Traveling While Black – 5 Cultural Nuances of Black Travel
Moving the Black Travel Movement Forward
It’s a new day and Black people are packing their bags in search for adventure. Sometimes we need something new and different from our day-to-day lives, some of us can’t stand to be in one place, and sometimes we just want to flex. Every reason to travel is ok, because at the end of the day more experiences enrich our lives and expand our minds to new dimensions. In 2019, Black travelers in the US spent $109.4 billion accounting for 13.1 percent of the leisure travel market. As we continue to pump more money into the travel industry, it allows us new business opportunities because we all know money talks! Black travel services, social media influencers, real estate investors, and travel groups are emerging enticing the travel industry to cater more towards black travelers. Growing our influence is the key to growing the Black Travel Movement into more than a hashtag. We outchea!
Encountering Curious Stares and Paparazzi
In many places around the world, the native people of the area have had little to no experience interacting with people of color. In many ways, our skin color, natural hair texture, and facial features are very different from many other ethnicities. For example, being black in China is like being a tourist attraction. People may even take pictures of you, but you won’t necessarily know if their intentions are positive or not. They might even assume you are a celebrity! Despite the attention you may get as a black traveler, more often than not, traveling is still worth it. Life is difficult and sometimes you must push through the uncomfortable parts to get to your goal of experiencing everything this world has to offer.
Where are you really from?
When traveling, we constantly confront the question “who are you?” both internally and externally. As we move through the streets of foreign lands, we interact with countless numbers of people. We learn the nuances of different cultures and realize that at times preconceived notions can outweigh reality. In some places speaking “perfect” English and being black is an anomaly and the answer of “I’m American” doesn’t quell their doubts because of what they’ve consumed on their entertainment screens. “…But where are you really from?” Preconceived notions of Blackness can lead to discrimination, mistreatment, and outright disbelief as we travel the globe. So walk confidently across the continents as a proud black traveler and show them who you are. Not for the culture, for yourself. We are not a monolith. Be unique. Be authentic. Be you.
You count how many other Black people are around
As a black traveler, my natural reaction is to scan my surroundings for people who look like me. I’m not going to lie, seeing other black people does make a location more comfortable. It can tell me a lot about a destination if other black people feel comfortable enough to live there or visit. Does it mean that we have much in common besides the darkness of our skin? No. For example, in southern India, many people are similar shades of brown or darker than me but that doesn’t necessarily mean we have a lot in common. Connect with black people and see where you could hang out, eat, or find hidden gems in the destination where you are. I had a distinctly black experience in Brussels simply because I knew a black classmate who was living there at the time. Find your tribe wherever you happen to be!
Bring it Back
One of the best things about travel is realizing how much Black culture influences communities all over the globe. If you’ve haven’t travelled much, you’d be surprised how often the things we do naturally and the way we express ourselves is impressive to others. Because many of the same shows, songs, and fashion that is popular within our communities also becomes popular their, many times its easily to instantly feel like “the cool kid” when in a different country. But despite people from other countries being impressed by me, I am constantly inspired and in awe of the cultural aspects from the different countries I have visited. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to live in the Netherlands for a few months. The bicycle culture, the access to fresh produce just a short walk from where I was staying, walkable spaces, plenty of green spaces, easy travel to other countries and smaller living quarters redefined what I thought daily life could be in America and especially within the black community. During this culture exchange I was also surprised how often I was impressed. I learned so much about how other people live and was constantly inspired to bring back the positive things to enrich my life and my community back home.
