Celebrate Black Travel

“Black travel is not a monolith,” wrote Dr. Alana Dillette and Dr. Stefanie Benjamin in 2021, referencing the findings of their comprehensive study into Diversity in Travel. As codirectors of Tourism RESET, an initiative dedicated to promoting social equity in the travel and tourism space, Dillette and Benjamin partnered with Evita Robinson, founder of BIPOC travel community Nomadness Travel Tribe, to explore both the immense spending power of Black travelers—and the missed opportunities. “Black travelers are seeking authenticity, not only in their experiences while traveling, but also in the depth of representation across media. .... Destinations, travel brands, and tourism companies need to further explore the intersectionality of what it means to be Black.”

Here at AFAR, we celebrate the myriad stories and voices of Black travelers all year long. Yes, Black History Month begins today, but the legacy can’t be contained to one narrative in one month.

Longreads

The Harlem Baker Who Turns Out the City’s Best Rugelach

For more than three decades, Alvin Lee Smalls has been turning out trays of rugelach—made the old-fashioned way.

Longreads

Why Is It So Hard for Africans to Travel in Africa?

The world’s second-largest continent is home to stunning landscapes, ancient cities, award-winning wine regions, and more. But for African passport holders, organizing trips within the continent comes with its share of obstacles.

Outdoor Adventure

How 2 People Are Making 63 National Parks More Accessible for People of Color

Disappointed by the low percentages of people of color visiting U.S. national parks, Diamon Clark and Kristen Walker are creating a sense of ownership through Our Parks Too.

Longreads

Cooking Lessons From the Ghosts of Black Appalachians

In an excerpt from her new book, poet and writer Crystal Wilkinson explores the idea of legacy.

Cruise

Is Cruising Welcoming Enough for Black Travelers?

Not yet—but a group of Black travel advocates is hoping to help change that.

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello estate in Charlottesville, Virginia

A University of Virginia alum revisits Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello to find much has changed.

History + Culture

21 Places to Learn About African American History

Across the country, a number of compelling museums, monuments, and landmark trails commemorate significant moments in African American history.

J.R. Harris hiking in Torres del Paine National Park, Chilean Patagonia, in 1995; man in a red bucket hat with a large camping backpack on his back overlooking a snow-capped mountain range and valley.

Longreads

The Greatest Traveler You’ve Never Heard Of

J.R. Harris is one of the most prolific solo hikers the world has ever seen. But he’d never tell you that himself.

Edna Lewis was born in Virginia in 1916, but became known for her work in New York City kitchens.

Longreads

In Virginia, a Homecoming for Chef Edna Lewis

The Edna Lewis Menu Trail in Orange County, Virginia, is an overdue look at the home county— and culinary legacy—of one of America’s best chefs.

A foodie and a scholar: Author Adrian Miller is the go-to authority on barbecue and soul food.

Food + Drink

Adrian Miller’s Soul Food (by Way of Denver)

The James Beard Award–winning food writer digs into his Colorado roots and the places that make him feel at home.

Quilts hanging in front of a pasture in Gee's Bend

Art + Culture

Quilting for Change in Gee’s Bend, Alabama

A new generation of Gee’s Bend quilters are stitching to uplift their community.

Longreads

The Texas Riding Club Keeping Black Cowboy Culture Alive

For the past 70 years, the Circle L 5 Riding Club in Fort Worth has been honoring the legacy of its forefathers.

Tour guide giving a talk to a few tourists outside the Freedom House Museum in Alexandria Virginia. The museum is a federalist-style yellow-brick building and the street has other brick row houses on it. It's now a museum and National Historic Landmark.

History + Culture

A Lesser-Known Black History Museum Is Getting a Facelift and Deserved Attention

The Freedom House Museum was a former slave-holding pen for one of the country’s largest slave trading companies. Today, it’s a National Historic Landmark and a museum intent on sharing that difficult past.

black woman in sunglasses looking at her phone and holding suitcase outside a building

Longreads

For Black Travelers, TikTok Is Today’s Version of the “Green Book”

Nearly a century after the “Green Book” and other Black travel publications emerged, their mission is still necessary—and their legacy lives on via TikTok and other social media.

exterior image of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Family Travel

Take the Family on a Civil Rights History Road Trip

Hop on a plane or crowd into a car: The history of Black liberation is a road trip away.