More than 6 million people visited the Grand Canyon last year, but only a tiny fraction were people of color.
A 2011 National Park Service report shows visitors to the national parks were mostly white. Just 9 percent were Hispanic, 7 percent were African American, 3 percent Asian and 1 percent were Native American, according to the report.
“We should be concerned because something is there keeping us from attending in the same numbers as the rest of the population,” said Xitlaly Reyes, ambassador for Latino Outdoors in Arizona. “There is definitely a message not getting across that that is their park — that they can enjoy it.”
The National Park Service is working to become more inclusive of racial and ethnic groups, said Vanessa Ceja-Cervantes, outreach coordinator at Grand Canyon National Park. The park's goal is to increase diversity of visitors and bring more people from different backgrounds to places like the Grand Canyon, but they are also trying to increase the diversity of their own staff, hoping that helps bring more people to the parks...