People of color are carving out safe spaces for themselves within the white male-dominated activity
When Tiffany Blount started competing in indoor rock climbing a few years ago, she was often the only Black woman at the contests. “It was awful,” Blount said.
Fellow competitors were sometimes unhelpful, Blount recalled, claiming that they didn’t see her finish a climb. (Witness signatures are needed to verify attempts.) Another time, a gym manager told her that she couldn’t complete a route because she wasn’t strong enough. Blount’s frustration mounted. Enduring what she characterized as repeated microaggressions took a toll on her.