BringingBlack History to Life in the Great
Outdoors
Photographs by ChanellStone and text by James Edward MillsThis is a PDF version of the Times article"Bringing Black History to Life in the GreatOutdoors" published on Sept. 17,2021 and featured in this Lesson of the Day from The Learning Network .
An inscription above the Roosevelt Arch inYellowstone National Park reads: "For the
benefit and enjoyment of the people .
Since its inception in 1916, the National Park Service hasworked
to tell the story of the American outdoors . Among its stewards
are Black Americans who ensure that all “ the people” are
included in the telling of a sometimes difficult history .
By sharing these stories, these park rangers help define why our
nationalparks were once described by the naturalist Wallace
Stegneras “ the best idea America ever had."
Born and raised in Detroit, Shelton Johnson,
63, has served as a ranger for 35 years . Hehas been stationed at Yosemite National
Park since 1993.
One of Mr. Johnson's duties is to relay the
story of the “Buffalo Soldiers Black U.S.
Cavalry men who protected Yosemite atthe turn of the 20th century.
The BuffaloSoldiersbuilt roads, fought forest fires, arrested poachersand
enforcedstandardsofgood behavioramongthe park's mostly white visitors.
But when the National Park Service was formally established in 1916, those
same Buffalo Soldiers were barredfrom returning as park protectors in civilian
life.
As one of the few permanently stationed Black rangers in Yosemite today , Mr.
Johnson evokes the memory of those old guardians.
"When we tell the stories of our ancestors ,
those relations hear our voices as if they
were the echo of their own, and they live
again through us," he said.
“ A storyteller is a healer and a good story
has always been good medicine,”Mr.
Johnson said. “ The right story at the righttime can heal the world ."
Victoria Smalls , 51, is the executive directorof the Gullah Geechee Cultural HeritageCorridor in the Lowcountry of South Carolina .
On remote Lowcountry plantations ,
enslaved people known as the Gullahcreated a community based on central andwestern African traditions and a creole
language called Geechee.
The McLeod Plantation participated in chattel slavery and was known as a"breeder plantation ."
Duringthe Civil War, the plantation was captured and occupied by the 55th
Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment which consisted of Black Union troops.
When the Union Army came and emancipated the people Ms. Smalls's
ancestors were to buy land. Her family still owns 20 acres.
One of Ms. Smalls's ancestors was the Civil War
hero Smalls , who later served five terms
in Congress
ROBERT
FORTHE
A formerly enslaved man who bought his
freedom, Robert Smalls went on to his
enslaver's home, pictured here, in which he
was born
He also boughtthe neighboringblock.
The Harriet Tubman Memorial Bridge in
the Lowcountry stretches across the
Combahee River , commemorating
Tubman's role in the Combahee River Raid ,
in which more than 700 enslaved peoplewere rescued.
Olivia Williams , 28 , joined theReconstruction Era NationalHistorical
Park as a ranger in 2021. She is carryingforward the storytelling tradition, taking
over a position formerly held by Ms. Smalls.
“ There isn't an overflow of young people,especially young people of color, in the publichistory field, Williams said. “ I take it
personally to make sure stories, especiallylesser-known histories, stay in the rotation for
many generations to come.
Ms. Williams's hand rests against the wall of the
Brick Baptist Church on St. Helena Island. In 1862,
the church became a school for freed slaves.
Parts of the church were built by enslaved children.
Their impressed fingerprints are visible , set deepinto the brick
These Lowcountry marshlands near
Charleston , S.C., were once home to rice
fields cultivated by enslaved WestAfricans
Jerry Bransford is a fifth-generation caveguide at Mammoth Cave National Park in
Kentucky
Mammoth Cave is one of America's oldest
tourist attractions. This intricate labyrinth
encompasses more than 400 miles of
underground caverns.
Generations ago, with only kerosene
lanterns to light their way , members of the
Bransford family led tours for visitors fromaround the world .
“Myancestors guided the finest people, kings and queens of Europe, Mr. Bransford said .
“ They even led Ralph Waldo Emerson ,who came and wrote about the cave and made itfamous."
Butwhen MammothCavewas designatedas the 26th NationalParkon July 1, 1941, Mr.
Bransford'sfamily, alongwith all other residents, were forced off the surroundingland.
Though he is a direct descendantof Matersonand Nick Bransford, who led tours of the cave
in the 1840s, Mr. Bransford recallsbeingtold as a young Black manto use the rear entranceof the Visitor Center.
Today, at the age of 74, Mr. Bransford has
served for 17 seasons as a guide at MammothCave.
" It is so important that we preserve the stories
of my ancestors for future generations, he said .
Inside the Snowball Roomat Mammoth Cave, a
cavern located 267 feet underground, reads an
inscription: “ Nick the guide.
a tribute to Nicholas Bransford, an enslaved
man leased to the owner of the cave in 1838. It
was written on Aug. 17, 1857.
Kelli English, 46, is the chief of
interpretation at four National Park Service
locations in the San Francisco Bay Area,
including the John Muir National HistoricSite
John Muir, considered by manyto be the father ofthe National Parks, expressed in hiswritings many
racist views regardingpeopleof color.
Today, the preservation of Muir's legacy at hishistoric home in Martinez, Calif., is overseen by Ms.
English, a Black woman born in Chicago.
For those of us who understand this history , it's not surprising that Muir would use racist
language , Ms. English said , especially when he's writing to this privileged , white upper -classaudience ."
Through her deep understanding of the history at these sites , Ms. English puts the events
and ideas of the past into contemporary context and continues the mission of telling
stories that include the lived experience of every American .
“ hopeful that we can inspire more people to help this agency to truly live up to its ideals ,
she said .
This year, Ms. English celebrates her 20th
year with the National Park Service. “ It's
going to take courage to expose thehistory of the Park Service itself and its
discriminatory past,” she said.
“ To be in this agency at a time when we are
starting to deal with some of that is, quite
frankly , exciting.
NATIONALPARK
SERVICE
All photographsby Chanell StoneforThe NewYork Times
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