In her novel, “Black Faces, White Spaces”, Carolyn Finney attempts to redefine the relationship between African Americans and the wilderness. In the first two chapters, the author argues that due to little representation and ideals of American citizenship, there is a distinct and inconsistent relationship between African Americans' and white Americans' connection with the land. Finney argues that two of the most transformative pieces of legislation in American history were the Wilderness Act and the Civil Rights Act, in 1964. She emphasizes how these pieces of legislation shared many similarities such as tone and structure, but displayed the vast disconnect between race and environmentalism. Finney claims that while two stories of racial identity with the wilderness were evolving, scholars only focused on one side of the relationship. By analyzing separate environmental organization goals and legislations, Finney reveals how American identity as an integral part of wilderness areas and land ownership directly correlates to American identity. Although, Finney argues that this definition of American identity is isolating, and not necessarily all-encompassing as people of color have been denied rights to land in the past and continued to be underrepresented in media about the wilderness. Due to this limited representation in the media, many African Americans are discouraged from participating in outdoor activities. John Muir and the other white, male leaders of the environmental movement often make comparisons between European religious experiences/lifestyle and the wilderness. This connection has further created a divide in the relationship between African Americans and the wilderness. This disproportionate representation caused a nonexistent sense of belonging to the wilderness of America for African Americans.  Lastly, Finney describes the importance of her research by communicating that a negative relationship with the land ultimately leads to a negative relationship with others, especially when race plays an isolating factor.