In this Book
- Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors
- Book
- 2014
- Published by: The University of North Carolina Press
summary
Why are African Americans so underrepresented when it comes to interest in nature, outdoor recreation, and environmentalism? In this thought-provoking study, Carolyn Finney looks beyond the discourse of the environmental justice movement to examine how the natural environment has been understood, commodified, and represented by both white and black Americans. Bridging the fields of environmental history, cultural studies, critical race studies, and geography, Finney argues that the legacies of slavery, Jim Crow, and racial violence have shaped cultural understandings of the "great outdoors" and determined who should and can have access to natural spaces.
Drawing on a variety of sources from film, literature, and popular culture, and analyzing different historical moments, including the establishment of the Wilderness Act in 1964 and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Finney reveals the perceived and real ways in which nature and the environment are racialized in America. Looking toward the future, she also highlights the work of African Americans who are opening doors to greater participation in environmental and conservation concerns.
Drawing on a variety of sources from film, literature, and popular culture, and analyzing different historical moments, including the establishment of the Wilderness Act in 1964 and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Finney reveals the perceived and real ways in which nature and the environment are racialized in America. Looking toward the future, she also highlights the work of African Americans who are opening doors to greater participation in environmental and conservation concerns.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Illustrations
- pp. ix-x
- Introduction
- pp. 1-20
- 1. Bamboozled
- pp. 21-31
- 2. Jungle Fever
- pp. 32-50
- 3. Forty Acres and a Mule
- pp. 51-66
- 4. Black Faces
- pp. 67-91
- 5. It’s Not Easy Being Green
- pp. 92-115
- 6. The Sanctified Church: How Sweet It Is
- pp. 116-136
- Works Cited
- pp. 151-162
- Acknowledgments
- pp. 163-166
Additional Information
ISBN
9781469614502
Related ISBN(s)
9781469614489, 9781469614496, 9798890840431
MARC Record
OCLC
880354760
Pages
194
Launched on MUSE
2014-05-21
Language
English
Open Access
No