I vote for Ben and Jerry's. If she says no, you still get ice cream.

I'm 5-10 years away from it, but hoping to do the same thing. Check out Unity Homes in Keene, NH. That's who I'm looking at for the build.

Nope. My point is that if you want more people to listen to what you have to say (especially on something important like making people feel welcome in all parts of their country) you should find language that invites people to action instead of language that turns people off. Then they might listen to what you're saying. Or you could just stand your ground, use the same language and reach a smaller audience. Which will get more results?

Language is important. If you want people to buy what you're selling, yes, the onus is on you to find the right language. Doesn't matter who or what you are, you need to find the right language. And no, not all white people oppose everything that challenges the status quo. The BLM protests have been filled with white allies.

I really appreciate you taking the time to reply thoughtfully and explain your opinion thoroughly. Nevertheless, we disagree.

First, I hate jargon. I hated it when I was in grad school studying history and anthropology and I hate it even more now that I'm in education. As someone else on this thread said, it separates academics from a broader audience. And it's not that this jargon is about race - I just hate jargon because I find it's often just a group speaking a language to show that they are in the know - that they have the vocabulary for their group.

Second, I expect the term "decentering whiteness" turns off many white people. It's cold, and it comes off as aggressive. The tone sounds as if something must be done to fix white people. Most people want to do good and want to do right by their fellow man. I expect that's probably even more true of nature enthusiasts. A title that asked white people to hear BIPOC hikers, or empathize with BIPOC backpackers, or understand the challenges for BIPOC outdoors enthusiasts would be inviting white people to action, rather than "decentering" them. My point isn't to say that white people need to be treated with kid gloves, but if you want them to hear you or understand you or take side, you'd be better off inviting them to action than suggestion that they need to be decentered.

As a teacher in a majority white school, I know that if I use terms like white privilege I know that half the white kids in my class will be immediately turned off to anything I say. I know that my kids don't feel privileged and I need to talk about the same ideas without using "trigger" words to get the kids to understand the same concept - not because I don't want hurt kids feelings about race, but because I really want them to confront and understand the inequities in our society.

While I want more people of every race to feel at home and welcomed in the outdoors, I don't think this article does a good job at describing the specific problem or articulating practical and meaningful steps towards that end. It reads like a grad school paper that tries to sound important by using the most intellectual-sounding language. If you want the average white guy/woman to read your article, don't title it "Decentering whiteness..." That's just the jargon of your own cultural/professional circle. This is an important topic that could be addressed much better than it has been here.

Dartmouth has a small group of loud, attention seeking conservatives. Otherwise, it's a normal, mostly liberal campus and town.

Norwich would be less crowded and I expect quieter than Hanover. Hanover is more built up downtown and more dominated by Dartmouth. Norwich still looks like a quaint, VT town.

Congratulations on the new job.