Arielle Loren explains why young sisters and brothers need to see beyond the world outside their window
Money is often cited as the main reason that Black youth are not capable of backpacking across the world like their White counterparts. But truthfully, the savviest young Black travelers will tell you that it’s all about prioritizing and choosing where to spend the little money you may have. The real question is whether or not Black youth are inspired enough to make travel a top investment.
“A barrier has been built and reinforced before the opportunity has been presented. There are no mainstream African-Americans that truly represent and present the idea of travel in a way that entices Black youth. This is exactly the problem that I work to solve. I am very much a part of this demographic as a twenty-something year old, New York City living, hip-hop head,” explains Robinson.
What’s the effect of Black youth, like Robinson, receiving mainstream exposure for their travel adventures? It gives Black youth the opportunity to see young people who look like them camping out at an international hip-hop festival in Germany, trekking through the world wonder Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and what it’s like to live and teach English in Japan. Her stories are counter narratives to traditional travel adventures that tend to feature young White travelers exploring the Parisian Eiffel Tower or the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, which may or may not interest young Black travelers.
“I believe more Black youth aren't traveling because the brand of travel is seen as elitist and expensive. A world of the rich is not fathomable when local community issues are more pressing,” adds Kenji Summers, the founder of the Passport Project, a network of Millennial travelers and a fund that helps young non-passport owners through subsidizing passport application fees.
Approximately a third
of the U.S. population holds a valid U.S. passport, a ticket to see the
world. But as many Black American families view travel as a luxury
instead of a necessity, it’s rare to see Black youth trekking across the
world compared to their White counterparts. Travel is a rite of
passage; it challenges the traveler’s attachment to national identity
and introduces the option of being a global citizen. Black youth can
create lives outside of the United States, and see the world beyond just
simple vacations. But it’s going to take a shift in consciousness to
get Black youth to make world traveling a top priority instead of just
an option for retirement.
“I think there is a misconstrued, automatic assumption that traveling
is expensive and something that isn't accessible to Black communities,”
says Evita Robinson, the founder of Nomad•ness TV, a youth-focused travel reality show.Money is often cited as the main reason that Black youth are not capable of backpacking across the world like their White counterparts. But truthfully, the savviest young Black travelers will tell you that it’s all about prioritizing and choosing where to spend the little money you may have. The real question is whether or not Black youth are inspired enough to make travel a top investment.
“A barrier has been built and reinforced before the opportunity has been presented. There are no mainstream African-Americans that truly represent and present the idea of travel in a way that entices Black youth. This is exactly the problem that I work to solve. I am very much a part of this demographic as a twenty-something year old, New York City living, hip-hop head,” explains Robinson.
What’s the effect of Black youth, like Robinson, receiving mainstream exposure for their travel adventures? It gives Black youth the opportunity to see young people who look like them camping out at an international hip-hop festival in Germany, trekking through the world wonder Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and what it’s like to live and teach English in Japan. Her stories are counter narratives to traditional travel adventures that tend to feature young White travelers exploring the Parisian Eiffel Tower or the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, which may or may not interest young Black travelers.
“I believe more Black youth aren't traveling because the brand of travel is seen as elitist and expensive. A world of the rich is not fathomable when local community issues are more pressing,” adds Kenji Summers, the founder of the Passport Project, a network of Millennial travelers and a fund that helps young non-passport owners through subsidizing passport application fees.
