When travel content creator and explorer YiNkZZ left Nigeria as a child and moved to Canada, he had no idea that would mark the beginning of decades of adventures that would take him around the world.
As a teenager, he ran track and was able to travel frequently competing in races across the US. He’d already started racking up on passport stamps in his youth; seeing the world through a broad lens even in childhood. But it wasn’t until the murder of George Floyd in 2020 that YiNkZZ began to look at his life from a different perspective.
Suddenly, he found himself unable to relate with his African-American brothers in the states yet deeply devastated by the acts of police brutality against them. Believing God gave him a vision, YiNkZZ decided to dedicate his life to helping more Black men experience life outside of the US through travel.
“During BLM I was struggling heavily,” YiNkZZ said. “I was having a lot of battles and there were a lot of things I didn’t understand because, yes I am Black, but we should not forget that I am African. And Africans differ from African-Americans because some of our experiences are actually quite different. I saw myself as a privileged Black man.”
Altogether, YiNkZZ has visited over 16 countries including Finland, Columbia, Singapore, and Mount Indonesia. Having previously struggled with depression, YiNkZZ says traveling the world has helped him heal as he grows closer to God and learns more about himself while exploring different destinations. He hopes every Black man will have a chance to experience the healing therapy that comes with traveling.
“There’s a lot of therapy in travel and, right now more than ever, a lot of Black men need therapy,” he said. “And one of the best ways to get that therapy is through the lens of traveling and exploring somewhere else.”
YiNkZZ believes travel is essential to Black men having a positive mental attitude. Soon, he will be launching his travel brand YiNkZZ Travels, a travel tour company geared toward showing Black men the world and building a long-lasting brotherhood. Currently working as a digital nomad in Bali, YiNkZZ hopes his company will encourage Black men to step outside of their comfort zones to experience different cultures, learn more about themselves, and put themselves through things they aren’t used to.
“Travel is also very important for the Black man because it opens their minds,” he said. “It makes them see beyond whatever has been created and what we have been put into. If you travel, you get to come out of that box and start to see things through a much bigger lens.”
Aside from finding his passion for inspiring Black men, YiNkZZ’s travel excursions have also brought him closer to God. A devout Christian, YiNkZZ sees God and hears his voice all over the world as he travels. With each new destination, he is transformed by what he sees and his relationship with Christ is deepened every time.
“These moments that I get to travel, I get to really connect deeply with God and see how fantastic and great God is because he’s such a great architect,” he said.
YiNkZZ’s intimate moments with God while traveling have been breathtaking. He can recall paragliding and taking in the majesty of nature from the air as well as praying for fellow travelers while exploring the world. It is his greatest hope that through his life and his travels that he can inspire others to seek out adventure and their own sense of spirituality.
“Without God, I don’t think I would be where I’m at,” he said. “My life is a living testimony.”