Exploring the Racial Divide
Bentley University
Overview
Through research, cultural analysis, strategic communication, and collaboration with leaders in the running and outdoor recreation space, I explored the gaps between representation, participation, and leadership. Then, I translated that exploration into strategic and visual communication assets designed to support more inclusive outreach and representation.
The Challenge
Running and outdoor recreation are often positioned and marketed as universally accessible spaces that pride themselves in improving wellness and community. Through this project, I explored the disconnect between that perception and the realities of representation across participation, leadership, and industry visibility.
The Approach
Conducted qualitative and quantitative research focused on participation trends, leadership representation, and barriers to inclusion within outdoor recreation spaces.
Analyzed industry messaging, marketing, and cultural perception to better understand how inclusivity is communicated and who those messages are truly reaching.
Collaborated with advocacy organizations and industry leaders to align research findings with broader conversations surrounding accessibility and representation.
Translated insights into written reports, presentations, and visual storytelling designed to communicate complex findings in a more engaging and accessible way.
Key Insights
The research revealed consistent gaps between industry representation and broader population demographics, particularly across leadership visibility, participation trends, and brand messaging within outdoor recreation spaces.
Visualizing these disparities through data storytelling strengthened the impact of the findings and helped create more accessible conversations around inclusion and long-term industry change.
What This Project Shows
This project changed the way I think about communication entirely. It pushed me to look beyond aesthetics and surface-level messaging and instead consider how design, storytelling, and representation influence who feels welcomed into a space and who doesn’t. The more I researched, the more I realized how often industries present themselves as inclusive while still failing to reflect the people they claim to serve.
Translating those findings into visual and strategic communication forced me to think more intentionally about the responsibility that comes with shaping perception. Working alongside leaders in running and outdoor recreation also showed me how powerful communication can be when it moves beyond awareness and becomes something actionable.
This project strengthened my ability to turn research into storytelling, data into engagement, and complex cultural conversations into work that people could actually connect with and use.
Selected Work
Outdoor Recreation & Equity: Research project examining how historical racism in land conservation continues to affect diversity, inclusion, and participation in the outdoor recreation industry.
Exploring the Racial Divide: Collaborative research project examining race, inclusion, and participation in running and outdoor recreation through demographic analysis, historical research, and focus group findings.