of the virus that is racism.
I was amazed at the “innocent ” comments people made with absolutely no awareness of their words. We just finished a two week period parked across the street from a biracial family. They were full timing it with 3 boys . Dad is a programmer, mom is home schooling the kids while showing the boys America. I hope the rest of their travels are safe and fun. The boys are getting a much better education than a lot of others during this Covid.
Still amazed this is going on in our country. Growing up in the south in the 60’s and 70’s was a terrible time for our country and just truly unthinkable to see this happening again. I left the south 30 years ago, moved west and have never looked back, it felt like a different country at times. My wife grew up in CO and cannot imagine the things I have told her about going on during those troubling times. She taught history but never experienced the hate and bigotry that I experienced.
Hopefully we will get this country on a better path to recognizing human rights
As of today it looks like we may have a better chance at that.
Throughout my life, I have played music in bands with all races. Black, White, Hispanic, Asian and Native people. We had a “common thread”…music. And we all tried to be the best we could be. Together. Why can’t we find that “common thread” as campers enjoying the beauty of nature?
Why you asked, when did Racism ever need to make sense ? There’s good and bad in all facets of Life and I think the worst of it came out then.
Prejudice of all types is taught, often by parents, siblings, and teachers. The answer is to unteach prejudice. Simple, but very difficult.
I enjoyed both of your articles, but saddened with the reality. It angers me that fellow RV’rs would be so hateful. I was raised “color blind”.
I saw prejudice in AR when we moved there in 1962. I saw prejudice in the Navy, both ways, but saw that number dwindle over the years.
As the media splashes violence, at the same time my wife and I see little of it in our daily encounters with people of all shades, in stores, in public places. I’ve had people of all shades be nice to me as I greet them.
Prejudice can be untaught, one person at a time. We can’t cure the world, but we can most certainly fix it in our own lives. I look forward to your future articles, and yes, reports on your interaction with people. Please know you are loved.
Well said Shep. I totally agree.
I suppose, just from my point of view, that I read RVTravel only for RV and travel articles, and not for societal issues. Afterall, societal issues inundate all other media sources. RVTravel is in some ways comparable to RV discussion forums where the rule is to stay on point and not discuss politics, religion or bring societal aspects into the discussion. Otherwise, the forum can go off the rails pretty quick. I think that is what happened here. In the forums the moderators have the task of keeping the participants and comments focused on the stated purpose of the forum. An editor has the same responsibility. I think RVTravel editorial policy fumbled the ball in that respect and as a result has now divided and lost some of its readership. Some will say good riddance but I think that’s a sad development.
I grew up in the south in the 60’s. We were the only white family in the neighborhood. All my friends were black. We played together every day with no problems, but when we wanted to have sleep-overs, my parents said no. I couldn’t understand this as a young child. One day I saw a “whites only” sign on a laundry facility. I asked my mother if the sign meant you could only wash white clothes there. She told me it meant only white people could enter. At my young age, I saw racism for the first time in my own mother. It was an experience I’ll never forget but it also taught me not to see color in any human being.
Nanci, I must tell you that I appreciated your article very much. I have wondered the same thing myself on numerous occasions. Then to find out that people wrote nasty, viscous comments was so very disheartening. I felt badly for you having to read them.
I thought your articles were well written, both the first one and this one, and very informative. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I must not be very socially aware, as your article didn’t leap out at me as being outside the norms. It seemed like a valid observation, nothing more, and I really don’t get what the hubbub is about. So, you’re a mixed race couple- whatever. I wish you joy and peace in your family and travels.
I was sad to read there is so much prejudice still in our country. I grew up removed from racism. When I got married and moved back east I found my in-laws were but did not understand the hatred for another person for no reason other than the color of their skin. Our first apartment was in a city that was predominantly Puerto Rican which my in-laws thought horrible. I did not see their problem. My senior year I took our foreign exchange student from Yap roller skating in Portland. Everyone was staring at us but did not understand why. I had to later ask my mom why. The reason shocked me. Welcome to the real world out there.
I have never lived in the south or in areas where it exist but have heard of it, seen it on TV. The prejudicial thinking seems more grounded in generational thinking that carries on with current generations than the truth. Wouldn’t it be great if somehow we could easily wipe out all those generational hatreds instantly in all of us?
I thoroughly enjoyed your article because its spoke a truth about RVing. We are African American (AA) full-time RVers and most time we are only only ones at any given park. We started RVing around Houston, Texas.
We are both retired military and we travel solo to the places we choose. We noticed in the East and upper Midwest there is a scarcity of AA Rvers. One guy in Colorado asked us the same question. He thought that maybe whites made AA uncomfortable in the parks. Yes they do,we have felt it.
There were many AA RVers, most were members of the NAARVA club. The numbers have dwindled due to health reasons. This club is made up of AA RVers who traveled together (probably for protection) for club rallies throughout the US.
Maybe we can have some sort of re-occuring articles from members of NAARVA??
If they would be interested in writing them and Chuck would interested in posting them. I for one would enjoy reading them.
I thought the article was informative and always appreciate someone’s perspective. My spouse and I are a biracial couple…been married for 38 years…with children and grand children. We have been on camping trips throughout the USA just about every year and traveled around the world to many different countries. Not once in all that time have we ever encountered racism towards us or been met with a racist act. Perhaps it did occur and we didn’t recognize it, or it just hasn’t happened, period. We are not so naive to think that racism doesn’t exist in the USA and throughout the word. It’s ugly and abhorrent. It is simply that we have not experienced it directly…yet. Maybe our time will come.
Like the previous comment by Steve E., I grew up and graduated from high school in the segregated South. I also left the South as soon as I was old enough for college, married a Colorado native, and raised a family in a Denver suburb. Thankfully, our sons grew up without seeing the kind of racial prejudice that I was exposed to as a child. Now, one son has a Latina wife and the other a Korean-American wife. They and their children, however, are just beloved “family.”
Thank you for the original article, and thank for a thoughtful follow-up. I’m an old white woman, planning to move into a converted van and live on the road sometime in 2021. In all the research I’ve done over the last year or more, I’ve come across very few interviews or tours of vans owned by Black individuals and I’ve often had the same question. And I think I leaned toward the same answer you did – people feeling unsafe in the USA. It makes me sad. I hope in the years to come that we will learn to live together, and I believe explanations like yours will help us along with that. Thanks again.
Nanci, keep on writing. My wife is from Thailand and my children born around the world. Yes i have overheard some comments I didn’t particularly like, I am a fairly good size hillbilly even though well educated. I am retired military and love camping. I don’t have a problem with anyone unless they make a problem. I will say that I judge people by how they act. Having spent 21 years in the military and lived overseas for 8 years, I have had the opportunity to work with and live with some wonderful people. I find it sad that we have to deal with those who try to cause trouble. I try to ignore their snide rude remarks. Helping others is what I do and have taught my children to do the same. So if you want to camp next to us, you are welcome. Note: You might be forced to eat some Thai food or get one of my wife’s handmade items as she is always knitting or crocheting.
Nanci,
Thanks for sharing your experiences it was very informative. I was very sorry to hear that you received the negative replies that you did but hopefully they were in the minority. On a positive note I feel that prejudice appears to be fading with each passing generation.As a white male married to a Chinese American my wife and I have not experienced any issues that we have noticed. I can assure you that you and your family would be welcome next to our campsite any time
Thank you for your articles, please give us more!
You asked the question with a biased premise. I answered with rationale. The answer is demographics and economics. Please understand, the problem is not color, but culture. You must not fall prey to the same pit as the haters and see all reality through the lens of race.
So proud of you for getting this topic out there! I look forward to additional articles that you write, no matter what the topic! You have my full support! Glad you are getting out and enjoying traveling and nature!
I realize it is difficult for a white couple like me and my wife to understand your families perspective, but as a relatively new RV Camper (4or5 years) I remember our first camping trip (Myrtle Beach). By coincidence we had a black couple park right next to us. We obviously weren’t aware of the issues your family has encountered, but I happened to be outside when they arrived and spoke to them. They were actually much more friendly towards us than our white neighbors were and we enjoyed having them next door. On the other hand, I have since noticed the distinct absence of a proportional number of families of color on our camping trips and your article may explain that absence.
I wish everyone would learn to accept all others unless their actions prove that’s not possible. After all, we are all members of the same race, the Human Race, and at least according to God’s word we are all descendants of the same two humans, made in God’s Image. God Bless you.
I hope someday we end up next door neighbors in an RV park somewhere (AZ is fine with me!) because I really just want to give you a hug. White married to American Indian
Nanci, if you ever see my wife and I in our Cedar Creek set up in a park, feel free to set up next to us and come visit. We love meeting new people in our travels. Probably got this from my father who would build a campfire, start popping popcorn and within minutes, people would start following the smell and end up visiting the whole evening.
Hi, Les. The popcorn story reminds me of telling my (adult) sons that if we ever want to see the wildlife (black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, etc.) at our 18 acres of gorgeous remote mountain property, all we need to do is pop some popcorn over the campfire. 😆 —Diane (aka Mountain Mama) at RVtravel.com
I am very supportive of how Chuck handled the article submission and the comments, Chuck is good. That drove me to make a finance contribution today.
I’ve had this comment deleted on various forums from the Wall St Journal to Amazon.
The biggest problem with racism is that minorities never know when someone is being racist, or just a jerk, or just unaware.
When I accidentally cut off a black person in traffic, how are they to know if it was a racist act or just because I’m a lousy driver.
—
I never get in a tie with a minority for a cashier line at the grocery store.
If I tell them to go ahead, I’m condescending.
If I don’t, I’m racist. So I pretend that I still have something on my list.
At a campground, I once told the lady next to us that I wasn’t sure that I liked her. She reacted as if hurt. I quickly said it’s because you’re wearing an Indiana University T-shirt and I went to Purdue. Later that I day, I saw her female partner and realized that at first she thought I didn’t like gays.
I made a similar comment to a guy in Phoenix wearing a Lakers T-shirt during a basketball playoff series..
Thanks Nanci! Your honesty is so refreshing as are all the articles printed on RV Travel. Please continue contributing to this wonderful publication.
Some of us who don’t have an intentional prejudiced bone in our body get tired of being accused of it. Yes, we may have blind spots but so does every body. Some of the things nowadays claimed to be racist are preposterous. An example i heard about is a piano being racist because it has black and white keys. How can that be racist when they are totally integrated? I am like many others that have commented, I am happy to camp next to anybody regardless of race until an agenda is pursued by anybody regardless of race.
I was so pleased to see the original article, and so dismayed by the nasty comments. Kudos to you and to RV Travel for posting. Enjoy your stay in Arizona. We live in Prescott and would love to meet you and your family on one of our winter outings.
People who are prejudice toward people that are not like them, are ignorant! They were possibly influenced by there parents or peers. Have they not been exposed to diversity in school or the workplace where friendships could have developed? I wonder. I grew up in a middle class white area. In school there were all white kids. When I went into the Air Force, there was a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds with people from all over the country. I found out that they had the same desires and feelings as I did. I wonder if racists people have ever tried to have a friendly discussion with someone who happens to appear different than themselves. Would it be easier if we were all blind and couldn’t SEE our differences? How is it that people with different hair and eye color can get along? Quit wasting time with all the negative energy. Have a happier life. Love one another and learn something about different people and cultures..
It is not just the campgrounds. In 2017, I traveled for 3 months from Illinois to Alaska and back for the eclipse, then 2 months down to New Orleans then to Cape Kennedy and back. Very limited black staff in the restaurants and other businesses. Especially in the south. Maybe 3 times is all I saw someone. Going by the population statistics, I should have seen at least 20% blacks.
How about 12%? and staffing/hiring on racial quotas is despicable which is what I understand you to advocate. It is blatant discrimination.
Nanci, I did not comment on your first article but I did feel at the time that it was a bit one sided. But the more I thought about it, what other side could you speak to? It is your and your family’s experience you related.
I have traveled in the south and been on the other side of which you related. Not that there were more black campers but we did use public transportation rather than towing a car in those days. We have been the minority on the city bus (or during my early morning walks for a newspaper) and indeed have felt out of place and I would bet our fellow riders were suspicious of us.
One thing we did learn is that there are good people everywhere and they were ready and willing to help out a couple of out of place and occasionally lost out-of-towners.
So, welcome to the RV world. Don’t forget to stop and say hi if you find yourself next door.
I was so sad to hear you had hateful comments about Black RVers. At first I thought can’t be RVers, but then I remembered people who destroy property where they are (ie Joshua Trees) who don’t clean up after their dog or trash in their campsite, drive too fast thru the campground, leave a mess in the bathroom or laundry room. The list goes on! These horrible people feel entitled and those rules don’t apply to them! It doesn’t matter what color or race you are as long as you are respectful of the people and area around you. I love meeting people who are different. I feel I grow each time I learn new things about the people I’m meeting!
I live in a bedroom community town of a large city. There are very nice neighborhoods where I do not look like most of the homeowners. So when we travel it almost feels strange that we are in an “all white” area. We’ve noticed that most RVers look like us. Thanks for asking the question. I look forward to a day when the color of our skin is no more of a matter than eye or hair color.
Thanks for another great article. I was also happy with RV Travel’s response and became a paying contributor because of that response.
Me too! Nanci’s article was the first in RVTravel that I had commented on. I left a favorable comment, thanked RVTravel for publishing it, and became a paid contributor. Safe travels everyone!
Thank you!! Safe travels for both your “physical” journey and your writing journey. Keep up the great work.
We live in Georgia and stayed at 23 State parks here. Before reading these articles we had always commented on how we are pleased to see a diverse population in our campgrounds. It warmed my heart every time we watched ALL the kids playing together. I’ve heard from others that was not always the case for them, but we never experienced any negativity. We’re building in a RV resort in North Alabama that is definitely welcoming to all. Thanks for sharing your story.
Thank you for sharing your very personal story with us. We can’t “walk a mile in your shoes” but we can give you cyber hugs along the way.
I’m one of the very lucky people to know and love Nanci and her husband. My husband and I were so shocked at the vitriol that came out with her informed and well-intentioned article. Thanks again for writing an excellent eye-opening article, Nanci. You are both two-in-a-million.
We stay in many WA State Parks in our 35′ Georgetown Class A, and I, too, have noticed that RVers to to be rather monochromatic. Here in the Puget Sound (we mainly stay around Skagit and Island Counties) there is a lot (40-50% some weekends) of Hispanic, Asian and South Asian (Indian/Pakistani) families in tents and a few pop-up campers. But there aren’t many African American families.
Sure, the PacNorWest doesn’t have a large AA population, but it makes sense that the history of segregation (and the bigoted reaction to Civil Rights in the 60’s) had the same effect on camping, as it did on public swimming pools and water fountains. That said, campgrounds are open for everyone, and are welcoming (but please observe quiet hours!!).
(After 20 years in the Navy, I honestly can not understand racists attitudes… so damn stupid….).
Thank you for your article, and keep sharing your perspective on the world!
I am sorry for the horrible comments you received. As a white woman, I find it appalling that you would not feel safe in a campground/RV park. Fortunately, the election showed that there are more of us who support diversity, than who do not support diversity. I always wave at every camper/RV’er I see. I will try to make more of an effort to reach out to ALL my fellow RV’ers…thank you for your article. I also found nothing about the article to provoke the appalling comments.
Personally, I couldn’t care less what color of skin others wear. Only behavior is judged an scrutinized. Sometimes, groups of ANY color can become boisterous and annoying.
Thank you for your insightful article. I would like to meet you sometime. I grew up in the west and have never dealt with racism. When I meet someone I don’t see the color of their skin but rather if you are someone I would like to know. I do not understand people who base their friendships on the color of someone’s skin. We are all humans.
We all have to get over it. Leave the racism and prejudice in the past…where it belongs. We can’t undo the past. We must learn from it and go forward. It would be a pleasure to meet you on the RV trail.
Limited character space available, so in a nutshell, you came off sounding like you have a chip on your shoulder and have an agenda. In addition, some of your references to support your article were illogical. You tried justifying Blacks not feeling welcomed while camping in part with ridiculous references (both in your first article and again in this one) to the National Park system at one time not being inclusive to all. You’ve pushed that point many times. That era was 70 years ago or more. If this is your “proof”, then you must also feel the same about going into grocery stores, restaurants, movie theaters, sporting events and most forms of public commerce, as they too were also segregated at one time. Using that logic, do you write articles asking why there are not more Blacks at those facilities as well? A better answer to your article’s question is that Blacks are only 14% of the population, sadly often in lower economic levels and RVing is an expensive eccentricity.
I find myself thinking back to the early 70s when it was realized that most college entrance exams were unknowingly biased toward white middle class students. I think the “exclusion” felt in the national & state parks comes from a lack of meaningful exposure to other races and cultures rather than intentional exclusion. It’s hard to be inclusive of folks you’ve never truly lived with and understood. I include myself, as I was once a park ranger, dealing with the public in many ways. You can’t leave your experience out of the mix, but need to seek greater understanding of other’s life experiences to be able to offer a more rounded experience to those you interact with.
Thank you, Nanci, for your frank and honest description of your experience. Thank you, Chuck, for publishing Nanci’s insightful article. I too have often wondered “where are the Black RVers?” You have both provided a valuable service by opening the subject of the current state of race relations in the RV community.
The positive responses that you have received are evidence that our nation is evolving. The negative responses are evidence of the difficulty some folks have listening to another’s point of view. I am optimistic that openly confronting occurrences of racism will eventually lead to accepting each other as individuals rather than as members of another “race”. We are all members of the same race, the human race.
I too was greatly disheartened by the comments from your original article, so much so that I never finished reading the rest of the newsletter and thought about unsubscribing, thinking these are definitely not my people. I was happy to see from on the Liberal and Progressive RVer Facebook page that Chuck had dealt with the issue in a positive manner and after reading for myself what he did I decided to be a paid subscriber. Thank you for sharing your experiences, I too was in a long term interracial relationship in the 80s and 90s and know your experiences are real but I had hoped things had changed more. I look forward to reading more of your thoughts and experiences whether they are related to your interracial family or not.
Nanci, I commented on your first article, hopefully it was construed in the friendly, supportive way it was meant. I applaud your courage to once again “pick up the pen” and share your thoughts. I have an observation to share. As a workcamper in a campground just a couple of hours away from New York city and New Jersey, we saw, and welcomed, an uptick of black, mixed and hispanic families. These folks couldn’t go to or do any of their normal vacation/ pastime activities. The majority of the people I talked to, and most were first time campers, said they enjoyed their experience and would most likely continue to camp.
Hi Nanci,
In my opinion, your original question, based on your life experiences, was great. I can picture a campfire conversation about just such a topic, especially amongst a bunch of white campers. Heck, I probably have wondered why you don’t see more black folks camping myself over my past fourteen years of camping.
However I believe what gets some people so agitated to write mean and nasty responses to a great free RV information resource such as RV Travel is that the past is always being dragged up. Look at the photo attached to today’s comment from you, it is 70 years old. There is no need to dredge up mistakes made in past history to chart the way forward today. I am not saying to ignore those mistakes in the past, but maybe your article could have been more positive from today’s point of view as I am sure there must be a host of other reasons why you don’t see more blacks out enjoying the great outdoors.
Not trying to challenge you just wondering, how do you put a positive spin on racism? While the photos may be 70 years old, and this is what’s sad, the covertness of racism is still very much a part of our culture.
Racism is alive and well in America in 2020, your article only confirmed that, along with the notion that people who hate do not want to be called on their hatred. I felt the article was one of substance, presented in a reasonable manner and one that I appreciated. I know there will be those who say let’s just drop it, let it go, and move on. But when we do that (not be exposed or discuss it), it doesn’t go away, just like the article clearly and objectively described.
Never ever refrain from helping us all to move towards our better selves… and to enjoying our RVing lifestyle more fully and without fear. God bless you and your lovely family.
There seems to be a basic distrust of other people, regardless of race. Did you read the book “how the other half lives”? In America’s past we trusted the Scottish but not the Irish.
Before whites stepped on the shores of this continent, the five major indian nations tolerated each other, most of the time. In Africa, strife and wars continue between negroes. Personally, I think it is all of us against the wealthy and powerful who wish to rule us.
I am so glad I missed that issue with the comments on black campers. I sold my home in Miami and took off on my adventure around the country in my RV. Had I read that issue it would have dampened my enthusiasm and love for meeting people out there doing the same thing. I’m trying to get away from the hate brewed in the last 4 years. I’m hoping the USA can recover from such damage but when I continue to keep up with international news I don’t see much hope in the near future for the USA. Good luck Joe. You are going to have a hell of a job. I personally love all peoples who appreciate all peoples.