“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine
“All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.” – Samuel Johnson
Why I’m traveling the World NOW!!!
When people ask me why I’m going on this trip at times I have a hard time answering. I have very strong opinions and often times I am labeled as “the angry black man” or “disgruntled veteran”. I resent these labels because they imply that I am unable to think for myself, that my race and service are the only things that should define my logic and beliefs. Although they do account for why I see things a certain way, it shouldn’t marginalize the fact that my experiences are going to be different than my middle class white friends. The truth remains that the world of travel, and opportunity to do so, is not equal for some races and economic backgrounds.
I will board a plane to London,England with a one way ticket. I don’t know when i’ll be back and I don’t know where I’m going. By documenting my journey around the world and engaging cultures outside of my realm of experience, I plan to put an identifiable face on this project. When minority students watch the Travel Channel or PBS, they don’t see people of color that they can relate to. We don’t see people that are from where we are from, which reinforces what society has always told us, we are stuck where we are. Travel and exploration have regularly been promoted as middle class endeavors. History books tell us that only white men like Columbus, Vespucci, and Magellan can explore and discover. Or that you have to be in a certain income bracket to see the world. This is not the case.
While serving in the military, I soon realized that the people I was asked to confront had a culture and an identity that shaped who they were, just like I had a culture and identity that shaped who I was. This led me to ask what can we do to better understand the cultural identity of others and cooperate in a way that isn’t only beneficial for one people or one nation but for all of humanity. Only through exposure and interaction with other cultures can we truly understand each other and work together for a better future.
According to The Institute for International Education (IIE) published the Open Doors Report, only 11.1% of American students that travel abroad are of African or Latino decent, an additional 1.9% are multiracial. Approximately 80% of students that study abroad are white. Why is there such a disparity? “It’s really a matter of persuading young students of color that this is possible for them and this is necessary for them,” said Peggy Blumenthal, executive vice president of the Institute of International Education”. Students of color believe they are already living in a cross cultural world because they are surrounded by people not like themselves in the university setting. Many of us come from largely homogenous communities . “Minority students don’t need to seek out cross-cultural experiences by traveling to another country because in most cases — especially as students at majority white post secondary institutions — they already interact across cultural differences every day,” states Mark Salisbury author of a study published by Research in Higher Education on minorities in study abroad programs. This disparity is compounded by an American culture that doesn’t celebrate International travel. According to the U.S. State Department, from 2007-2009 the U.S. saw a nearly 2 million drop in new Passport issuance’s each year. In 2010 there was an increase of 600,000, and another 2 million drop in 2011. Passport issuance rates are on pace to return to their pre 2007 total of around 10 million per year. Despite approximately 42% of Americans having passports (including the foreign born that are required to have passports to come here), only 3.5% of U.S. citizens travel internationally for leisure and 10% overall (outside if Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean) according to MMGY Global/Harrison Group’s 2012 Portrait of American Travelers.
Inner city youth have not only been oppressed economically but socially. The world has never been smaller than it is now. It’s imperative that our future leaders have diverse views on other cultures and the opportunity to have a global education if they are to compete on a global level in the coming years. The first step in solving any problem is recognizing that there is one. The problem here is that inner city students of color don’t have the ability to travel abroad for cultural and artistic integration and experience.
Our current generation of children are being raised, and shaped ,in a world of fear and war. A world that the mainstream media is attempting to convince us is too big and dangerous for us. This is far from the truth. We need our children to embrace other cultures to prevent our species from destroying itself. This is our responsibility. We are the cause and must teach them the solution before it’s too late. I have seen the pain that war causes. The innocents that suffer because of the misguided decision of people elevated above them. I feel an obligation to try and prevent these atrocities from happening again. As a soldier I directly participated in things I wish I had not. By working toward a common peace we may be able to prevent future soldiers from doing the same.
This mission is not only for inner city youths. It’s for anyone that wonders why there aren’t more ethnic minority representation on the Travel Channel. Why single female travelers are still considered an oddity. It is for anyone of limited means that has the desire to see the world and make their mark in it. This is my journey and I want it to inspire you all to take yours. Find what you are passionate about and go for it. This is, The Minority Nomad.
