How Do We Bridge The Gap?

[whitestokes]

How do we, bridge the gap on the color and race issue in nudism/naturism (at least in America). I was reading some of the forum archived topics and I came across this one LINK. When I first looked at it, I thought that it was pretty good. Until I started to read it and I was amazement, why it die out or at least didn't get bigger with a lot more replies.
So if you havn't read it, please do so and please make a reply comment, on this topic to give IDEAS, on forever fixing this problem.

I believe if we could stand together as Americans after 9/11, why can't we as nudists/naturists stand together for this issue.

[whitestokes]

How do we, bridge the gap on the color and race issue in nudism/naturism (at least in America). I was reading some of the forum archived topics and I came across this one LINK. When I first looked at it, I thought that it was pretty good. Until I started to read it and I was amazement, why it die out or at least didn't get bigger with a lot more replies.
So if you havn't read it, please do so and please make a reply comment, on this topic to give IDEAS, on forever fixing this problem.

I believe if we could stand together as Americans after 9/11, why can't we as nudists/naturists stand together for this issue.

[Daveinct]

quote:

Originally posted by whitestokes:
How do we, bridge the gap on the color and race issue in nudism/naturism (at least in America). I was reading some of the forum archived topics and I came across this one LINK. When I first looked at it, I thought that it was pretty good. Until I started to read it and I was amazement, why it die out or at least didn't get bigger with a lot more replies.
So if you havn't read it, please do so and please make a reply comment, on this topic to give IDEAS, on forever fixing this problem.

I believe if we could stand together as Americans after 9/11, why can't we as nudists/naturists stand together for this issue.

Thanks for pointing out that thread, whitestokes. It's an interesting and thought provoking topic.

I suppose it died out for a number of reasons. For one, because for so many, it's not an issue. In saying that, what I mean is that for the majority of the members, it's not something that occurs to us regularly, not that we don't think it's a problem. Being in the white majority, I don't have daily reminders of my race.

One of the experiences I treasure most was one that happened to me many years ago. I was dating an African-American woman who was a student at Howard University. I lived and worked in an area that had an almost exclusively white population. On one trip to visit her at school, we went grocery shopping. As we made our way through the store, I became increasingly aware of people looking and even staring at me. As we waited in the checkout line, it occurred to me that I was the only white person in the store. For a brief few moments, I had a small bit of understanding of that aspect of being in the minority, of being viewed differently because of my skin color.

But in my day to day life, as I said, I don't have to think about my race. Likewise the issue of race in nudism isn't one that occurs to me with any regularity, though it should.

Perhaps the primary reason the topic dried up though, was because the solution is not an obvious or simple one. The factors that cause the imbalance are many, as is the case with addressing nudism/naturism with the general public. We struggle with how to bring more into the fold in general, "targeting" a particular segment of that audience makes coming up with a solution that much more difficult.

At this point, I don't have the answer. I don't know that I ever will, but as my experience with nudism/naturism grows, I'll try to give this particular aspect more thought.

Dave

[Guest]

We have a few African/American people at the resort where I live, but very few. It could be a matter of the lack of money, or maybe it's a cultural or religious matter. However, no one has been able to come up with why nudism attracts mainly caucasian people. If I was African/American, would I be living in a nudist resort? I don't believe it's a matter of lack of acceptance. The only people nudism seems to have any problem with is singles--especially single men.

[Nudony]

This is a very complex issue. Firstly, perception of nudity varies by culture; over the years I've seen a distinct growth in the hispanic presence, a slighter growth in the african-american presence and a minimal growth in the asian presence. So the change must occur within the culture itself; there's not a whole lot the nudist community can do about that. Maybe as the latin presence grows stronger, more other cultures will be drawn into nudism.

[Mosquito_Bait]

I have seen African-Americans at White Tail Park and at Cypress Cove; however, they are severely under-represented. I wish I had some answers. Nudist parks are typically very liberal places. I don't think there is any intent to discriminate on the basis of race.

I used to crew on a sailboat that was docked at a local yacht club. A nearby country club was accused of discriminating against African-Americans, which resulted in all the local politicians and government officials resigning their memberships. The yacht club members were afraid that something similar would happen to the yacht club. It wasn't a very posh place. Few of the members fit the stereotype of a rich yachtsman. They were mostly middle-class people. There were no restrictions on minorities joining. There just weren't many minorities in the local area who owned sailboats. The few that did were cruisers rather than racers. The yacht club was centered around racing. One thing that the yacht club did was sponsor a sailing program at a nearby university that had a large African-American student population. They ultimately did get some African-American members but it required a heavy recruiting effort.

[Atlanta Runner]

Excellent question. I know that one of the resorts here north of Atlanta advertises in the weekly free paper which is available all over the inner city. Atlanta is pretty racially and cultural diverse but the further away from the metro city it tends to get more homogenous it seems. I am not sure if a more racially mixed population is willing to drive an hour away into a county that is likely mostly white with a growing hispanic community. Excellent question though on how we can bridge the gap..

[Eric6420]

We tend to see naturism as a mosty white thing, but let's not forget that there are tribes in Africa that still live in the nude, there was a documentary this evening on the SRC chanel (Montreal, French)and there was plenty of nude black people working in the Nil river.

Let's not forget that the Japanese take nude public bath and nude public swimming since centuries.

In India also, there are people who bathe naked in the sacred river Gange in Benares (even if the water seems quite poluted in my opinion).

[whitestokes]

Thanks guys, for the replies to this topic. Everything, that was said, was pretty interesting so far, but I have an idea to bridge the gap. How about using a concept, that is right under our noses and already used by a lot of naturists today. You maybe asking yourself, whitestokes what is? Well it's simple, Body Acceptance.

Question? Let's say, that you have an Afro-American friend (only uses as an example) and you decide to invite him/her or them to a nude beach or club/resort, what do you say to them?
Well, as you can see from my avatar, that I am an Afro-American and the reason why I am a naturist, is because of body acceptance. Body acceptance, I think is a very powerful ally to motivate, at least some Afro-americans, to being interested in naturism. Let me give you an example, of what I have experienced. When my Black friends or a fellow Afro-American ask me, why are you a nudist, you don't need a "TAN". Which nine times out of ten, they will probably say. I know right then, that their mind set (how they're thinking) is already in the wrong direction, from what naturism is all about. So now, I have a great opportunity to explain the concepts of "Body Acceptance" and how Black people can benefit from it. Afterwards, they usually understand and can reason with the concepts for why there are Black naturists. So that's why, I think body acceptance can be use to draw Afro-American, to this wonderful lifestyle.
Let me put it to you this way, on how it works. I know a girl (who happen to be White) at my local naturist club, who is very pale in skin color and she really can not be in the sun, for long periods of time. What do you think is her motivation to be a naturist? Body Acceptance. Think about the concepts?

[blackrebel]

Let’s look at the facts. Nudism is framed as a ‘white’ activity. Nudists are presented in most PR as sun worshipers, thin, and Hollywood attractive. That is the fault of AANR and other groups who insist on this image. Trust me, I have seen a LOT of nudists and about 94% of them will not grace the pages of People Magazine. So, this is the fault of the groups who insist on this image. In fact, if they’d change their image to show that everyday people are nudists, they’d attract a lot more people who want to go, but are afraid because they need to lost 20 pounds. There are few blacks that I know of who are alarmed to see that there are blacks who are social nudists, yet, most blacks that I know of spend a lot of time nude in their homes, just as whites tend to do. So we DO spend a lot of nekkid time, but you have not shown other than skinny white folks as those who participate.

So, bottom line is this, AANR and others, change your image by showing more blacks and people with everyday bodies and you will see more people participate.

[Mosquito_Bait]

quote:

Originally posted by blackrebel:
Let’s look at the facts. Nudism is framed as a ‘white’ activity. Nudists are presented in most PR as sun worshipers, thin, and Hollywood attractive. That is the fault of AANR and other groups who insist on this image. Trust me, I have seen a LOT of nudists and about 94% of them will not grace the pages of People Magazine. So, this is the fault of the groups who insist on this image. In fact, if they’d change their image to show that everyday people are nudists, they’d attract a lot more people who want to go, but are afraid because they need to lost 20 pounds. There are few blacks that I know of who are alarmed to see that there are blacks who are social nudists, yet, most blacks that I know of spend a lot of time nude in their homes, just as whites tend to do. So we DO spend a lot of nekkid time, but you have not shown other than skinny white folks as those who participate.

So, bottom line is this, AANR and others, change your image by showing more blacks and people with everyday bodies and you will see more people participate.

I just pulled out a recent copy of AANR's "Bulletin" and scanned through the pages. The advertisements placed by the resorts definitely show a clientele that is unrealistically young and svelte; however, this is not AANR's fault. AANR cannot tell the resorts how their models should look. The sections of the "Bulletin" that AANR writes do show reality. The typical demographic for the people in the "Club Happenings" section is about 50 years old and 30 lbs. overweight.

[David77]

quote:

Originally posted by blackrebel:
...most blacks that I know of spend a lot of time nude in their homes, just as whites tend to do. So we DO spend a lot of nekkid time....

In my employment, I have been in many homes of blacks, and noticed that when a black woman is completely naked, except for wearing a white, very thin, loose, gauze-like dress, you can not see thru the dress to see her anatomy.
If a person with a white skin did this, you could see all of her nakedness, as this is how color and natural eye optics work. (Someone may know the explanation for this from their study of Physics or optical sciences).

[PascoDoug]

quote:

Originally posted by David77:
In my employment, I have been in many homes of blacks, and noticed that when a black woman is completely naked, except for wearing a white, very thin, loose, gauze-like dress, you can not see thru the dress to see her anatomy.If a person with a white skin did this, you could see all of her nakedness, as this is how color and natural eye optics work. (Someone may know the explanation for this from their study of Physics or other sciences}.

It's probably along the same lines as seeing through a tinted window when it's well lit on one side & darker on the other. All to do with reflectivity and contrast.

[David77]

PascoDoug,

Thanks.

[PascoDoug]

quote:

Originally posted by Eric6420:
We tend to see naturism as a mosty white thing, but let's not forget that there are tribes in Africa that still live in the nude, there was a documentary this evening on the SRC chanel (Montreal, French)and there was plenty of nude black people working in the Nil river.

Yeah but in those "primitive" cultures where nudity is a normal & everyday thing, it really isn't "naturism" - it's just humans existing in the natural human state.