The day started off like regular. I woke up at 8:20 am, stayed in bed until about 8:30 and after ten minutes I decided to finally get up to begin getting ready.This day, I got ready in record time of fifteen minutes and headed out the door for work. I am a hall director, meaning that I work on a college campus in the residence halls and my commute to the office is all of about 2 minutes. On my way to the office, I happened to pass my mailbox and noticed I had a large white envelope sticking out. This is not normal, because I never get mail. Filled with excitement, I grabbed the envelope, entered my office, and immediately began to rip it open to see what was inside. As I ripped through the seal at the top of the envelope, I noticed something special. I’ve been a member of the American Association of Nude Recreation for over a year now. Every month, I have been receiving the Bulletin magazine, but this month’s issue was different. After pulling that month’s issue of the Bulletin out, the first thing that I noticed was people that I recognized on the cover. The cover of this month’s issue featured the founders of the naturist club I belong to, the Black Naturists Association. I can’t even begin to explain the amount of pride I felt looking at the cover. Like most Bulletins, I tend to share them on my twitter account. The conversations that occurred under posts inspired me to take on this topic of a “unified naturist/nudist community”.

I believe that all too often we seek to group or unify the naturist experience. I see people all the time, in online forums, ask the question why is it necessary to emphasis “Black” nudists or “gay” nudists, etc. The idea that we should just focus on being nudists/Naturists is a very popular narrative. It’s one that I couldn’t disagree with more. I think it is safe to say that we can all be apart of the naturist community at large and still have very different experiences. These different experiences link certain groups of people more than others and have served to create spaces for diversity and inclusion to occur. I see it as being no different than churches. The number of places of worship I pass on the way to my own church, shows that although many people share the same faith, there is a need for different places that suite the needs of the members that attend.

Race is just one category! While there are some who would like all naturists to identify the same way and encourage we all come together, I just don't think that's 100% possible. The demographics of naturists reflects the diversity present around the world. It’s impossible to have a one size fits all movement. I would go as far to say the “one size” fits all method, is actually the exact opposite of what we try to promote as naturists. From my personal experiences, naturism is all about loving one’s self. It’s about celebrating the diversity our bodies contribute to the overall community. How can one advocate that we all identify the same way in the naturist community and then celebrate the diversity of bodies present within them? Doesn’t make since, if you ask me. I love the diversity that exist in naturists communities. I love that people are finding ways to be more comfortable in their skin and are creating spaces that support others who may identify similarly.

I am a huge advocate for doing whatever it takes to normalize naturism. I believe some tend to take on the wrong battles. If we should unify as one community to discuss anything, I think it should be to promote the positive things associated with naturism. If I google nudist, the first things that tend to pop up is porn. This is a problem. I think that we as a nudist/naturist community , have a duty to change this narrative. In changing this narrative, I realize that some people have access to a specific group of people that I never will. Instead of feeling some way that I don't have access to a particular group, I choose to celebrate the fact that someone is receiving the proper education. My job is not to fit in with every group, but to be a support when needed.

I love being a naturist. These past few years of self exploration has been among the best of my life. I’ve self identified as a naturist for about five years now. This past year of being an active member of BNA has made my experience with naturism even better! There’s nothing like being connected with others who are different, yet still connect with similar experiences. Opening that envelope that day changed things for me! I am privileged to have received the right information and the right time and found my tribe. My goal moving forward is to do the same for others.

BNA GUNNISON BEACH TAKEOVER

Naturism has always been important to me. Way before I ever became familiar with the term and made a connection with the lifestyle, I have always enjoyed living clothes free.There’s something about being and feeling completely free to enjoy the warmth the sun provides to my skin and feeling the air hit all my parts equally that I love. At one time this was something that I felt the need to keep to myself. As I began to embrace the title of naturist or nudist, I felt myself becoming more secretive about my chosen lifestyle out of fear of being judged. This was the exact opposite of what naturism is and was intended to do. When I was googling naturism/ nudism, I never saw people who looked like me so this further more gave me the impression that I would be judged for my new interest. In my circles, being naked was something that has always been directly linked to sex. Whenever I’ve found ways to spark a conversation about being naked, somehow the conversation always ends up sexual. So to open up and tell people that I enjoyed being nude and in social settings, this was out of the question. Or sooo I thought!

Many of you who have been following my blog for some time now are familiar with my story. You are aware that I created this blog years ago to provide content that spoke to people who looked like me and were interested in naturism. While looking for community on the East coast and thinking about creating my own, I came across the Black Naturist Association one day while doing research. This group was literally everything that I had been searching for and low key wanting to create, so joining their ranks was a no brainer. 

Before joining BNA, I had been apart of several successful nudist communities. We would meet regularly and there were always interactive events to participate in. I love my communities, but it was often hard to look past the fact that I was usually the only person within my age group present and I was one of few persons of color attending events. This caused me to become obsessed with finding my own community. It’s like you never know how much you need something, until you don't have it and desperately want it. 

REPRESENTATION TRULY MATTERS! This “fact” was even more apparent on Saturday, June 8th when the Black Naturist Association decided to host a meetup at Gunnison beach in Highlands, New Jersey. I’ve been living on the east coast for about three years now. One of the first things that I did upon preparing to move was research naturist friendly spaces in the area and Gunnison beach was one of the first places that popped up. Prior to BNA planning a meetup at Gunnison, I had been to the beach several times by myself. Every summer since moving to the Baltimore County area, I have planned day trips to Gunnison to enjoy the beach and a little time free of clothing. I have to say, from the moment that I walked up to the beach a few weekends ago, it just felt different. From the moment I could see people on the beach and noticed there was a small section of color there, I was certain that was my tribe. The feeling of excitement magnified when I started to see people I  recognized from the group chat and my previous Florida trip. This was the first time I'd been to Gunnison with people I knew and feelings of pride and support was immediate. In that moment, I thought about every follower who has ever questioned why I had to bring race into naturism. For those who have to ask, I’m convinced they may never understand but I hope they will read my stories and be open to learning a new perspective. Seeing black people unified on a nude beach was EVERYTHING for me. I’ve been a naturist for years, but I’ve never been this comfortable being naked around a group of people. 

As Black History Month begins, I’m reminded how far WE have come as a people. No matter what has been done over the years to stop us from progressing as a people, we have found ways to endure despite the obstacles. Earlier his month, I was asked why I can’t “just be a nudist?” The real question was why do I have to focus on being a “BLACK” nudist. That was a loaded question and I’m just now prepared to attempt to think through and properly frame an answer.

Black people do not have the luxury of just being a nudist. In our attempt to find ourselves and learn to love our natural selves, we still have fight the images that have been place on us by society. When I searched the web for black nudist, wholesome photos of people enjoying being nude on a beach were not the first to appear. I mostly found pictures of white nudist or pornographic images of black people. I immediately started to think about how the “BLACK” body has been oversexualized throughout history. Terms like Brute, savages, now thugs have been used to describe blackness. These terms were used not because they held any truth but they were used to hurt, demean, and instill fear. Whether it was the black man’s penis or Sarah Bartman(please google her story), black nudity was exploited for the gains of others outside of our culture. I embrace being a BLACK nudist for those who didn’t have the option to learn to love themselves and their bodies. I have the right to strip and be nude in spaces with others on my own terms because of the many generations of people before me that had to endure inhumane treatment.

So now I am proud to be a BLACK nudist! I’m proud because my blackness still offends some people. I’m proud because being a black nudist is seen as something taboo and rare. I’m proud because I have the chance to educate and help re-create how others see the black naked body. Black bodies, like all other bodies, come in all shapes and sizes. No matter what shape or size, ALL are beautiful. No matter naked or clothed, we can be proud of what we have and be free to share with the world on our terms.

Last month, I was thinking of new things I could do to make my blog appeal more to regular everyday people. In the years I’ve been exploring naturism, I’ve come to discover that there is a huge population of folks who would enjoy the nudist lifestyle, but struggle to find environments that are supportive of their needs. Comfort is a big deal and finding spaces where you can be comfortable seem to be a challenge and road block for more would be nudists.

I decided that adding testimonials from followers would be a great way to encourage people to step further outside of their comfort zones and create the spaces they are looking for. This follower has been around for a while. We talk often about naturism and what it means to establish communities that are inclusive. Today, I am glad to share a piece of her story. She literally started out with an idea, took a leap of faith, and invited others she was already comfortable with to try something new. Now she has a group of six ladies who get together regularly and enjoy nude recreation with.

I encourage everyone to find or create communities that are welcoming and fitting for them. Life is too short to wait for things to find us. We can start today by finding those we are comfortable with and posing the idea.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A BLACK NUDIST PART 5

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day. It had been a while since we had caught up and she was asking what was new in my life! I covered all of the usual topics, such as relationships, the job, the family, and recent trips I’ve taken. But instead of stopping there and continuing the conversation per usual, I mentioned how big naturism had become in my life since our last conversation. Surprisingly, when I shared this information, she was well aware of what a “naturist” was and didn’t seem surprise that I was one. Me sharing that part of me turned into a conversation lasting a few hours about body positivity, insecurities, how society oversexualizes the naked body, how people of color are viewed in the nude, etc! It’s crazy because we had been friends for years and after that conversation, it was the first time that I felt like we actually knew each other. It’s amazing how freeing sharing your truth is. Not only freeing for myself, but freeing for those connected to me. Me sharing my experiences as a naturists allowed her the opportunity to open up about how she felt about herself and why she’d love to explore naturism more.

As I’m writing this post, I’m currently reflecting on how far I’ve come since originally starting this blog. This is my “staring at the man in the mirror” post! When I began blogging about naturism, I didn’t really know much about it. All I knew was that I was extremely interested in learning more about the lifestyle and didn’t feel comfortable talking to friends and family about it. This blog became my outlet. Tumblr became a space for me to vent, question, and share things as they came to mind. My blog became my safety net. A way for me to jump into the lifestyle, without worrying about what people close to me would think. In the five years, I’ve been blogging I’ve gone from naturism being something I was secretly passionate about to it being one of the first things I’ll share when asked what’s new. More so than posting new things every week, these past five years have been more about learning and growing. Here are a few things I’ve learned since starting this blog...

I’ve learned to be real with myself. In the past, I would always act like things in my life were perfect. On the outside, I presented like I was always happy and loved myself. This was probably the biggest lie I could’ve ever made myself believe. Although I was generally a happy person, I hated the way my body looked and it was affecting how I carried myself. Upon starting this blog, I had suddenly lost a lot of weight due to stress and anxiety. People seemed to notice me a lot more than I had felt before and always seemed ready to let me know how slim I was looking. This may have seemed like a compliment to them, but hearing that would literally make me cringe in the inside. Around that time, I also had a false idea of how the black body was supposed to look. I had grown up watching porn 3-4 times a day and had subconsciously come to think that the bodies shown in those films was the norm. In addition to porn, there was this idea that ALL black men were hung. I had began to accept that something was wrong with me because my penis wasn’t anywhere near the size of those in the videos. And I didn’t really consider myself as hung. Because nudity was so taboo in my house and with the people I was close to, I was never exposed to real bodies looked like. So I had developed insecurities about my body based on assumptions. Since exploring naturism and starting this blog, I have seen hundreds of naked people! There is no true normal when it comes to the body. We all are different and that’s the only normal I acknowledge these days. Difference is okay! Being different is what makes us unique. Instead of dwelling on the fact that my penis isn’t as big as someone else’s, I’ve learned to accept that I do have and it’s done miracles for my confidence.

I’ve come to learn that the naked body isn’t sexual. It’s what we do while naked that makes it sexual. I was afraid that I would be attending a nudist event and because everyone was naked, I would see someone attractive and spend the entire time erect. This never happens! To be honest, the only time my body is erect is the first few seconds I remove my clothes. This happens because I’m usually excited and still a bit nervous. It has nothing to do with who’s around. After the first few minutes passes, my body begins to calm down and returns to its natural state. In my experience, it’s actually rather difficult to get excited on the fly when I’m at naturist events. I think this is because once you’re around other naked people for a while, your body starts to relax. You literally blend in. Nothing is out of the ordinary once everyone is naked.

The third thing I learned was that black people are naturist! WE DO INSIST AND ARE VERY ACTIVE IN THE LIFESTYLE! We just don’t necessarily exist in the spaces where people are looking for us. When I first started, I found a group of nudist in STL who planned monthly nude hangouts. I would attend these events, but noticed I was usually the only person who looked like me coming. I began to question why this was. What I’ve come to realize was that nudist spaces tend to mirror what’s going on in the clothed world lol. People naturally connect with people who identify with them. We have a problem with race in this country and those same issues have caused many black naturist to pass on attending certain events or joining certain clubs. Naturist of color are creating spaces were they feel more comfortable and these groups have served as a support system for people who felt like they were alone. Last year, I joined the BLACK NATURISTS ASSOCIATION (BNA), which is a group that advocates nudity through Naturists environments and activities to help promote healthy body images and self-esteem for those in the black community. See information below to get connected!

Joining BNA has been one of the best things that I’ve ever done. It’s definitely helped me find a community where I feel at home and offers the support I spent years searching for.

Lastly, I’ve learned how freeing being nude with others can be! I, no longer, have a stigma attached to the nude body. Being in social setting nude just feels natural and I love connecting with others who share my interest. I’ve grown so much in a short amount of time. Stepping out of my comfort zone five years ago changed my life. I believe their are people out there struggling to accept themselves. I was one of those people. I chose to deal with my insecurities head on and saw naturism as the best option for me. I would invite anyone to try it. I created this blog to build a sense of community online. If you have any questions I’d just want to kno more about a specific part of my story, FEEL FREE TO ASK!