As far as representation goes the black community is one of the most underrepresented and the travel industry is no different. While it makes sense for travel agencies to not advertise black-only vacations, and hotels to have black-only floors in a post-segregation society. Not to mention, the owners of most of these major travel companies are non-black so profiting off of the black community with black-only travel is definitely problematic to say the least. However, there are black-owned businesses that curate trips for the black community to create a sense of community, and to encourage travel in a group that is usually left out of that industry. Aside from black owned travel groups there are also black travel bloggers to follow for helpful travel tips and resources, all from the perspective of someone who understands what you may face when traveling.
This travel blog started by Lola Akinmade is a beautiful mix of words and pictures. Not only does she tell you about her trips, she shows you. With over 12 years of experience working in Geographic Information Systems, Akinmade is more than qualified to give you travel advice and resources.
This blog was created by an African American couple who love to camp. They share great camping tips on their blog like how to start a campfire or how to clean and scale a fish. They also like to post about camping-related history, like the History of African Americans camping in America. Overall, it is a very helpful blog to check out if you were hoping to camp for your next vacation.
Francesca Murray not only discusses travel in her blog but gives lifestyle tips as well. She gives travel advice on topics such as festivals, solo-travel, studying abroad, and more. Her posts are described as intimate and informative, so if you need travel advice her page is one to check out.
This blog was started by Elaine Lee who is editor of the first travel book for African American female travelers written by African American women. She is also the author/editor of “Go Girl: The Black Woman’s Book of Travel and Adventure.” Her blog not only features her travel writings but also guest travel stories. Not to mention, she has a section dedicated to travel resources like black travel books and websites.
This mult-iplatform travel company is a great place to find travel tips from black travelers as well as resources to plan your next trip. They provide planned international events and experiences for black travelers along with an information hub. This website/blog is a one-stop shop for all things travel.
Greg Gross started his blog 11 years ago after realising the world had some weird idea that black people don’t travel. His love of traveling is clear when you read how he describes the places he has visited. His blog keeps up with relevant topics/social issues and provides a mix of travel tips and resources with his travel agency Trips by Greg.
According to their website this blog is “essentially the search engine of the black travel movement, so do your thing in the Search bar and enjoy the content curated just for you!” They have everything from travel blog posts to pre-planned travel group events.
Having traveled to over 115 countries Oneika Raymond’s travel blog is full of helpful travel tips as she recounts her adventures in a post. She also has an entire section dedicated to “Travelling While Black” where she discusses her experiences while traveling in certain countries and other related social issues.
Eulanda and Omo Osagiede are a couple who share the love of food and travel. Aside from the usual travel tips and blog posts about their food and travel experiences they also have resources. Some of the resources they provide are links to travel deals and even resources for content creators.
Photo Credit: Erick Prince
With 93 countries under his belt this travel blogger, Erick Prince, is hoping to be the first African American to visit every country in the world, and along the way he shares his knowledge. He utilizes multiple forms of media with his blog, vlog, and photographs which all provide a full and beautiful picture of his travels.
While the black community is fighting for equality worldwide there is something to be said about their fight in being able to travel. It has been said that traveling opens one up to new experiences and people, and, overall, helps create a well-rounded society. Whether or not this is true I am sure the black community’s fight for equality extends to travel, and these travel bloggers, whether knowingly or not, are part of that fight. So, if you are a member of the black community then I suggest you check out one of these travel bloggers so you may be better equipped to travel however and wherever you please.
