Americas Latino Eco-Festival: Latinos Outdoors

“It’s a civil rights issue because we want to stress how the outdoors is a question of equity and access.”

Jose Gonzalez says public lands should belong to the public which means understanding the social justice and equitable barriers that prevent all people from appreciating them. Gonzalez works for the advocacy organization Latino Outdoors.

Gonzalez will be participating in a panel called DiscoverMiTierra: Reclaiming the Outdoors, our Heritage, and our Wellness as a Civil Rights Mandate at the upcoming 3rd Annual Americas Latino Eco-Festival (ALEF) happening in Denver October 15th – 18th.

Gonzalez says creating equal access for all to the outdoors is a civil rights issue “If these open spaces and public lands, if all of a sudden it’s a privilege and a right that’s not accessible to the changing demographics, then we’re going to lose them, then we’re not then supporting the current and future stewardship and the leaders which are jut going to be more diverse, so that’s a loss not just for the public lands but also for the public.”