Meet David, a Bronx native and avid traveler. He has successfully founded several Instagram pages and brands with the hopes of changing the way black men, and black people in general, approach traveling.
We had the chance to speak with him about his travels and the importance of black men changing their mindsets to become more globally educated.
Travel Noire: When did you fall in love with travel? Why?
David: I immediately fell in love with travel as soon as I stepped onto a plane for the first time at the age of 11. The first trip I took was to Jamaica. My family’s Jamaican, so they decided to bring me on a trip “back home.” Coming from a big city with tall buildings, traffic, concrete everywhere and a lack of beautiful beaches, Jamaica absolutely stunned me with how different it was from New York. I was partially confused at why the water was blue, why there were so many trees around, and why air smelled like salt; but I was in love with It all. Because of that trip, I’ve felt an urge to travel to tropical destinations several times per year.
TN: What has been your favorite destination thus far?
David: Bali has been my absolute favorite destination so far. I could go on and on and on about Bali, but to keep It simple; one, it’s a tropical environment (Remember when I said I needed to be in a tropical environment? Yea, exactly). Two, Bali is simply gorgeous, from the volcanic mountain range to the turquoise blue water beaches. And three, everything in Bali is so affordable compared to the United States! You can literally eat and drink until you pass out from overindulging and only pay $10, for everything.
Related: The Black Expat: ‘I Moved To Vietnam With No Job Lined Up’
TN: Tell us about Black Guys Travel Too.
David: Black Guys Travel Too is simply a brand that shares the travel experiences of black men via personally taken photos and videos. You can also find posts requesting travel tips to different destinations, shared by followers who have been to the destination posted. The introduction of the “Share Travel Tips” posts has definitely allowed Black Guys Travel Too to separate itself from all of the other travel pages out there. It’s real people sharing their real travel experience with each other. No filter. The brand is currently based on Instagram with plans to expand to other platforms in the future.
TN: Why was it important for you to create a platform like this?
David: I remember scrolling through Instagram and checking out photos of other black travelers, and a common theme I noticed was that most of them were women. I saw many pages dedicated to lady travelers, such as “Black Girls Travel Too,” and I wondered why a “Black Guys Travel Too” page wasn’t created. I knew one would be created eventually and I decided to be the first take action on the idea.
The community that follows this brand has grown from 0 to over 64,000 people within the last two years and the growth continues. I receive direct messages daily, from men and women, along the lines of “Wow, thank you for creating this page. This was needed.” or “Man, I’ve been looking for a page like this! Love what you’re doing.” It feels good to know that I’m having a positive impact on the traveling community by inspiring other black men to travel as well as providing destination ideas to both men and women.
TN: Can you offer any advice to other black men on the importance of seeing the world?
David: I want to quickly mention my thoughts on why black men refrain from traveling in the first place compared to black women. In 2018, if you tell any “cultured” black man to name a few people who are influential to them, 8 out of 10 times, a rapper’s name will be on that list. Most of the rappers that are placed in front of us to be “influencers,” actually influence us to do the wrong things like, “stunt’ on you ho*s,” “pop bottles,” “turn up on a Tuesday,” “fu** that check up”, etc.
We’re not hearing, “invest that money,” “flip that house,” “stack that bread and make that money work for ya.” You might find a few songs that do, and that’s great, but we need more consistency in this area. Black men don’t travel because they’re more focused on stuntin’ and impressing women by buying nice things like cars, clothes, and jewelry. Fellas, here’s the only motivation you’ll ever need; learn how to manage your finances, invest your money, and travel the world. You’ll impress and attract a lot more women by being a responsible, well-rounded, and globally educated man than you will popping bottles in the club.
TN: Where can we find your pages?
David: You can find me at @MrTravelGoals on IG, @Black.Guys.Travel.Too and @BlackPassportStamps for amazing travel inspiration. If you’re into black love, follow @Black.Families for family inspiration.