The Daily - August 10, 2021 - 10

The Pulse
H E A D L I N E S
into heroic skiers with snow goggles
and technical clothing.
" I wanted to bring those people
to the mountains symbolically, because
I know that there would be
no way or thought or mechanism
for them to ever be here or to ever
have this experience, " White says.
" I hold them in such high regard.
So this is my way of bringing them
to the mountain with me. "
It was these images that prompted
White's selection as the artist to
paint the portrait of Charles Crenchaw.
As a member of the Seattle
Mountaineers and the American
Alpine Club, Crenchaw made history
by ascending to the highest peak
in North America, then known as
Mount McKinley. On July 9, 1964,
just seven days after the signing
of the Civil Rights Act, Crenchaw
realized King's mountain dream.
Standing on the summit after a long
and arduous journey, he personified
the vision of a world in which a
Black person could be " judged not
by the color of their skin, but by the
content of their character. "
In a summary of the expedition
following his return from Alaska,
Crenchaw recounted his team
members' experiences as they
reached their high point.
" It had been so easy today for
most of the climbers that it was
hard for them to realize they were
actually standing on the summit of
Mount McKinley, the highest point
of North America, " he wrote in the
American Alpine Journal. " Climbers
found themselves searching
through the clouds for something
yet higher. "
With the intention of elevating
the story of Crenchaw and his
legacy as a mountaineering hero,
Seirus Innovation, one of the few
Black-owned manufacturing
businesses in the outdoor industry,
provided the initial funding
10
to commission his portrait. " The
history of Black and brown outdoors
people has existed in the
shadows far too long, " says Danica
Carey, Seirus director of marketing
operations. " Bringing these
stories to light undoubtedly sends
the message of rightful belonging
in this community, encourages
diverse participation, and inspires
true welcoming. Lamont Joseph
White's museum-quality work
highlights one of these important
figures superbly. "
Also inspired by this uplifting
story of adventure and the opportunity
to expand the scope of
climbing stories to include more
people of color, the apparel and accessories
brand Outdoor Research,
based in Crenchaw's hometown of
Seattle, Washington, supported
White's commission with a major
contribution.
" Lamont has created an iconic
image with this portrait of Charlie
Crenshaw and his accomplishment
on Denali, " says Outdoor Research
president Roger Barton. " We hope
that this painting sparks curiosity
in the next generation and inspires
a more diverse group of future
alpinists, climbers, and outdoor
enthusiasts. "
The painting will be formally
unveiled to the industry at a happy
hour event during the Outdoor
Retailer Show. In order to in/
OUTDOOR RETAILER SUMMER 2021
clude community members in the
Denver area who do not have the
credentials necessary to access the
convention center, the ceremony
will be held at the Commons On
Champa professional meeting
space at 1245 Champa Street. For
the remainder of the Show, the
Crenchaw portrait will be on display
at the American Alpine Club
Booth (38046-UL) on the show
floor. Afterward, it will become
part of an exhibit, called Something
Yet Higher, at the Bradford Washburn
American Mountaineering
Museum in Golden, Colorado.
" Access and representation to
climbing has not been reflective
of the full diversity of America. As
the American Alpine Club starts
our work to reflect on our history
and advocate for a more inclusive
climbing community, the Charles
Crenchaw exhibit is a significant
step in helping us remember and
memorialize a former AAC board
member and the first African
American climber to summit
Denali, " says American Alpine
Club CEO Mitsu Iwasaki. " We
are looking forward, with great
enthusiasm, to seeing Charles
Crenchaw's portrait in the American
Mountaineering Center. " The
inclusion of the Crenchaw legacy
as part of the Alpine Club's long
history will help to close the gap
that often separates people of color
" I WANTED TO BRING THOSE PEOPLE
TO THE MOUNTAINS SYMBOLICALLY,
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE WOULD
BE NO WAY OR THOUGHT OR MECHANISM
FOR THEM TO EVER BE HERE OR TO
EVER HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE. "
-LAMONT JOSEPH WHITE
from their rightful place in the
climbing community.
" The exaltation of our racially
and ethnically diverse heroes, like
Charles Madison Crenchaw, opens
a fissure into our imagination to
go beyond stereotypes and explore
what it means to truly participate,
belong, and enliven our experiences
to reach peaks higher than
our ancestors, " says Jason Swan,
co-founder of Rising Routes and
a board member of the Colorado
Parks & Wildlife Outdoor Equity
Grant Program. " An accurate
depiction of Black history in the
outdoor industry incentivizes the
next generation, at the very least,
to emulate what has been done
before, and, at most, surpass what
has still yet to be conquered. "
Through his work as an artist,
White aims to spark community
discussions about not only what
people can see in reality, but what
they might imagine in the future.
In his depictions of Black skiers
and mountaineers, he hopes that
his audience will envision themselves
as part of a world they share,
united in the fellowship of outdoor
recreation and adventure. " What
I would hope to be my legacy is
that my art is helpful to those who
feel alienated in their humanity
because of who they are, because of
the color of their skin, because they
didn't feel like they belong, " White
says. " I want to help people feel
proud to be wherever they show
up, even if they are the only one or
one of the few. I'm using skiing in
the outdoors as the tool, but it is
part of a larger, larger picture. "
After the Show, the Charles
Crenchaw portrait and the
Something Yet Higher exhibit
will be on display at the American
Mountaineering Museum in
Golden until the end of 2021.
The Daily - August 10, 2021

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