The American Alpine Club interviews two recipients of the Michigan Ice Fest BIPOC Scholarship in its latest effort at inclusion.
When playing Super Smash Bros. with her family, Kamilah Amen always chooses the Ice Climbers as her brawling videogame avatars.
So when she heard about an ice climbing scholarship for people of color, Amen knew her time had come.
“This is my chance to actually do what my videogame characters are doing!” she says in the latest video from the American Alpine Club (AAC).
While outdoor sports have long lacked diversity, there’s a particularly high barrier to entry for ice climbing. The gear isn’t cheap, and the technique requires more coaching than hopping on a boulder at the gym.
That’s why Rodel Querubin, the AAC Twin Cities Chair of BIPOC Initiatives, knew a scholarship for people of color could make a difference. The above video from the AAC interviews two recipients of that scholarship: Amen and Jada Ames.
“Personally, I’m taking back climbing as a form of resilience,” Ames says. “Not only is there enough for everyone, but everyone, especially people of color, deserve and need climbing.”
Runtime: 4.5 minutes
