As the United States transitions to a “minority majority” nation, a staggering number of people of color do not identify with America’s wild places. Nine climbers set out on the first African-American expedition to tackle Denali (previously known as Mount McKinley), the continent’s highest peak, on the hundredth anniversary of its first summit. Their historic multi-week adventure, depicted in An American Ascent, challenges entrenched and outdated notions of racial identity and the environment, changing the way we think about our great American parks and who uses them.

Watch Our Conversation with Writer/Producer James Edward Mills and Film Subject Tyrhee Moore, moderated by Gregory McGruder (Curator, Global Events, National Geographic).