Can you believe it’s already November? In rhythm with this season of movement, our editorial compass for this month is travel. So much excitement can be found in exploring new places, tasting exotic foods and capturing Insta-worthy moments. Travel functions not merely as a passage between coordinates but as a journey through the vast landscapes of human emotion and experience.
Let’s keep it real: For Black folks, travel carries with it a dual narrative, encompassing the allure of exploring uncharted territories, laying on beaches and immersing ourselves in diverse cultures, and it can also carry the disappointment of discovering that issues of race and identity have no borders. From subtle microaggressions in upscale hotels to overt prejudices in rural locales, Black travelers often must confront reminders that entrenched biases, in many ways, aren’t limited to the United States. Indeed, anti-Blackness has a passport of its own.
To travel is to engage in a dialogue with humanity itself, and every journey offers the opportunity for transformation. Travel, with its promise of broadening horizons, could be (if folks would let it) a potent weapon against -isms. Every interaction, every shared meal, every story exchanged is an opportunity—a chance to dispel myths, challenge stereotypes and cure people in other places of Ignorant Person Syndrome. The undeniable, transcendent reality is that our shared humanity is both our bridge and our bond.
Journey with us this month from dining room tables to trips abroad. See you on the other side!