In today’s climate, articles about Black Lives Matter are finally flooding the media, Black voices are finally being elevated and it is the job of white people to listen and learn. The fight for basic human rights to be universal could go even further than we realize.
The construct of leisure has turned into an elitist activity when it should be a fundamental human right. Everyone should have equal access to activities of leisure to help combat the stresses of everyday life. The Black community does not have the same access to resources and leisure that their white counterparts typically do. This injustice continues to contribute to the systemic racism in the United States keeping Black people excluded from leisure activities.
Equity in leisure is about making sure that all community groups have equal access to leisure activities. This fight for equity should include leisure because leisure is an essential human right and a right that should be prioritized for everyone, not just upper-class white families.
Moving forward, programming for leisure activities should become more accessible through cost, advertisement and outreach. Together our community has an opportunity to once again be a community, but that cannot happen until leisure is made a priority for Black lives.
Jacob Waters, Salt Lake City
from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/3h38DWJ
August 17, 2020 at 05:00AM
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