Discussing Identity, Equity, and Authenticity at Camp-Part 2
While Chanika and I never experienced camp as campers, we were fortunate to bring our full, authentic selves to New York’s Catskill Mountains, working as counselors at Morry’s Camp.
For a combined 25 years, we walked into camp as a white, gay man and a Black, straight woman, both able-bodied with a deep love of the South, nature, and star-filled skies. Since 2020, we have spent countless hours planning and co-facilitating dozens of webinars, conference sessions, and summer staff training workshops for thousands of camp professionals. We love camp, and we recognize the indelible impact our own experiences as camp counselors have had on our lives. We have also witnessed in awe the life-changing experiences of our campers.
Chanika and I believe that in order for camps to continue being landscapes for learning about ourselves and others, we must move beyond the “good-bad” binary. In other words, equity development is not about being a “good” or “bad” person. It is, rather, about engaging with issues of identity, requiring that we build skills that allow us to embark on a journey of healthy identity that validates who we are as individuals. It’s by better understanding ourselves that we can create camp communities that in turn affirm the various identities of staff and campers.
We all crave connection and belonging; it is a part of our human experience. The more we understand ourselves, the more capable we are of understanding others. However, general understanding isn’t enough. The goal of our equity work with camp professionals is to encourage the creation of spaces and places where commonalities and differences are respected, celebrated, affirmed, and deeply valued. Only then can everyone — and we mean everyone — feel that they belong and are an integral part of an inclusive community.
Additionally, we know working with children and adults is not a perfect enterprise. Mistakes will be made that require amends; harm — whether inadvertent or intentional in the moment — will occur and require repair. When it comes to talking openly and honestly about topics of race, sexuality, gender, and ability — among other aspects of identity — we all have room to grow, and there is no finish line that any of us will reach. The work is lifelong, and while we are at different points of our journeys, none of us will ever “arrive.”
As we reflect on the lessons learned from discussing issues of identity with camp professionals, we suggest the following skills for developing more equitable communities where all staff and campers feel included in spaces where they want to belong:
Read the full text in Camping Magazine with suggestions for how to emphasize the importance of embedding identity work and self-awareness in your quest to create inclusive communities where everyone feels a sense of belonging!
