I saw the above Instagram post (click here for the link) at the height of the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests as a result of a public outcry for justice of countless and unnecessary murders of black men and women at the hands of law enforcement and white supremacists. I had the idea to write a post about how I, as a frequent traveler, have to be aware that my presence as a black woman is not welcome in some parts of the world and even here in the US. During that time, things were overwhelming and I shelved the idea. I decided to revisit the topic briefly since I think it’s important for the reality of my experiences to be shared. Knowing that racism is still prevalent is a hard pill to swallow, but it’s the unfiltered truth that many have the privilege to not have to face.

When looking at new countries to visit, I’ve always recommended that Pinterest, Google, Yelp, etc., are great resources to use to find things to do within the area. Click here to see my post about apps that you can use before and during your travels. Something that I’ve realized that I’ve neglected to mention is that I refer to black travel groups on Facebook and Instagram. Even more so when I travel alone, I believe that I subconsciously want to ensure that my safety isn’t at risk solely because of my race. There are even places in the US still in 2020, mostly in southern states, where it’s advisable to either drive through or simply avoid at all cost. 

When browsing through black travel pages, it’s refreshing and it makes me proud to see people that look like me. People who share the joy of traveling domestically and internationally. The stories and photos that are shared are very inspiring and I become excited when I noticed that someone has been to a city/country that I’ve also visited. I view these pages as “safe spaces” to spread the word about places that are highly recommended vs places that should probably be avoided. Within all of the positive stories, there are some disheartening accounts of how people who have experienced racism and discrimination. It’s even more disheartening when commenters express how they may have experienced similar situations in different areas. When traveling outside of the US, I have had my share of experiencing things what I felt were discriminatory. For example, in Japan and Europe specifically, I’m used to being stared upon. I’m a tall, black, and curvy woman whom they typically may not see on a day-to-day basis. It doesn’t bother me, but there are times where either I or someone that I’m with notices that I’m given a dirty look, and this has happened more than I’d like to admit. One not out of curiosity of what I interpret as disgust. There was a time in Germany where I walked into a lederhosen shop with a friend who was not of color. I could sense that my presence wasn’t welcomed as soon as I walked in. I was followed around the store, and every item that I touched, she immediately ruffled or tried to straighten. The items that my friend touched were ignored. It wasn’t a huge deal to me and my friend may not have even noticed what happened, but it happened. Did I let it ruin my day? Absolutely not. One person’s ignorance doesn’t trump my desire to continue to explore. Despite any negative experience one may have, I love that I and other people refuse to let these occurrences stop them from exploring the world. 

Hearing the stories of people of color within any context is very important to me. Everyone’s experiences are different, and I applaud those that share what they’ve gone through. With everything that is happening in society today, I hope that people outside of my race are trying to understand and sympathize with struggles that we may face due to a long history of systemic racism.

In an effort to highlighting black travelers, here’s a list of some of my favorite black travel groups/pages that can be found on Facebook and Instagram. I highly recommend that you take a look and follow their pages. I’m sure that these pages will bring some spark to your travel inspiration! You may even stumble upon black owned business that you could support during your travels!

@blackpassportstamps

@travelnoire

@blacktraveltube

@travelingblackwomen

@blacktravelfeed

@blacktravelphotos

@blacktravelgram

@blackandabroad

@blackgirlstraveltoo

Black Travel Movement (Facebook)

Black Girls on the Go (Facebook)

And of course my IG page @braidsandairplanes_ 🙂