Traveling while black

Many people don't realize it, but when traveling while black, our skin color is an integral part of our travel experience. We want to go on vacation to relax a bit, and people make you feel different as early as when we land at the airport. It takes longer for us to go through immigration and that's just the beginning. In some areas of the world, when traveling as a black person, people may want to get a picture with you, just because you're black. They may assume you're an athlete, a drug dealer or a prostitute... just because of the color of your skin! They may question where you come from and assume you're from "Africa". They may touch your hair without asking for your consent. Little things our white counterparts never go through.

"I never thought about it before..." is a sentence I often hear when I tell some of my stories and anecdotes on my travels. But that's our reality as black people. In fact, it's often when you start traveling as a black person that you realize your experiences are definitely different. The interactions with the locals are not the same, the locals may treat you differently, you go through different obstacles along the way, you endure various microaggressions, casual racism...

Have you ever wondered what it's like to travel the world as a black person? Have you ever wondered what it's like to travel the world independently as a black woman? Have you ever wondered what it's like to travel the world as a black person from the African continent? Do you feel like it seems black people don't travel, although you know deep inside that it's completely wrong? Do you feel frustrated because of the lack of information about traveling as a black person? Have you ever felt like you couldn't identify with the (almost all) white people you see on travel media?

This essay covers what it's like to travel the world independently as a black person. Even as a seasoned non-black traveler, you may be surprised to find out we're going through a lot more than what you may think. Scroll up and buy the book to experience vicariously black travel!