Who doesn’t dream of traveling the world? I started at age 19 and went to Spain first, then Taiwan, then China, then decided that I never want to stop. I did not know that traveling while black was even a thing. It was my mother who, before letting me go anywhere, would always ask the same question in French, with her Beninese accent:

Mais ils aiment les noirs là-bas ?

“But do the people there like black people ?”

As if I could possibly know the answer before going. I don’t have one memory of a bad trip. But every time I came back home, I did have a vague idea of how black friendly a country or its people were and I learned that parts of my experience abroad are only relatable to other black travelers.

If you are black and worried about how you will be perceived when traveling while black, well don’t be. As I said earlier, the only way to know is to go. That said, if you are visiting regions that are likely to have few black people, I suggest you prepare mentally for special treatment.

Let’s be real: people can behave inappropriately at times. I made this infographic because the world needs to start treating black people better. So help me spread the word and let’s dive into it. I present to you the 5 things I believe just kill the joy of traveling as a black person and my advice to overcome it (more details after the infographic).

1. Being the center of attention

I fell in love with Asia after visiting Taiwan and its very respectful people, so I expected to receive the same treatment when traveling in China. How foolish of me! Shanghai, which I thought was a big and advanced cosmopolitan city was actually filled with self-proclaimed paparazzi and people touching my braids. Yeah, that was uncomfortable AF.

I know that white people also get a lot of attention in non-white countries. But it really is surprising at first because you don’t know if they’re treating you like a zoo animal or if you’re genuinely the first black person they’ve ever met but even in that case, stare at me from afar please! I remained patient and kind to people because I am calm by nature. Or was it because I felt pressured to represent the entire black community? Hopefully I’ve set the path for all future black travelers. Yay… Wait, I shouldn’t have to shrink myself for acceptance. But that’s a topic for another time.

Let me clarify the above: not all Chinese people will invade your privacy. Some advised me to refuse pictures and some were visibly supporting me. This experience allowed me to make cool friends. Eventually, the 6 months I spent in China were unforgettable! So my advice is to stay cool if you can, and try to make the most of a situation which you will have no control over (they’ll take a sneak peek anyway).

2. Being compared to a black celebrity

If at least I was compared to Beyoncé or Michelle Obama… I met people who thought I was an American basketball player. MALE. People sometimes just wanted to flatter me but other times I could genuinely see in their eyes they believed I was Oprah!

It is absolutely normal to be curious about someone who looks different. But the comparison to a black celebrity is pointless. If I say I’m American, you can talk about Trump or Obama. But don’t say I look like Obama… it just doesn’t make sense.

Most of the time I ignore these comments. Here’s the thing about traveling through Asia, you’ll meet annoying people. Some will touch you or take a picture without your consent, and in the countryside, some will even cover their nose or change their seat when you enter the subway. Don’t take it too personally, I simply take it for ignorance. It is the only answer that makes sense.

3. Having to prove your identity

Having to show your ID to locals or other travelers is not fun. When I say I’m French I shouldn’t have to explain why. Seriously what is wrong with people? I once had to explain to an American guy I met in Taiwan that not all French people are white. He could not get over it and kept asking “yes but where are you really from?“. Sigh. Black Europeans have been a thing for centuries! Have you ever heard of Alexandre Dumas?

If on your journey you find yourself in that situation, I recommend to calmly explain where you are from. In my opinion, it’s the fastest way to end the discussion and move on. But if you know of a solution, do us all a favor and share it!

4. Being the subject of racism

Now that one is not a shocker, right? We are accustomed to discrimination in our own countries. But on vacation we expect to just be in peace. Watch the video above to see what this youtuber experienced when she went to Egypt. It is shocking and reflects some realities of traveling while black. Sadly, black men are more likely to be assaulted on holiday, to be controlled for a longer time by airport authorities and women to be denied access to a bar or service at a restaurant. Some women (not just black) are even mistaken for prostitutes.

And as if people weren’t enough, turns out machines can be racist too! Airport scanners have a harder time determining what a black person’s thick hair is and sometimes qualifies it as dangerous. On the same topic, people are begging Amazon to stop selling a facial recognition technology that has high error rates identifying dark skinned people. And they’re selling it to the police! How ridiculous is it that they haven’t thought about that?

Being black is having to do research on how racist a country is before u go on holiday, like it’s the weather.

— TR!LLY (@YoungsTeflon) May 31, 2020

We live in a world where black people don’t feel safe. If you’re concerned about racist treatment abroad, browse the Internet to find reviews from black travelers, get on social media and forums to ask people and locals about their experience in your target country. You could even consider contacting black travel businesses if you think you will feel more comfortable and safer traveling with a black travel group. Before going anywhere, many of us google “traveling while black in ___”. That is not normal.

5. Being unable to find black products

Now let’s define black products: I am mainly referring to black cosmetics. Imagine having your luggage stuck in the middle of nowhere, you are supposed to attend an important business meeting in Copenhagen, where you’ll meet important people. I know I’d want to look my best, with good hair, nice make up, cute clothes.

A white woman with straight hair could simply go to the store and buy what she needs or get a hairdo. A black woman would not be able to do that because she wouldn’t find foundation that fits her dark skin, and wouldn’t be able to go to the hairdresser to have her vacation hair fixed because white hair salons can’t always deal with 4C hair.

My advice here is self-explanatory, bring along everything you need, whether it’s a wig, your African body lotion, your hair oils and conditioners, just everything but in small quantity.

One more thing…

Between us, the list could go longer. Luckily, meeting another black person during your trip can straight up make your day. One look at each other and you feel the sense of community, no matter where the other person comes from. And that is beautiful.

We all have our unique views and experience when traveling and some of them are more positive than others. In the end, we should not let obstacles prevent us from enjoying ourselves. Traveling is about exploring, meeting people and learning from their culture. Tolerance and open mindedness is the best lesson to be learned.

Traveling while black infographic:

I can’t finish this section without mentioning “Traveling While Black”, an award-winning virtual reality documentary that describes how African American travelers were treated in the Jim Crow era. Someone had the idea to make a “Green Book” for black people to find safe spaces to sleep at, at a time when black and white couldn’t be mixed. If you haven’t had a VR experience yet, I urge you to make this VR documentary your first, especially since it won an Academy Award and was presented at the Sundance Film Festival. When you do, come back here to let me know how it felt.

What are your views on traveling while black? Can you relate to this? Let me know in the comments and make sure to share it with your friends too 🙂 

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The Author / L'Auteure

Jane

I’m a twenty-something french-african digital marketer passionate with travel, video games, technology. I write about my experience as a woman, as a black woman, as a woman at work, as a black woman at work, as a black woman who travels… Well, I think you get it, and I hope you can relate to my stories because I write to empower and inspire other women to share theirs.

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