On Juneteenth weekend at the 31st Street Harbor, two Black boaters started a movement they believe will flourish into something more significant in Chicago.
The event was called the Black Boaters Summit, which had a two-fold purpose: to celebrate the city’s burgeoning Black boating community and to get more people of color out on the water.
“We just wanted to make sure we had a chance to celebrate us on the water and show that African Americans are boating in very large numbers,” said Kenny Johnson of Lifebrand, Inc., the visionary behind the inaugural event.
The Black Boaters Summit partnered with Discover Boating, the world’s largest online recreational boating resource, to make the pastime accessible and affordable to people who might not otherwise consider it.
“It’s designed to get people out on the water and provide resources and information that allow them to make informed decisions about how to do it, how to buy a boat, how to maintain the boat, where to find boats in terms of a boat show or a dealership,” said Kevin Williams, vice president of North American Marketing for the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
Boating is for Everyone
The organizations involved in the groundbreaking event share a singular belief — that boating is for everyone, including Black people.
“As we present these kinds of experiences,” said Williams, “it will basically dispel a lot of those myths. And that’s what we want. Because we want more people out here, we want them to know that they can get out here.”
One of the myths that the event aimed to dispel is the one that says that recreational boating is about owning a yacht.
“We believe that the Black Boaters Summit will become a staple in Chicago,” said Kevin Williams, vice president of North American Marketing for the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
Williams noted far more affordable options that allow people to get into recreational boating without spending hundreds of thousands or even millions to purchase a boat outright.
“You can rent a boat every weekend if you want it. You can get a captain, and you don’t have to maintain it. You don’t have to do anything. Just go out, enjoy yourself with your friends and family.”
Williams also noted that people interested in being out on the water could consider buying more affordable personal watercraft like a water scooter or pontoon boat.
The summit hosted organizations whose goal was to make recreational boating more accessible.
The Freedom Boat Club, the world’s largest members-only club of its kind, was on hand to educate people on the benefits of membership to its organization, which is all about accessibility.
“We’re trying to make that dream of living the boating lifestyle a little easier,” said Robert Sheets, Freedom Boat Club’s general manager for Midwest Clubs. “So we take the hassles out of boating.”
Membership to the Freedom Boat Club allows boaters of every skill level, from newbies to old salts, to get training, classes or rent from the company’s fleet of boats, which includes everything from electric to premium vessels.
“You have a variety of different types of boating that you might consider. Whether you’d like to fish or cruise or go water skiing, you’ve got a whole range,” Sheets said. “So we give you the ability to find out what kind of boater you’re going to be. And that’s what Freedom Boat Club offers.”
The Benefits of Boating
Yet, among all who attended the summit, from enthusiasts to industry leaders, the main point they all mentioned was the health and wellness benefits boating offers.
Researchers have documented those benefits, which include stress reduction and boosting serotonin, the brain chemical associated with happiness and well-being.
Other benefits include natural sunlight and Vitamin D exposure.
Angel Weiss of the Brunswick Corporation refers to those cumulative benefits as part of the “restorative power of water.”
The Brunswick Corporation, the parent company of the Freedom Boat Club, has a global initiative called “All Blue Planet,” which states that access to water for recreational and therapeutic purposes is an essential human need.
“It’s the knowledge that water brings wellness, and really that self-care opportunity that we should all be able to experience,” said Weiss, diversity, equity and inclusion program manager for the Brunswick Corporation.
It was a message that Weiss and others communicated to folks who stopped by the event.
Making the Summit a Staple Chicago Event
You could say that the vibe at the Black Boaters Summit felt refreshing and relaxing. Lilting breezes swept over the sun-drenched pier as DJs spun soul, R&B and Hip-hop classics, the kind you’d hear at a family reunion or cookout. As the day wore on, social gatherings occurred at vessels up and down the pier.
The whole scene seemed worlds away from the hustle of the Southside and the city itself. Being at the harbor made it plain why boat owners want to spend time on their vessels every day.
And every boater has a story about how they got into the lifestyle.
Johnson said his journey began with his father, who was in the Navy. Though he had been around ships for a while, Johnson got his boat about two years ago and has yet to look back.
“What I found, because I’m a newfound boater, is that it’s fun,” Johnson said. “It’s a whole experience. My family loves it. My wife, my two boys, they love being out here.”
Williams had been boating for a long time, he said. But he became firmly entrenched in the industry after serving as a marketing executive for a luxury car brand. He operates in a similar capacity for the NMMA and is an unabashed advocate for recreational boating.
“So when the opportunity presented itself for me to change gears and come into boating, I embraced it because there’s not one person at the executive level in the boating industry that looked like me,” Williams said. “So I provided an opportunity for me to change that narrative.”
Both men want more people of color to join them to help transform that narrative.
“We believe that the Black Boaters Summit will become a staple in Chicago,” said Williams.
As Williams spoke about the possibilities of the event in the future, he noted one other overlooked benefit of being out on the water.
My experience with boating is I’ve never had anyone forced to get on a boat. They come onto a boat willingly with a smile.”
Learn more at DiscoverBoating.com and @DiscoverBoating on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter. To learn more about the Freedom Boat Club, visit freedomboatclub.com.
More photos from the event:
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