Where to Travel for Black History

Black History may get a whole month, but you can actually learn about Black History all year and traveling is a great way to do that. I've learned so much by just doing things I normally do on vacation: enjoying art, architecture, fashion, and food. 

If you're looking to specifically learn about Black History when you travel, there are great places to do so. 

Atlanta, Georgia - There are lots of things to do in Atlanta, including eat delicious food and walking along the river, but the city also played a large part in both the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. Auburn Avenue and Peachtree Street are famous streets in the city and you can find the majority of landmarks there. Auburn Avenue, famous for Black enterprise, has been called “the richest Negro street in the world.” APEX Museum gives you a look at Black contributions throughout America, Auburn Avenue Research Library is the first in the SE with research dedicated to the study or African-American culture and history, hit up the visitor center of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park before venturing out to explore, and The King Center not only houses the tombs of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King, but exhibits about Dr. King. Take a tour down the street at the birth home of MLK, Jr.

Charleston, South Carolina - Once America's largest slave port now is an exciting city with tons of history. The International African American Museum just opened last summer. It sits on the former Gadsen's Wharf, where almost half of enslaved people entered this country, and has been turned into a memorial garden. While you're in the city, plan to visit McLeod Plantation that is a Gullah-Geechee heritage site, the house of blacksmith Phillip Simmons, Charleston City Market, Cabbage Row - where freed slaves lived, and Old City Jail, the slave jail known as "Work House".

Indianapolis, Indiana - Though you wouldn't think of them first, Indianapolis has a rich history of early Black settlements, stops along the Underground Railroad, and those that helped make the city what it is today. They are still making their mark on the city through murals, restaurants, and even this Black woman-owned vegan winery. Head to Indiana Avenue, a historically Black neighborhood, which at one time was home to 33 jazz clubs, where jazz greats like Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole performed.

New Orleans, Louisiana -  The Big Easy is steeped in Black history, both past and present. You'll find a long list of Black-owned restaurants run by some of the best chefs in the country. Visit the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum, take a historical walking tour, learn about Mardi Gras culture at Mardi Gras Indians, House of Dance and Feathers, and the Backstreet Cultural Museum, view Black art at The McKenna Museum, and check out Le Musée de f.p.c., a house museum dedicated to the legacy of free people of color. Visit Congo Square on a Sunday and enjoy some live music, and walk along the Mississippi to read markers regarding the slave trade and prominent Black New Orleanians. 

Washington, DC - I never really thought about our Nation's capital around the time we became an actual nation, but in 1800 just about a quarter of the residents were enslaved Africans, and by the year 1830, most of them were free people. As you stroll the National Mall, you'll find a ton of historical buildings and museums, but don't skip seeing the carousel, as it was one of the first places to get rid of segregation, which just so happened to coincide with King's I Have a Dream speech. His speech took place in front of the Lincoln Memorial, but you'll also find great places to learn about other Black history at the National Museum of African American History and Culture and The African American Civil War Museum, both of which offer free entry.

This is by no means a full list of places to visit on your travels, but some prominent cities where you can view a lot of important places in a few days or throughout a longer trip. Keep an eye on my Facebook and Instagram for more travel suggestions during the rest of Black History Month. 

Share your favorite city or cities for history, of all kinds, from your travels in the comments.

Black Travel Trends

I read quite a bit about Black travel, including the obstacles people face traveling, how they constantly do more research than the rest of us on the safety of destinations, and where they're going on tours. It's interesting to read about their travel trends as well.

I follow a lot of travel influencers and probably half of them are people of color, because I find that they have more interesting content and have a different perspective on even the most popular destinations. I feel like it gives me new  context and viewpoint for travelers who aren't me or like me.

Do you follow great Black travel influencers? Share links to them in the comments.

At-Home Lunar New Year Celebration

Happy Lunar New Year! It's the Year of the Dragon. Those born during the year of the dragon are said to be popular, happy, clever, compassionate, but also over-thinkers. They attract abundance or wealth, and the year is said to bring wealth and good fortune to all. Let's hope that's true, because we can all use a good year. 

We have done a mix of home celebrations and outside activities this year, since more places are doing things. I have loved doing our at-home feast though, so we continued with it this year. 

I used this year as an excuse to buy a new sparkly gold table cover and a fancy dragon table runner, which can be used every year.  It has a lot more color than the usual red and gold, so it goes with everything and gives a bit more interest and depth. I also found these gorgeous plates on sale through Crate & Barrel. They have the sign for "fu" in the middle, which can mean prosperity, fortune, good luck, blessing, or happiness in Chinese.

World Market always has a small, but beautiful Lunar New Year line of products. A few years ago I purchased the tea cups for Year of the Ox, so this year I bought the matching ones with dragons. They had a new line of jade green items, and I picked up the dragon chopstick rests (they also had tea bag holders and jars for your loose-leaf tea). You may recognize the juice glasses I bought another year. While I was there picking up my order, I also grabbed this year's Harney & Sons tea, which is delicious and a set of 3 decorated sugar cookies for dessert. (If you missed out on the chopstick rests, check out this metal set or this wooden set)

Unlike with other destination dates, I didn't order out for this dinner. I actually picked everything up from Trader Joe's (and one thing from Uwajimaya, a local Asian market). They have a wonderful selection of Asian foods of all kinds. I try to do something different each year, but still stick to the traditional foods. 

Our spread included Shrimp Boom Bah, spicy breaded shrimp with a sweet and spicy dip, chicken egg rolls, garlic noodles, and ube bao (not from TJs), then we had milk tea boba. You can buy the boba kit at TJs. You just open the packet and microwave, then add to your fave beverage for boba. They come with straws, if you don't already have them. There are 4 packets, enough for 4 beverages, but I split one between the two of us, because there are quite a lot in each. 

A staple for a traditional new year table is a whole fish. Well, I am probably never doing that, so instead I snagged this awesome gold fish platter. It was the perfect addition and size for the shrimps and dip. I also found the hammered gold bowl and platter from Home Goods. (You can get something similar on Amazon: platter/tray, serving bowl, soup bowls)

Round foods are abundant on a Lunar New Year table, including mandarins and dumplings, because they resemble coin purses, so I added a plate of mandarins to our spread, and another with some takoyaki puffs. If you find those, they're delicious. I also just tossed some gold coins that I always have on-hand around the table, for a little extra flair and wealth manifestation.

To cap things off, I put up a Lunar New Year garland and some light-up lantern firecrackers, plus we had to have headgear, so I found these funky dragon boppers that "breathe" fire. So fun! (I got mine from Oriental Trading, but these are also fun.)

When the meal came to an end and we were eating cookies, we also did some scratch-off fortunes. I love that they are in the shape of a dragon. 

This is an easy at-home celebration to pull together, whether you have 2 of you or 10 of you. It's also affordable, especially if you use things you already have around the house. You can see my last Lunar New Year celebration where I used more of my own things or our 2021 celebration that was a little more involved.

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I hope you have a year full of happiness and good health. Follow me on Instagram for more celebration pics and tips. What's your favorite non-American holiday to celebrate? 

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