Known as “the world's largest small town," Tulsa, Oklahoma offers a wonderful mix of both Native American and African American culture and history, plus a blend of Midwestern and Southern charm. It is rich in Black history from Black Wall Street to the Tulsa Race Massacre. Interestingly. it was also known as "the Oil Capital of the World" due to the the rapid growth of the oil industry. By 1920, Tulsa served as the base for over 400 petroleum companies. DISCLAIMER: In an effort to shed light on a lens that I travel everywhere with, I decided that it was important for me to explicitly talk abo ..read more

So I wrote a book... Yeah a whole friggin BOOK! And I cannot wait to share it with my Fam-Bam here. During my social media break, one of my goals was to manifest my idea from 2+ years ago into a reality. I wanted to create something that aligns with my brand's mission but continue to live years from now (as who knows where Instagram will be 10 years from now, 20 years from now). I’ve been extremely blessed to have traveled to 30 countries and 35 states. That not only provides me with memories that will last a lifetime but has allowed me to accumulate a lot of wisdom that I want to share. I wan ..read more

Harlem. Bed Stuy. Flatbush. These are all areas often associated with Black History in New York City. However, do you ever think of Bowling Green, Greenwich Village, or Flushing, Queens? Black History truly exists everywhere if you know where to look for it! New York City has had a significant impact on the good, bad, and ugly associated with Black History. At one point, it was the largest slave trader north of the Mason Dixon Line. It also has a legacy of being the location of several thriving free Black communities before the Civil War. This is a result of the passage of New York State’s Gra ..read more

Harlem is known internationally as the Black Mecca of the world! Ever since the Harlem Renaissance—an early 20th-century boom in music, literature, dance and art—this neighborhood has been synonymous with black culture. That 1920s movement turned the neighborhood into a welcoming place for Black travelers, a center for Black culture and a symbol of socioeconomic status to those who planted roots here. It is no wonder Harlemites have so much pride! Located in Manhattan, from 110th to 155th Streets, Harlem is often thought of as its own city or borough. At the heart is 125th Street. Strolling al ..read more

Within the Little Caribbean is a smaller enclave known as Little Haiti. Little Haiti is exists because when Haitians first moved to the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, they were isolated in part due to speaking French-Creole versus English, which is spoken by other Caribbean countries. Although Haiti is geographically part of the Caribbean, the Haitian community has historically been singled out and excluded as a member of the greater Caribbean community, which is why Haitians have had to build separate communities and organizations in order to survive. Tracing the history and statistics ..read more

The vibrant Caribbean flags waving proudly from street poles, windows, and dollar vans. The sounds of Kompa and Soca blasting from parked cards. The smells of spicy food filling up the neighborhood air. These are the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of home -- the Little Caribbean. If you have never heard of the Little Caribbean, you may be more familiar with Flatbush, East Flatbush, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, or PLG - that last one irks me as it's a sign of the increasing gentrification of the area. For me, it is the place that I call home -- living there for 23 out of 31 years. As a resul ..read more

Have you just driven through a place multiple times but never ? Rhode Island was that for me. The first time I visited Rhode Island was overnight on my way to Boston years ago. I have been there a couple of times since then but I never lingered enough to get to know the state. I could not actually provide any recommendations of RI until now. FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT RHODE ISLAND: The smallest state in terms of size, Rhode Island could fit into Alaska nearly 486 times. You can easily drive in an hour across the entire state. It is the 8th least populous but 2nd most densely populated state ..read more

DISCLAIMER: In an effort to shed light on a lens that I travel everywhere with, I decided that it was important for me to explicitly talk about My Black American Traveler Experience. I want to stress that everyone has their own experiences and biases traveling to any country. Therefore, my experience may not be your own. In specifying the Black American identity, I acknowledge that while there are some commonalities in experiences as Black people, there is also a privilege of being an American. I am supplementing my thoughts and experience with a context on demographics as I think it is import ..read more

DISCLAIMER: In an effort to shed light on a lens that I travel everywhere with, I decided that it was important for me to explicitly talk about My Black American Traveler Experience. I want to stress that everyone has their own experiences and biases traveling to any country. Therefore, my experience may not be your own. In specifying the Black American identity, I acknowledge that while there are some commonalities in experiences as Black people, there is also a privilege of being an American. I am supplementing my thoughts and experience with a context on demographics as I think it is import ..read more

Have you just driven through a place multiple times but never ? Rhode Island was that for me. The first time I visited Rhode Island was overnight on my way to Boston years ago. I have been there a couple of times since then but I never lingered enough to get to know the state. I could not actually provide any recommendations of RI until now. FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT RHODE ISLAND: The smallest state in terms of size, Rhode Island could fit into Alaska nearly 486 times. You can easily drive in an hour across the entire state. It is the 8th least populous but 2nd most densely populated state ..read more