Like so many among us, we at Height of Land Publications—the parent company of Alpinist, Backcountry, Cross Country Skier and Mountain Flyer—are grieving the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and other Black people whose lives have been lost because of racist violence. We stand with those protesting for civil rights and systemic change across our country.
It is part of our mission to be “outdoor, action sports media by those who live it for those who aspire to it.” And yet we’re keenly aware that Black people, Indigenous people and people of color face additional risks: hazards associated with racism, racial harassment and racist violence. Circumstances of inequality and systemic racism have been codified into our society and serve as obstacles not only to outdoor adventures—but to many other parts of life.
For our part, we’ve been having long, ongoing conversations in house as we develop our company’s response to this latest injustice and to the greater realities of discrimination in our nation and within the sports and activities we love.
In addition to encouraging action on an individual level—such as donating to organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Black Lives Matter, contributing to bail funds for protesters across the country, attending peaceful protests, signing petitions and contacting government leaders to demand police accountability—we continue to formulate our own call to action to hold our titles, leaders, employees and contributors accountable to their commitment for increasing diversity, representation and equality within our outdoor pursuits.
We know that we have a lot more work to do—in the days, weeks and years ahead. As a signatory on the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, we will continue to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in our company and in our publications; to provide more space for writers, artists, photographers and community members from marginalized groups and to listen to their voices; and to affirm that Black lives matter.
We will keep seeking more opportunities to help promote a safer and more equitable world for everyone in the outdoors and elsewhere. And we encourage other outdoor companies and outdoor media companies to sign the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge and to support advocacy groups working to make a difference in the outdoor industry and beyond. We encourage our audiences at Alpinist, Backcountry, Cross Country Skier and Mountain Flyer to support these organizations and, additionally, we would be grateful for any references to subjects, businesses and athletes that will enable us to broaden the scope of inclusivity in our work.
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