Travel is the new club, especially among Black women. However, it seems that the number of Black men venturing out to see the world isn’t as great.
Jerry Thompson III, founder and creator of the podcast Point Noir, is looking to change that.
He started this show on June 19, 2018. He had the opportunity to live in Paris for one a year and then ventured on to several African countries as well. These experiences changed him and helped him to grow as a man.
“I wanted to create a resource for men of color to be inspired and to travel more,” Jerry told Travel Noire. “The premise of the show is to feature men with stories to tell and from different perspectives on traveling.”
So far, Jerry has been able to highlight 52 men with amazing stories from their various adventures. The platform isn’t just for men that hit the latest hotspot destinations, but those also seeking out different spaces that aren’t as common, like black men taking on the great outdoors within America.
A big part of Jerry’s platform is being able to sponsor a passport, once a month, in hopes that it will inspire more men to travel. Since the start of the show, he’s been able to hand out 13 passports.
” I want to show men of color, that they are also valuable and that someone wants to invest in you. I don’t like bulls**t activism. If you want to change something do it. So I am.”
Jerry knows that all it takes is a small win to get someone’s confidence up and he’s looking to provide that.
“A lot of Black men weren’t afforded the opportunity to travel while young. These days, there are plenty of programs out there that sponsor passports for young kids of color. But, there aren’t many for actual men. Someone needed to come in and take up that space.”
Jerry’s small gesture is definitely doing exactly what it’s aimed to do. The man that was sponsored for January, took his first international trip just two months later. This trip sparked something in him and now he has planned his own couple’s cruise, taking twelve couples, next March.
As far as what’s next for Jerry and Point Noir, he’s looking to venture into hosting international leadership retreats for men of color. He is also beginning to deep dive into the reasons that more Black men aren’t traveling.
You can catch the show weekly across most platforms in which podcasts are broadcast. If you want to sponsor a passport for a man as well, he can guide you in the right direction.
You can find Point Noire via Instagram: @pointnoirshow. To connect with Jerry personally find him at: @jerry_the3rd. He can also be reached via email: kimonojack@pointnoirshow.com.
