If anyone ever told you that Black people couldn’t enjoy and appreciate luxury experiences while being filmed for national television, they are sadly mistaken.
Last month, 8 successful entrepreneurs and close friends, known as The Southside Group, made their debut on Bravo’s Below Deck Mediterranean.
The group, made up of 4 BIPOC couples (Sean and Crystal Foote, Corey and Barbara Graham, Richard and Karen Bramwell, and Chris and My Lowe), boarded a luxury mega-yacht and sailed to the beautiful coast of Spain while highlighting Black love and friendships.
Did we mention they are the show’s most diverse group of guest stars and it’s the show’s highest-rated season?
The journey started when Atlanta resident Crystal Foote learned about the opportunity to appear on the show, and immediately knew that the group would be a great fit.
“I had this on my vision board,” Crystal Foote, an advertising executive and manifestation coach told Travel Noire. “My husband Sean also had it on his. I discussed it with the rest of the group, and everyone wanted to do it.”
The Southside Group stems back to the husbands’ primary school days, in Queens, New York’s Southside neighborhood. If the neighborhood sounds familiar, it also the home of Nicki Minaj and 50 Cent.
The men remained close friends through adulthood, and now their wives are close as well. They make it a habit to travel together at least 1-2 times per year as a group internationally, so this show was a perfect match.
“We are all business people, and very family-oriented,” Corey Graham, a real estate broker and developer in NYC said. “We wanted to show another side of what people from Southside can be.
The couples spent a total of 4 days and 3 nights on the mega-yacht, and although getting used to cameras being around the entire time was different, they made sure to exhibit class and grace during the entire filming.
“We wanted viewers to see that just because you get to enjoy luxury experiences, you can still be humble through it all,” Crystal said. “Our intention was to show positivity, while highlighting Black and interracial love, all while having fun.”
Since their episode aired, the couples have received an outpouring of positive feedback.
“Many people have said that it was an inspiration to see people who looked like us, doing something like this with style and grace,” Sean Foote, a Grammy-nominated producer turned wealth management executive told Travel Noire. “We wanted people to know that you don’t just have to be a ballplayer or musician to enjoy experiences like this.”
The couples always seek out exotic locations with luxury offerings when they travel— whether as a group or only as a couple. After all, when you work hard you deserve to play harder.
The Foote’s noted that they also travel with their children a few times a year, both domestic and international, to expose them at an early age.
To watch the couple’s journey on Below Deck, you can view it here. To see what adventures the Southside Group will go on next, you can follow them on IG at @southside_pov_tv.
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