Renée Cherez Nicole Cardoza Renée Cherez Nicole Cardoza

Learn about sundown towns.

Happy Tuesday! Today we're learning about sundown towns, which I always thought of as a part of our history until the Defund San Antonio Police Department Coalition referred to San Antonio as one, and released travel advisories for Black residents.

Renée takes us through the history of sundown towns, the danger of U.S. travel for Black residents, and offers insights for you to consider the next time you're planning a road trip. And be sure to check out the action items – I discovered that my own hometown was once a sundown town.

And thank you for your contributions! If you enjoy this newsletter, you can give one-time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe for $5/mo on our Patreon.

– Nicole

TAKE ACTION

  • Use this map to see what towns near your hometown may have been sundown towns.

  • Support the GoFundMe campaign of two Black women aiming to make travel safer for Black travelers through a modern-day digital green book.

  • Consider: How does your community express itself as a welcoming space for people of color? How might it dissuade visitors and new residents?

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez (she/her)

An American pastime has resurrected with international travel halted to break quarantine’s mundanity: the road trip. Part of the ‘American Dream’ appeal was the sense of freedom, especially in the imagery of road trips on an open highway.

 

Twentieth-century representation was loaded with white families’ on deserted highways in Chevy’s worry-free with bright smiles. Absent were Black families’ – as the open road was not a journey of good times but open racialized terrorism (NYTimes).

 

Though Black Americans were aware of the dangers of traveling by car, there was (and still is) a strong sense of freedom and control that automobile travel offered that trains and busses did not (NYTimes). While traveling by busses and trains in Jim Crow America, Black Americans were often subjected to a conductors’ watchful eye. They would have to defer to white passengers even when seated in the “Colored Cart.” This kind of harassment was relentless and what made the construction of a new highway appealing.

 

Route 66, or “The Mother Road,” one of the most famous U.S. highways, connected eight states beginning in Chicago linking to Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Gaining popularity during the 1930s as people tried to escape the Dust Bowl, Black Americans also used Route 66 to flee racial violence in Jim Crow south. Unbeknownst to them, there was no escaping Jim Crow as institutionalized racism was embedded in every part of the country. A year before Route 66 construction began, the Chicago Tribune published an editorial warning Black Americans away from recreational facilities like swimming pools:

“We should be doing no service to the Negroes if we did not point out that to a very large section of the white population the presence of a Negro, however well behaved, among white bathers is an irritation. This may be a regrettable fact to the Negroes, but it is nevertheless a fact, and must be reckoned with … [T]he Negroes could make a definite contribution to good race relationship by remaining away from beaches where their presence is resented.”


Chicago Tribune editorial, published on August 29, 1925, via The Atlantic.

Because Route 66 covered over 2,000 miles, various businesses like restaurants, barbershops, gas stations, and motels were along the route, making it possible for travelers to stop for a night’s rest and food –except Black travelers. Of the eight states along the highway, 6 had official segregation laws, but all had unofficial rules about race (The Atlantic).

 

Victor Hugo Green, a postal worker from Harlem, New York, created The Negro Motorist Green Book. This travel guide listed motels, taverns, guesthouses, barbershops, beauty salons, restaurants, realtors, and department stores that were safe for Black Americans to patronize without harm. The book included listings for all parts of the country, but Route 66 was the most famous highway. Published from 1936-1966, the Green Book was considered the Bible of Black travel because it prevented the shame of being kicked out of restaurants and listed towns known as sundown towns (Smithsonian Magazine).

 

Sundown towns were white only communities where Black people were not allowed to stay “past sundown,” hence the term. Thousands of communities used local law enforcement to protect these spaces across the U.S. (Tougaloo). These communities were dangerous to Black travelers under any circumstance, but being seen after sunset was sure to warrant violence or death. Mostly created to prevent an influx of Black Americans (and Jews and Chinese) in white communities, sundown towns were and still are, symbols of violence (GEN). Black travelers often passed signs that read “Don’t Let the Sun Set on You Here, Understand?” and “Whites Only Within City Limits After Dark.” At its peak, there were an estimated 10,000 towns like these in 1970 (Tolerance.org).

 

A common practice among Black men with nice cars was to lie to police officers when asked if the vehicle they were driving was theirs. White vigilantes and police officers found it offensive if a Black man owned a fancier car than their own, or even interpreted it as a Black man trying to upstage him. If a Black man was stopped with his family, to protect them from violence, a chauffeur hat would be kept in the car and used as a decoy to avoid trouble (The Atlantic).

 

Misha Greens’ new series, Lovecraft Country, on HBO, is a powerful example of how horror coupled with America’s unique form of racism can not only be entertaining but illustrates the psychological warfare Black Americans are forced to endure daily. The series follows a young man Atticus, from Chicago, searching for his father in Ardham, Massachusetts.

 

Joining him on this road trip is his Uncle George (played by Courtney B. Vance) and childhood friend, Letitia (played by Jurnee Smollet). Playing off Mr. Green’s travel guidebook, Uncle George is creating a travel guide for Black travelers. Without sharing too much, all of the fear that sundown towns embody is perfectly depicted thus far.

 

From psychological violence by police officers, sundown town signage, and refusal of service in a restaurant, the horror of racism is real, and to consider it entertaining can feel wrong. The first two episodes alone show how mortifying, debilitating, and dehumanizing segregation, sundown towns, and Jim Crow were, and still are, today. Police officers and white vigilantes were used as agents against Black life. This is clear when we think about the hunting and murder of Ahmaud Arbery as he ran through his Brunswick, Georgia neighborhood, which may have very well been a sundown town.

 

It may be easy for white viewers of Lovecraft Country and those who’ve recently learned about The Negro Motorist Green Book to brush off the racial history both explore as ways of the past. However, we should remember that Black men are still being lynched in America in 2020. 

 

If this year has shown us anything, its that we are far from a post-racial society. With racial injustices in full view, Black travelers are creating the necessary resources to keep other Black people safe both domestically and internationally (Travel + Leisure). White people who consider themselves allies should spend their privilege by sharing and amplifying these resources often to aid in the protection of Black travelers everywhere.

Key Takeaways

  • Sundown towns were white only and dangerous to Black travelers under any circumstance.

  • Lovecraft Country, on HBO, illustrates the psychological warfare Black Americans are forced to endure daily.

  • Black Americans still feel fear when traveling by car in America.

RELATED ISSUES

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Thank you for all your financial contributions! If you haven't already, consider making a monthly donation to this work. These funds will help me operationalize this work for greatest impact.

Subscribe on Patreon | Give one-time on PayPal | Venmo @nicoleacardoza

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Renée Cherez Nicole Cardoza Renée Cherez Nicole Cardoza

Travel for diversity and inclusivity.

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It's Tuesday and we're going on a trip! Sort of. Guest writer Renée is guiding us through the lack of representation of Black people in the travel industry, and the danger it brings to both travelers and the industry as a whole.

If you're interested in being a guest contributor, send us a detailed outline of the newsletter you'd like to write on our website. I'm committed to elevating diverse voices and perspectives in this newsletter that initially started with little ol' me writing every day.

The growth of this newsletter is because of you and your donations. Consider giving one-time on our website or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe for $5/mo on our Patreon.

Nicole

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TAKE ACTION

Research the diversity and inclusivity efforts of the travel companies you spend money on (hotels, airlines, etc). How are they trying to be inclusive? How did they respond to the protests over the past few weeks?

If you identify as white...
Have you witnessed racism against a BIPOC while traveling? What did you do to stop it? How will you use your white privilege in the travel space to ensure the physical, emotional, and mental safety of BIPOC travelers? 

If you identify as Black...
Join the Black Travel Alliance, a group of Black content creators from around the world using three pillars part of their mission: alliance, amplification, and accountability to create a world where Black people are supported and accurately portrayed in the travel industry. Brands who join will have access to a wide range of Black travel creators, including journalists, bloggers, photojournalists, and social media influencers. 

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez

When we think about travel, we imagine a worry-free time without interrupting the “real world.” Unfortunately, this level of unadulterated escapism does not ring true for Black travelers. 

A quick Google search of the terms ‘traveler’ or ‘solo female traveler’ and pages of young white women against picturesque backdrops of the turquoise ocean with pink sand or famous landmarks like the Taj Mahal appears. Absent are the faces of Black travelers who are most certainly traveling to destinations both near and far. Over the last decade, with the help of social media, the Black travel movement (a movement that encourages Black people – particularly Black millennials – to travel both domestically and abroad to build community while also immersing in other cultures) has grown to unprecedented numbers. 

The travel industry, one of the most profitable, fastest-growing industries globally, is worth $8.9 trillion (World Travel and Tourism Council). In 2018, Black travelers spent $63 billion on global tourism, an enormous leap from $48 billion in 2010 (Mandala Research). Additionally, in 2001, the United States Travel Association (USTA) identified African Americans as the fastest-growing segment in the travel industry. With these numbers, it’s clear that Black travelers are ready, willing, and able to spend their money on experiences in their chosen destinations, yet we are treated like we don’t belong. 

Over the last few years, more and more Black travelers have been vocal about the anti-Black racism they’ve experienced while traveling in various parts of the world. Black professionals who often fly first-class are notoriously assumed to be in the “wrong line” when they’re on the priority line solely based on their skin color (LEVEL). 

Black women have to research their destination and whether or not they will be safe from racialized and gender-based violence. White supremacy has made it so that the sexualization of Black women is worldwide, causing many Black women to experience unwanted advances abroad from men who assume they are prostitutes. Ugandan-American Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman documented to travel the world, shares her experience with safety as a Black woman: 

“...[women] of color are in more danger because a lot of people think we are prostitutes… My fear is always that if something happens to me in a European city, no one will care. I could be running down the street screaming in Italy, and onlookers won’t care because I’m Black. I think this is true no matter where in the world we are.”

Jessica Nabongo, world traveler, for the New York Times

For years, Airbnb branded itself as a way for travelers to stay at or with locals in new places; however, said locals have discriminated against Black travelers on several occasions (Fast Company). Whether it was kicking them out without reason or not responding to their inquiries on their accommodations availability (Fortune).

Also worth noting, 15% of Black travelers stated racial profiling played a role in their destination travel decisions (Mandala Research). 

In the travel industry, Black people have played a supporting role in the tourism space. In contrast, white travelers have been the lead actors, not only as travelers but also in leadership positions at marketing agencies and press trips, travel media outlets, and tourism boards. Black people, wherever they are in the world, have been painted as the “gracious host,” “the safari guide,” and “the individuals who need ‘saving’ from white volunteers” but are rarely represented as “the adventurers in far-off lands.”

This lack of representation plays a significant role in the anti-Black racism Black travelers face on the road. For example, if locals from a country have limited real-world experience with Black people, they can only rely on what they’ve seen in the media. This misconception is likely to affect Black travelers negatively. A solution to this is simple: real diversity and inclusive initiatives rooted in anti-racism with a commitment to amplifying Black travelers.

Racism in the travel industry stretches beyond the average Black traveler but impacts the entire industry. Black travel agents make up a mere 6% of agents, while white travel agents make up 72% of the space (Data USA). Luxury travel is primarily represented by white travelers, erasing the Black travelers, journalists, and creators who create luxury travel content. In the PR industry, white professionals make up 87.9% of the space, while Black professionals make up 8.3%, Latinos 5.7%, and Asians a measly 2.7% (Harvard Business Review). With the absence of diverse voices, the stories, reporting, and content created from these trips lack the nuance that Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) can provide. 

Tourism boards must create marketing campaigns that reflect the diversity of the world, not the status quo. Black faces and bodies of all kinds should be represented and celebrated in advertisements, not just light-skinned, slim, able-bodied, cis-gendered people. Diverse advertising in the travel industry has a two-fold result: it allows Black travelers to feel welcome while showing locals that we too travel and deserve respect. Recent research shows travelers who identify as ethnic minorities (64%) and LGBTQ+ (67%) say the companies they book their travels with must be committed to inclusion and diversity practices (Accenture). 

Like most industries, the travel industry is undergoing a reckoning with its lack of diversity and is being called to do more than post black squares on social media. Black travelers and industry professionals demand real representation in the industry from the highest levels in leadership to the entry-level positions. Anti-racist policies must be adopted in the travel industry on a global scale to ensure Black travelers and Black locals are treated with the utmost care and respect post-COVID-19.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • In 2018, Black travelers spent $63 billion on global tourism and are currently the fastest-growing segment in the travel industry.

  • Over the last few years, more and more Black travelers have been vocal about the anti-Black racism they’ve experienced while traveling in various parts of the world. It’s not uncommon that Black women are presumed to be prostitutes solely because of skin color.

  • Black travelers and industry professionals demand real representation in the industry from the highest levels in leadership to the bottom.

RELATED ISSUES

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Thank you for all your financial contributions! If you haven't already, consider making a monthly donation to this work. These funds will help me operationalize this work for greatest impact.

Subscribe on Patreon | Give one-time on PayPal | Venmo @nicoleacardoza

Read More