A New Documentary on Black Outdoorsmen Premieres in Portland
From left: cast members Alex Bailey, Chad Brown, Nick Brooks, James Mills, and Jahmicah Dawes pose for a photo before heading out on a fishing expedition in Alaska.
Image: Courtesy Chad Brown
You’ve experienced it on a camping trip: you huddle around the warmth of the fire and discuss life and troubles and dreams.
Chad Brown
Image: Courtesy Chad Brown
That’s the chord struck by Chad Brown’s new documentary Blackwaters: Brotherhood in the Wild, which follows the journey of five Black men on a fishing expedition to Gates of the Arctic National Park and Kobuk Valley National Park. With Alaska's far north as the backdrop, the documentary brings the audience into their lives and unpacks what it means to be Black outdoorsmen in an industry that is typically dominated by white voices. Brown’s film premieres right here in Portland—where he lives and founded his nonprofit organization Soul River, Inc—on Saturday, August 26, at Ecotrust Events’ Billy Frank Jr. Conference Center from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m (RSVP here).
For Brown, a US Navy veteran who deployed to the Middle East and Somalia, reintegration into society was not an easy task, and reconnecting with nature helped him deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. Ten years ago he began to bring along fellow veterans, as well as BIPOC youth, who found structure and an outlet to discuss their feelings.
Jahmicah Dawes (center) and Alex Bailey (right) while camping along Alaska's Kobuk River near the Arctic Circle
Image: Courtesy Chad Brown
Blackwaters centers around a discussion among five outdoorsmen while sitting in their camp along the Kobuk River in Alaska, discussing their earliest memories of being connected to nature, struggles they’ve encountered in their outdoorsy careers, and how those experiences permeate their lives and relationships. They also delve into the last five years of racial and social justice protests and their impact on the Black community, particularly on Black boys and their opportunities. “What matters most is to have a solid visual and narrative representation of people of color in the outdoors in a meaningful way,” says costar James Edward Mills, an outdoor journalist and author from Wisconsin.
The campfire discussion featured in the film Blackwaters serves as a thread that brings the stories of the five men together.
Image: Courtesy Chad Brown
The film also features Jahmicah Dawes, owner and CEO of Slim Pickins Outfitters in Stephenville, Texas; Nick Brooks, a social media influencer from Atlanta known by the moniker “Outdoor Gear and Beer;” and Alex Bailey, founder and executive director of Black Outside, Inc., a Texas-based nonprofit that connects Black youth to outdoor recreation. Brown says he hopes the audience comes away with the understanding that there are not enough role models for young Black boys in the outdoor space. All of the cast members "are really successful and thriving in their own space," says Brown. "Granted that these spaces weren’t given to us. We created them. We were very lucky to be brought together."
The Blackwaters cast arrive at their camp along Alaska's Kobuk River by seaplane.
Image: Courtesy Chad Brown
Jahmicah Dawes, founder and CEO of Slim Pickins Outfitters, holds a fish he caught during the excursion near the Arctic Circle.
Image: Courtesy Chad Brown
This is one of many projects for Brown. When he’s not out teaching veterans and youth to fly-fish, he’s testifying at congressional hearings on conservation issues or arranging the next social meetup of BIPOC outdoorsmen and women. He’s also built a small media empire through his production company Love Is King.
You can reserve a spot to the Blackwaters premiere on August 26 by RSVPing online. The quintet will also host a community fly-fishing event sponsored by Orvis on Sunday, August 27 from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. at Wilder Lake near Dundee where guests can meet the cast and crew and do some fishing.
