Representation And Equity In The Outdoors -- Parker McMullen Bushman

Fat Joy with Sophia Apostol

In this riotous episode, Parker McMullen Bushman (they/she) takes us on their journey to become an activist and educator in the environmental education and outdoor spaces when no one looked like them. Fat, Black, queer, and non-binary, Parker shares how disparities in access to nature are outcomes from the Jim Crow laws, how race is different from ethnicity, and that disrupting white supremacy is about questioning default assumptions.

Parker, aka KWEEN WERK, is bringing people together in the fight for Environmental Justice and Social Equity. Using Social Media as a tool, this Social Justice Activist is part Fashion Diva, Artist and Educator. KWEEN stands for Keep Widening Environmental Engagement Narratives. Parker has a passion for equity and inclusion in outdoor spaces. Their interest in justice, accessibility, and equity issues developed from their personal experiences facing the unequal representation of people of color in environmental organizations and green spaces. Parker tackles these complex issues by addressing them through head-on activism and education.

As the Chief Operating Officer of Inclusive Journeys, and CEO/Founder of Ecoinclusive Strategies, Parker is a dynamic speaker and facilitator who engages organizations in new thinking around what it means to be a diversity change-agent and create dynamic organizational change. Parker’s background in the non-profit leadership, activism, conservation, environmental education and outdoor recreation fields spans over 24+ years.

Please connect with Parker through their TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and website. Links to Ecoinclusive and the Inclusive Guide.

This episode’s poem is called “Teach Me” by Malgosia Halliop.

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