KATHMANDU, MAY 12
A team of black Americans scripted history by scaling world highest peak this morning, according to expedition organiser.
Jiban Ghimire, Managing Director at Shangri-La Nepal Treks, said that Seven-member Full Circle Everest expedition team along with Sherpa climbers successfully scaled Mt Everest.
"The Full Circle Everest team led by Philip Henderson from California has made history as the first all-black team to stand atop the summit, the highest mountain on earth," Ghimire said.
The expedition team comprises of Manoah Ainuu, Frederick Campbell, Abby Dione, Eddie Taylor, Saal, James Kagambi, Desmond Mullins, and Thomas Moore.
The team was guided by a strong eight-member Sherpa team to the summit point, he added.
This expedition showcases the tenacity and strength of these climbers, and highlights the barriers that continue to exist for Black communities in accessing the outdoors,' a statement issued by the Full Circle said, adding: 'This historic attempt will inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts, educators, leaders, and mountaineers of color to continue chasing their personal summits. '
According to the Full Circle, the first American expedition reached the summit of Everest in 1963. 'That same year Martin Luther King delivered his historic 'I Have A Dream' speech. It took 40 more years for the first Black climber to summit Everest. Still, there has never been an all-Black team to summit the tallest mountain on Earth.'
