Great Smoky Mountains National Park and its Missing Black Visitors: A Preliminary Analysis on the Hidden Architecture of Landscape

Abstract

abstract:The framing of national parks as "America's best idea" has undergone a multi-disciplinary critique for its failure to address the scarcity of racial minority visitors, particularly Black Americans. Slavery, segregation, and ongoing racial politics demand a process of unlearning and undoing by centering Black voices. This research seeks to re-examine Black Americans' motivations for and deterrents against visiting national parks using Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) as a preliminary case study. A review of archival documents (e.g., park history and promotional materials), interpretation programs, exhibits, and the racial composition of surrounding communities and park employees was conducted to identify gaps in Black Americans' representation within the core messages created and promoted by GSMNP. The results suggest that Black Americans are rarely seen in archival documents, and marginally represented in publicly accessible literature and exhibits. This legacy may send a message to Black Americans that the park is a "White" space, where their ancestors were treated as second-class citizens or excluded entirely. Under the shadow of Jim Crow laws, segregation, racism, and discrimination, this space may have been associated with danger or considered unsafe and unwelcoming. Our findings contribute to the broader understanding of how landscapes and institutions are racialized, and how the power of narrative can be used to dismantle racialization.