According to a recent report from The Elkhart Truth, a Black RV group is talking to city and industry leaders, and touring various sites around the city, as part of a visit to the recreational vehicle capital of the country.
Norman Ellis, founder of the National African American RVers Association Inc., said he has come to the city numerous times to buy RVs in the past 10 to 15 years. He previously came to the city to interact with RV dealers but not many other people, he said. The group also came to the city this year to help promote the Elkhart Jazz Fest, he said.
“We just came here to help the economy,” Ellis said.
The idea for the National African American RVers Association originated in August 1992 during a camping trip by the Ohio Buckeye Road Runners of Cincinnati, Ohio. Ellis said he did not know of many minority campers, but he knew there had to be more than just himself. The group formally organized in 1994, he said.
The group provides fellowship and networking opportunities for minority campers and RV owners. The group now has 1,800 members, said Rodney Thompson, national president of the National African American RVers Association. The group is the second largest RV organization in the United States and the largest Black RV organization in the nation, Thompson said.
“We have now moved into the 21st century,” Thompson said. “We are doing a lot of stuff computerized. We are trying to bridge the gap between different organizations, so everybody can be treated the same in this industry and, looking forward, we are getting new members every day.”
The group is open to people from all races and backgrounds, said Mila Turner, public relations coordinator for the National African American RVers Association.
During the group’s time in the city, they visited the Tolson Center, THOR, Alliance RV, Dynamax and the Jazz Fest. The lunch at the Tolson Center was provided by Alliance RV, said City Councilwoman LaTonya King, who helped organize the week’s events. The RV group, made up of 117 people, got to meet with 86 students at the Tolson Center, she said.
Click here to read the report from The Elkhart Truth.
