GRIOTS REPUBLIC - AN URBAN BLACK TRAVEL MAG - NOVEMBER 2016

W H E R E T H E R E ' S T R A V E L , T H E R E ' S A S T O R Y
#BlackTravel
MUMU
FRESH
Drops New Music &
A Fresh Perspective
Outdoorsy Diva
INNCLUSIVE
The Color of
Hospitality
+
DAMANI BAKER
AND THE HOUSE
ON COCO ROAD
Staceyann Chin On
Being Gay & Abroad
Remembering
Négritude
BLACK MEN
ONTHE GO
Omar Takes Pictures
Jean Olivier &
Mike Spells
#BLACKTRAVEL
THE ANTHOLOGY
NOVEMBER 2016 | ISSUE 11

contributors

Archivists Note
We’ve been working on a project since May and it’s finally time to dig our heads
out of the sand and introduce our readers to it. #BlackTravel: The Anthology is
the book we’ve wanted on our own coffee tables since we were kids. We’ll tell you
a little more about the book and why we chose to create it, but know that we are
excited about this endeavor and really do hope that many of you will support the
effort by visiting www.BlackTravel.com and purchasing your copy.
That aside for now... this issue is also filled with quite a few heavy travelers and
interesting stories. First off, we have the uber talented Maimouna Youssef (aka
Mumu Fresh). She’s been traveling the world since her teens and not only is her
perspective raw and refreshing, her music is hot as well. Definitely check out
her Q&A in this issue and make sure to press play to listen to her new music.
Omar McKenzie (aka Omar Takes Pictures) also answered our questions about
his passion for travel photography. At the time of the interview he was traveling
through Ethipopia, so lucky for us he decided to share some of his newest images
from the trip! Check it out.
We also caught up to Oakland’s own Damani Baker. His documentary, The House
on Coco Road, about his mother moving the family to Grenada when he was a
child sounds absolutely incredible. We can’t wait to see it when it screens in New
York this month.
Consummate traveler, Mike Spells, also joined us this month. Actually, we had
to chase him down in Atlanta. At 170 countries, this guy is never home! Thankfully,
we finally got him in the hot seat for a Black Traveler Profile. Joining his
profile in our team of four is Innclusive, whose business concept has lit a fire
under travelers of color. We also spoke to poet Staceyann Chin and quite frankly,
we could listen to her all day. Her poetry is amazing, but her story will give you
chills. Jean Olivier rounds out this ground of intrepid and inspiring travelers. He
is back from a long term backpacking trip across Africa and he’s still in the midst
of repatriating. If you’ve ever done any long term traveling then you know....this
is the hard part.
As usual, we hope that you find yourself nodding your head or getting excited
about the people and places between the pages of this issue and if so, we’d love to
hear from you!
Be well,
The Archivists

THE TERMINAL
H I S T O R Y
THIS MONTH IN
BLACK HISTORY

THE TERMINAL
F E S T I V A L S
ESSENCE FEST
of cuisines from all over Africa. Whether
you want something spicy and unique,
or mild and traditional, you are bound
to have a food fest meshed in with culture-
just like in New Orleans with Essence
Eats.
By Zaakirah Demba
Essence Music Festival, a product of the
well-known black women’s magazine,
has been a tradition in New Orleans for
twenty-two 4th of July weekends. With
an all-star history featuring the greats
ranging from Beyonce to Mariah Carey
to Prince, Essence Magazine wants to
bring that tradition to South Africa and
incorporate the diverse yet colorful cultures.
According to an article in the August issue
of the magazine, Durban has the
largest population of Indians outside of
India. Here, located right on the coast
of the Indian Ocean, you will find mixes
To get there, you fly into the King Shaka
International Airport in Durban on a
direct flight with South African Airways,
in which the festival has a partnership
with for flight and tour packages. Be
sure to plan a stopover to visit Cape
Town and Table Mountain, located in
the capital city of South Africa. There
are also many affordable alternatives to
flying from Johannesburg to Cape Town
or Durban and back. Places to visit
in Durban: Florida Road, home to the
nightlife and the previously segregated
town of Kwamashu, to learn about the
real history.
The festival is known for its sessions
filled with empowerment and education.
This time around it includes free
sessions to educate small business
owners and enthusiasts focused on music,
fashion, food and art. Beginning
November 8th, guest speakers such as
Steve Harvey, Phaedra Parks, Estelle,
Nondumiso Tembe, and Irvin Randle,

aka Mr. Steal Your Grandma, will speak
in the Money and Power Showcases,
Beauty and Style Expo, and the Lifestyle
and Wellness Experience at the International
Convention Center. The festival
lineup includes African Artists such as
Wiz Kid, Black Coffee, and AKA. The internationally
known singer, songwriter
and producer Ne-Yo is also headlining.
This concert is going to be held at the
Moses Mabhida Stadium, the largest
stadium in South Africa, on Saturday,
November 12th. There will be a gospel
lineup as well held Sunday, November
13th featuring Yolanda Adams, Mary
Mary and African artists such as Ntokozo
Mbambo and Joyous Celebration.
The inaugural Essence Festival in
Durban is the beginning of a 3-year
partnership. New Orleans and Durban
are considered sister cities. With a favorable
USD to South African Rand exchange
rate, it is easy to splurge. If you
have not traveled to South Africa, the
city of Durban is the place to be!
Learn more about the five-day festival:
essencefestivaldurban.com
Zaakirah Demba is a photographer,
videographer, travel blogger, and
social media manager. She created
Illuminous Travels to document her
experiences visiting 30 countries before
30. zaakirahnayyar.com

T R A V E L T E C H
SOCIAL TRAVELER
Live in Airports? Then make some
new friends with the app SocialTravelr
Pamela Creighton, an avid traveler and
the creator of ‘Travel Is My Religion’, a
travel blog that focuses on budget and
solo travel, was in and out of airports
constantly. As a flight attendant, long
periods between flights and eating
alone was not uncommon to her.
“One day,”
she says, “I
was walking
in the airport
and I
saw a man
at a bar having
a drink
by himself.
I thought,
‘wouldn’t it
be cool if
that person
could meet
someone
while waiting
on his flight?’” Like many businesses,
this simple idea blossomed into what
is now the SocialTravelr app.
SocialTravelr connects travelers while
waiting on their delayed, cancelled
and connecting
flights. Travelers
can set the time,
date and airport
they’re traveling
to and set their
status to invite
a person to grab
food, drinks,
coffee or just to
chat. They can
also follow each
other to share
pictures of their
adventures on
their news feed.
There are a pleathora of apps out there
designed to allow you make friends and
meet people, but the idea of meeting
other road warriors while in a public
place can be quite appealing to many.
Further, you’ll never know who you may
meet - a future business connection, a
passing fancy, or a life long friend.
If you’re interested in trying it out,
then you can download the app at
socialtravelrapp.com or find it in iTunes,
SocialTravelr.

ORDER YOUR LIMITED EDITION
ANTHOLOGY TODAY

SLICING
BOXES

“I’m not here for the box
that you put me in.”
By Tricia Callender, Ph.D

To say that this election cycle has
been polarizing would truly be an
exercise in understatement. Both
main party presidential candidates,
Hillary Clinton (D) and Donald Trump
(R) are saddled with the albatross of
low approval numbers around their
necks, which doesn’t translate into excitement
for either candidate, but rather
antipathy for one or the other. What
this means in practice is that even in
our day-to-day talks about politics,
things have gotten ugly. This has led to
the calcification of political proclivities
and positions (fact-based or not) which
leads people to retreat to their hardline
party corners as a safety blanket
in these uncertain electoral times.
What a difference a few years makes.
Remember it was only eight years ago
that, regardless of what side of the
political aisle you stood, we marveled
at the election of America’s first Black
president who ran on a platform of
hope and change. And now we are voting
out of fear and/or resignation, if we
are voting at all. How did we revert so
quickly? And how do we, as card-carrying
members of the Black Travel Movement
lead the way to change? We’ve already
got the tools.
The Black Travel Movement is one that
revels in a love of travel and cultural
exploration. Moreover, just traveling
abroad while Black says “I’m not here
for the box that you put me in.” More
often than not, behind those beautiful
Instagram pictures and Facebook live
videos from exotic locales are people
who overcame much to be the first in
their families to even get a passport.
They are tacitly saying through their
travels, “this world is mine, and I’m going
to claim my space in it.” This has
often meant transcending the ridicule
of peers who wonder how and why we
travel so often and quite frankly, trying
to keep people in their place.
We wear t-shirts that proudly proclaim
that we stand at the intersection of
Blackness and world exploration blazing
trails simply by sitting in planes
that we are not expected to be in, traversing
lands that were once closed
to us and having experiences that are
perceived to be the domain of the rich
and white. To be a Black traveler means
kicking down doors as well as rightfully
and viciously slicing open mental boxes
that limit movement of Black minds

and bodies.
This is most apparent in our African travels
and in a few cases, outright relocation.
Lands that were once limited to news video
of starvation, lack and deprivation are
now chosen travel destinations for us. We
seek to not only
And now we are
voting out of fear
and/or resignation, if
we are voting at all.
understand the
culture, but to actively
change the
depressing narrative
to a more
accurate one: one
of Africa vibrant,
rising, full of culture and promise. The
importance of Black people who have
no immediate family connection to Africa
being deliberate and reverent in their
choice of Africa as a travel destination
is a powerful statement. Our social media
pages are filled with pictures, videos
and stories of us positively interacting
with and navigating Africa and Africans,
and if this is not a powerful and positive
political statement
against the mainstream
narrative
about Black folk, I
don’t know what is.
However, when it
comes to politics, it
seems we’ve left that trailblazing attitude
and bravado(a) completely behind. Too
often we close our political doors and for-

tify our political boxes--a complete reversal
from the swashbuckling trailblazing
that is the hallmark of the Black Travel
Movement. We hide under the same political
party umbrellas that as Black people,
have rarely ever shielded us from the
pelting rain of policies and laws that affect
us unjustly, if not outright designed
to kill and incarcerate us. Where did that
bravado suddenly go? We need to find
and tap into it to make better decisions
or at least change
the narrative.
In my work in politics
and international
development,
I talk about
politics—a lot. And
what I’ve found is
an interesting dichotomy.
My Black
friends and colleagues
who are or
once were expats
(this includes me) tend to adhere less
to voting for main party candidates and
have divorced themselves from the idea
that any meaningful change could come
from voting for parties that will legislate
them into oppression anyway. And in
most cases, they’ve said that won’t vote
at all.
In contrast, my friends and colleagues
that are based in the United States, are
reluctantly (and in very few cases excitedly)
voting for main party candidates using,
among other arguments, how we will
be perceived by the rest of the world and
“the other guy is infinitely worse.” After
all, they do have to live with the outcome.
Where you sit is where you stand. But
both of these modalities suggest a lack
The bravery,
afrocentricity and
attention to detail
that you use in
planning your travel
is needed now more
than ever when
planning your vote.
of agency and resignation, either check
out or vote against someone else, without
asking for anything because that’s how
the system is. Huh? That is incongruous
given who we are. Brave, demanding,
beautiful and present. Neither of these
modalities feature any of these qualities.
A balance of these two modalities
steeped in our agency, instead of resignation
would probably be the ideal. Time
to start slicing those boxes again…
In electorally safe
states like New
York, New Jersey,
California and Texas
that have voted
for the same party
repeatedly, you can
vote for changing
the narrative and
moving the country
forward, now more
than ever. Open
your options, look
at all the names on the ballot and find
the one that you think helps our movement
move forward. The bravery, afrocentricity
and attention to detail that you
use in planning your travel is needed now
more than ever when planning your vote.
I’m not suggesting which candidate to
vote for, or which conclusion you should
draw. You might do all that and still end
up voting main party. Ok. But do so with
eyes open and fully informed, including
carefully reading information from opposing
parties/candidates. How else can
you call yourself “informed?” However,
what I am suggesting is that the bravery,
assiduous research, positivity and defiance
of the norms that we use in our
travels would be well served in our politics,
and informing our vote.

Tricia Callender, Ph.D, CEO
of Spanner Strategies is a
sociologist specializing in
politics and international
development with a special
focus on Africa. She has
lived and traveled to over
30 countries, including a
long stint in South Africa
working for the UN.

TRAVELING
With Aging Parents
According to the U.S. Travel Association,
the travel industry is a
947.1-billion-dollar industry. Of
that, 650.8 billion dollars is purely leisure
travel. A 2014 AARP study found that
32% of domestic baby boomers will take
a multi-generational trip, while second
place goes to the 30% who prefer summer
vacations. With that
being said, a recent trip I
dubbed #OperationMove-
Papi2FL; which covered
10 states in the span of
two weeks; contributed to
the U.S. economy and affirmed
the top two types
of AARP domestic trips.
It is important to recognize
that everyone is at a different point
on the travel spectrum. Whether you are
a novice or expert, there is room for everyone.
My wanderlust began long before
I was even a thought on my parents’ radar.
My great-great-grandfather fought in
WWII on behalf of the U.S. However, after
he returned to his homeland of Guatemala,
he never set foot on U.S. soil again.
Despite this fact, he wanted the best opportunities
for his heirs.
I grew up hearing stories of my greataunts
and uncles, going to boarding
school in North America, my uncle being
By CosmoLatina
It is important
to recognize
that everyone
is at a different
point on the
travel spectrum.
sent to high school in the U.S. and my
great-aunt Marina and her husband Roni
serving as my grandmother’s guides in
India back in the 70s.
However, I would venture to say that the
most important travel story that directly
impacted my life, was my grandfather’s
last gift to my Papi, before
passing away. Abuelo
Eduardo took his 3
sons to Veracruz, México
for a boy’s getaway. That
trip to southern México
was to be Papi’s most
treasured memory of
the man he called Papá.
Keeping this in mind, I
was brought up with the
idea that memories were what mattered
most between family. Thus, traveling has
been my father’s way of exposing me
to the different languages and cultures,
bonding with me and passing down our
family’s legacy.
Now, let’s transport ourselves to the late
90s. Picture if you will, a young and eager
20 year old with her Papi in a Toyota
Corolla hatchback. It is the dead of summer
in southern California and the pair
are about to embark on a two-week road
trip across the Northern U.S. and Canada.
It could only have been a father’s love

32% of domestic
baby boomers
will take a multigenerational
trip

that helped him survive crossing the Nevada
desert without air conditioning and
indulging his baby girl’s daily obsession
with Subway sandwiches. With the help
of hard copy AAA Trip Tiks travel planners,
the trusty maps led us to a variety
of local/budget accommodations which
helped ensure Papi’s baby and her car
made it to Mount Holyoke College in time
for the fall semester.
Fast forward nearly 20 years. Papi is
now in the retirement phase of his life.
The announcement was made that the
long-awaited move to Florida was becoming
a reality. The invitation to drive
across the southern States was extended.
The car to be used is in tip top shape,
A/C and all. The only fitting answer for
this wanderlust team was “When do we
take off?”
Certainly, the difference between the
Papi who drove cross country then and
now is that the latter is a tad bit older;
the type of older that comes with senior
benefits. While I played a part in planning
both trips, what changed in those nearly
two decades? What did I have to account
for when undertaking #OperationMove-
Papi2FL? Having earned my Road Warrior
badge for my multiple cross country

oad trips, I felt confident with our agreed
upon timeline. It was important to give
both of us some downtime while on the
road. After all, this was more than just a
move, this was the continuation of a family
legacy. Thankfully, Papi is not your run
of the mill senior. He has an adventurous
spirit. His only major prerequisites were
to stay in safe neighborhoods, choosing
rooms on the ground floor, and WiFi access
as much as possible. Yes, Papi is a
digital nomad when needed.
Furthermore, a plethora of factors influenced
how this particular daddy/daughter
duo made its way to the Sunshine
State. Papi would turn 66 while on the
road, so we chose to make a weekend of
it in the Big Easy, since the birthday boy
had never been to New Orleans. He is a
diabetic for whom walking long distances
is a resounding NO, thus his disability
placard was a blessing. I highly suggested
bypassing the stretch of I-10 between
Phoenix and Houston after my arduous
drive through there in December. Instead
we made our way up to the Land of Enchantment,
where Papi could indulge in
his love for sculptures in both Albuquerque
and Santa Fe.
Whenever you are with someone, even a
loved one, for 24 hrs a day, it is healthy
to somehow have a break. To that end,
I set up various meetups. Knowing this
dynamic duo is comprised of extroverts,
connecting with people was a big part of
our experience. These events allowed us
to still be together, while enjoying new
company and recharging our outgoing
souls.
In short, the biggest lesson I took away,
is that while my own desire to act as my
father’s parent was ever present, I had to
let go and let Papi be Papi. He’s gotten
this far in life, what’s another two weeks
on the road?
CosmoLatina and her
Papi have road tripped
through North America &
Europe, explored Asia and
cemented cultural ties in
Latin America together.
She is forever grateful
to her ancestors for the
legacy of wanderlust.
Follow her on:
IG: cosmolatina
Twitter: Cosmo_Latina
Snapchat: cosmo_latina

JOIN THE
MOVEMENT
WEAREBLACKANDABROAD.COM

The Revolution will NOT be televised.
The revolution is HERE!
We’ve heard this phrase spoken
by many an activist, artist, militant
and revolutionary for decades.
Few of us have actually lived the
mantra. However, for a better part
of the childhood and adult life of
Damani Baker, the phrase could not
ring more true.
Imagine growing up in the early
1908’s in Oakland, CA and at the
age of 9, being uprooted and planted
in what many hailed then as a
black utopia - Grenada. In the first
term of Reagan’s presidency, Oakland,
like many of America’s large
cities was in social and economic
ruin. Fallout from the crack epidemic
was extreme poverty, educational
neglect and sharp rises in
violence.
“We left a city where I couldn’t take
the bus by myself, and went to a place
where we knew all of our neighbors.
I saw health care and education as
things we just received.” This, he
attributes to his mother, a former
teaching assistant for Angela Davis
and activist in her own right, being
fed up with the lack of resources in
their hometown and the feeling of
constantly being at war with one’s
own government.
“It was paradise!” remarked Baker
when describing his time in Grenada.
“I was able to take the bus
by myself, take my sister to school,
and go to the beach every day after
school, before doing my homework.
It wasn’t like this megacity that had
a small project going on that you

couldn’t see. It was an entire country
of 110,000 people that were going
through a transformation.”
He speaks of the “New Jewel Movement.”
Also dubbed “The Revo,” it was
a time where literacy campaigns were
instituted and new schools were built.
Agriculture cooperatives were set up.
Construction of a new international
airport began which created jobs and
infrastructure. In fact, Grenada’s unemployment
rate went from 49 percent to
14 percent in just 4 years.
Baker also said, “When that’s happening
on such a small level, with such
speed and intelligence of leadership
where you had everyone from farmers
and teachers sitting at the table making
governmental decisions, you see it!
I was a 9-year old boy saying, this is
amazing!” During this time, you could
drive the countryside and see billboards
saying “Each One Teach One,” and “If
You Know, Teach; If You Don’t, Learn.”
He can also recount the utter turmoil
and chaos that upended the island of
110,000 people when an inside contingent
of The New Jewel Movement turned
on Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice

didn’t make much sense to a kid who
just came out of that situation. I was
like, “You guys are crazy! How are you
playing with these things, this is real!
This ain’t funny!”
Baker, whose lineage touts a storied history
of revolutionaries and activists, is
passionately focused on telling his stories
through the lens. His body of work
includes a piece on the legendary Bill
Withers (“Still Bill”), “It’s Our Money,” a
documentary done for the International
Budget Partnership, and “Return,” a
film on the continent of Africa among
others.
His most recent work “The House On
Coco Road,” is the story of his time in
Grenada. “For me, it’s the film on the
shelf that you keep telling yourself you
have to make.” The film, whose score
is by singer, songwriter, and musician
Meshell Ndegeocello, is currently being
played in theaters and festivals throughout
the US.
Bishop. They arrested him and many
of his closest associates and executed
many of them shortly thereafter. Protests
and demonstrations by Grenadian
citizens were quelled with bullets as the
Grenadian army fired into the crowds
and a 24-hour shoot on-site curfew was
put into effect.
His mom was able to get them out of the
hostile environment that had so quickly
deteriorated and they flew to Charleston,
SC. Eventually making their way
back to Oakland, he remembers, “there
were kids playing with Rambo dolls and
toy guns in the streets, and things that
For Baker, his short time in Grenada has
shaped much. He remarked, “I actually
met the world in Grenada.” His travel
to and participation in such a close nit,
utopian society where you literally were
your brothers’ keeper has been forever
ingrained in him and, as a result, his
work. “To this day, getting on a plane
and throwing myself into another community,
another culture, another space
is something that I have to continue to
do.” The causative effect of travel and
living in a foreign place was broadening
for Baker. So much so that it shows up
in his work, his teachings, his life.
For more information about The House on
Coco Road, visit www.thehouseoncocoroad.com

trailer
Chad McKelvey is the
founder and CEO of Kindred
Films Inc. With 20
years of experience in
television and film production,
he has worked
in nearly every area from
editor to producer to satellite
operator. Starting
Kindred Films was the
way of marrying his passion
for storytelling and
video production.

www.upintheairlife.com
WE MAKE TRAVEL BETTER
BRAZIL FEB 2017 CUBA MAY 2017 EGYPT NOV 2017

MIKE SPELLS
Black Travel Profiles
Mike Spells was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He got his first taste of travel
playing daily at the Brooklyn Museum in Grand Army Plaza at the age of seven.
He would look at the artwork and paintings while playing and realized that the
artists were from Italy, Spain, France and other countries. This intrigued him
and he knew he wanted to travel there; yet, his friends said that he wouldn’t be
able to do it.
After high school, Mike joined the Air Force and his first overseas assignment
was to Okinawa, Japan in 1985. While there, he travelled to many other Asian
countries. In 1984 he got married and his first daughter was born in Japan four
years later. He was then stationed in Germany where he traveled as well. In
2004 he retired and became a police officer in Maryland. Unfortunately, he was
injured on duty and had to have several surgeries on his back, but he continued
traveling.
Now he is a divorced, retired, veteran with 170 countries under his belt, but he
hasn’t stopped yet...His passion is travel and you can find him at Travelwitspells.
com

NÉGRITUDE
& The Art of Remembering
By Chando Mapoma
Want to try an intriguing cultural
experiment? Try being an African
student from an American
university studying abroad in Paris. Being
an African international student in
America comes with all sorts of cultural
baggage. I was always aware that there
was a huge amount of diversity among
Black people, of course (the idea of Africa
as a monolith will never not irritate
me). What I was not prepared for was
how that diversity is translated in mainstream
America.
In my experience, I was looked at somewhat
more favourably than my African-American
friends, like I was a hardworking
immigrant who kept my head
down and did not ruffle too many feathers.
My African-American friends, as
far as I could tell, were seen as a little
more entitled and brash. In France, on
the other hand, these stereotypes flip.
Black American culture is adored to the
point of being fetishized. The music is
ubiquitous and the French urban culture
is infused with African-American undertones.
There, Black Americans are seen
as an elevated kind of Black: “cultivé”.
The African immigrants are the ones
that are often seen as societal leeches.
You can only imagine what a wonderful
but slightly destabilizing experience
spending a semester in Paris was for
me. I speak English with an American
lilt now, so most French people just assumed
that I was African-American. My
name gave them pause, though. “Chando
Mapoma” anchors me in sub-Saharan
Africa no matter how it is pronounced.
As soon as it was established
that I was from the African south and
not the American one, I was instantly
less interesting to the French. The
change in disposition was so distinct;
I felt I would begin to be spoken at instead
of spoken to.
Négritude was a
literary movement
that began in Paris
in the 1930s.
It was in the middle of this mini-identity
crisis that I discovered Négritude. It
was this irresistible humanist conception
of Blackness rooted in the Franco-African
experience. It came to me
at a time when I was being bombarded
with all these stereotypes about what
kind of “Black” people expected me to
be, and how they treated me based on
those expectations.
Négritude was a literary movement
that began in Paris in the 1930s. The
movement began with a goal to reval-

orize African culture and underline the
contributions it could make to art in
the global context. The pioneers of this
movement were three black men studying
in Paris from various parts of the
world. Often referred to as the “Fathers
of Négritude” Léopold Sedar Senghor,
Aimé Césaire and Leon Gontran Damas
determined to fight colonial France’s
“civilizing mission” (Mission Civilisatrice).
The fathers of Négritude, who hailed
from Senegal, Martinique and French
Guyana, were ardent students of the
Harlem Renaissance and its main actors.
Césaire helped set up a publishing
house called Présence Africaine in Paris
and this helped serve as a platform
for all writers in the Black francophone
world to get their work published. All the
big names of 20th century Francophone
literature came through Présence Africaine.
Everyone from Cheikh Anta Diop
and Ousmane Sembene to Mongo Beti
and Franz Fanon published at Présence.
Not to mention the seminal texts written
by the three fathers of Négritude. The
movement became a true battle against
European cultural hegemony.
Négritude was first introduced to me
by my African history professor at the
University of Paris. She presented the
topic with a train of thought that a lot
of scholars have found controversial
but one that is very compelling: some
scholars claim that Négritude was Francophone
in nature because of the very
specific way in which the French carried
out their colonialism.
The French, unlike the British, carried
out what is called direct colonization.
This means that they saw it as their

The French, unlike
the British, carried
out what is called
direct colonization.
This means that
they saw it as their
responsibility
to create “little
French people.”
responsibility to create “little French
people.” The French did not just take
over the governance of a village, they
took over their language, food, religion
and mannerisms, too. The English, on
the other hand, carried out indirect colonialism
which basically means that
they were less culturally intrusive. They
co-opted leaders, replacing those who
resisted with puppet chiefs, and ruled
through them. Nigerian laureate Wole
Soyinka famously said “A tiger does
not need to prove his tigritude. He just
pounces.” The fact that a lot of the detractors
of Négritude were Anglophone
fanned the flames of this theory.
In researching my senior thesis, I initially
pursued this train of thought and
tried to find its merits. My thesis was
on the legacy of the Négritude movement
and how it can speak to multiculturalism
in France today. In thinking
about this I had to separate Négritude’s
literary and ideological roots from its
political conception and how it played
out in Senegal. I ended up finding that
regardless of how you look at it, when
closely analyzed, Négritude as a political
ideology does not hold up.

When Senghor became the first president
of Senegal he tried to posit Négritude
as a national motto. What initially
was a literary movement to revalorize
blackness ended up becoming a prescriptive
ideology that the people of
Senegal did not identify with. It turns
out that Négritude
was not only Francophone
in nature but
was also specific to
the experience of a
Black man living in
France. You can see
why I identified with
the movement so
much.
This is not to say that
Négritude had no merit as a movement
and philosophy. Quite to the contrary,
the legacy of Négritude can be seen
and felt in West African art today. The
reaffirming qualities of Senegalese art
seems more authentic today than it
did under Senghor’s patronage. Whereas
before it felt like the art produced
was government propaganda, today it
features pieces that grapple with more
tangible themes for the Senegalese
people.
The legacy of Négritude also played
a pivotal role in
2004 when the
French government
proposed a
law to essentially
revise the way
Négritude is the
movement of a
people remembering
themselves in the
very place and
language they were
meant to forget in.
France’s colonial
past was taught in
high schools. The
new curriculum
was supposed to
highlight the “positive role of France
overseas” during colonization. The uproar
that followed this proposal was felt
throughout the French-speaking world.
Algeria held back on signing certain
unilateral agreements with France and
there were demonstrations in Martinique.

Front and center of this pushback to the
revisionism was the work of Négritude
writers. Aimé Césaire was still alive at
the time, and he was a vocal critique of
the proposed law. When he met then interior
minister Nicolas Sarkozy, Césaire
handed Sarkozy a copy of his 1950
classic “Discourse on Colonialism.” Be
it in politics, education or art, we have
much to learn from the principles of
Négritude and the missteps of some of
its propagators in applying it.
I entitled my thesis “The Echoes of
Caliban’s Curse.” I found this fitting
because one of the most compelling
aspects of the movement was the fact
that it was driven by and through the
French language. Using the French language
to combat European hegemony
was co-opting one of the colonizer’s
most effective tools to rid African’s of
their culture. The fact that so many
beautiful and powerful French pieces
of literature were written in defiance to
the French is reminiscent of a powerful
episode in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
Caliban was a subhuman demon that
was imprisoned and enslaved on his
own island by Prospero and his daughter
Miranda. In act 1 scene 2, Miranda
is admonishing him:
Miranda: Abhorred slave…I pitied thee,
took pains to make thee speak, taught
thee each hour one thing or other. When
thou didst not, savage, know thine own
meaning, but wouldst gabble like a thing
most brutish, I endowed thy purposes with
words that made them known…
Caliban: You taught me language, and
my profit on’t is I know how to curse. The
red plague rid you for learning me your
language!
Négritude is reminiscent of Caliban’s
curse because it embodies the same
courage needed to use the oppressor’s
tools against him. Négritude is the
movement of a people remembering
themselves in the very place and language
they were meant to forget in.
Chando is currently a Watson
fellow researching alternatives
to immigrant detention
in the UK, Australia,
Jordan and South-Africa.
He writes poetry and is a
Manchester United fan, both
things that teach him the
limits of human control. Follow
him on twitter @chando_
da_map and his travel blog:
chandomapoma.weebly.com

MUMU
FRESH
THE REINTRODUCTION OF
THE QUESTIONS - THE ANSWERS
Maimouna Youssef and her alter
ego Mumu Fresh have been representing
for female MCs and soulful
singers on the Indie scene for over a decade.
Her voice has placed her alongside
artists like: Nas, Erykah Badu, Lauryn
Hill, D’angelo, Mos Def and Common.
While her contribution to the The Roots’
“Do not feel right” earned her a Grammy
nomination. If you’ve heard her music
then you know that she is not to be slept
on. If you haven’t, then allow us the pleasure
of introducing you to Mumu Fresh
- singer, songwriter, mother, intellectual
and world traveler.
GRIOTS REPUBLIC
With the introduction of each of your
albums and songs, I feel like I’m seeing
different sides of your artistry. “You ain’t
hard” and “Tell my story” introduced me
to the B-more chick who sits on stoops
and can’t stand Neo-Soul. While your EP
By Davita McKelvey
“Journey Home,” which paid homage to
your Native American ancestry, sounds
like Native gospel music! You’re soulful,
but your sound isn’t limited to hip hop,
R&B or even jazz. How important is it to
you to avoid being pigeon holed into one
category of music? And in an industry
that prefers to neatly package you into
boxes that they recognize, how difficult is
it to continually cross genres?
MAIMOUNA YOUSSEF
I don’t think a lot about being pigeon
holed when I make music. I make the
music that is authentic for me based on
my experiences and based on what’s on
my heart at the time. I have lived a very
different life from most of my contemporaries
in the music industry and I’ve
had a wide range of experiences starting
as a child through my travels and also
through exposure to my blended heritages
and the music I make is mostly a direct

eflection of what my life is really like or
my perceptions of the world around me.
It’s not difficult for me to cross genres
because I don’t view the genres I mainly
utilize as being different from each other.
It’s all Black music. All American music
finds its origins in the BLUES. There’s a
lineage to the music I sing. My parents
are both musicians and historians so I
learned the true history of Black music
as a small child in my home. Genres are
just tools in my belt to evoke varied emotions,
spark a lightning bolt inside of a
mind and heart; connect with God and
inspire my listeners to dig deeper and
Vibrate higher. You can not extract music
from the culture and experiences that
created it.
The album “Journey Home” was an album
my mother and I recorded in tribute
to my late grandmother who was
full blood Choctaw and Cherokee. She
was also a singer and choir director and
water pourer for
sweat lodge and
moon lodge ceremonies.
She taught
me to sing spirituals
and traditional
native songs while
we were beading
our moccasins and
hair barrettes for
the pow-wows.
I used to dance
competition in
pow-wows all over
the East Coast for
the first 13 years of my life. I would spend
the summers with my grandmother and
then go back to west Baltimore in the winters
for homeschool with my mom. That’s
where I learned to rap with my Muslim
brothers from the Masjid on my block. I
had 8 blood brothers who loved Wu Tang
Clan and they became the sound track of
a period in my childhood. All these influences
is what you will end up hearing in
my music.
GRIOTS REPUBLIC
Music allows
me access that
normally would
be off limits to a
young brown girl
from the west
side of Baltimore
city like me.
You’ve performed in quite a few countries:
Switzerland, South Africa and Nigeria
to name a few. Where was your first
international gig and what do you recall
being the most impactful takeaway from
that place and performance?
MAIMOUNA YOUSSEF
I have travelled all throughout Europe,
Asia, Africa, Australia and the Caribbean
as of date but my first international
gig and experience was when I travelled
to Germany to sing for the wedding of
Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker. I was
nervous because I was still a teenager
and this was my
first time traveling
alone plus internationally.
This
was before I had a
smart phone and I
misplaced a page
of my itinerary and
had to figure out
how to get to the
meeting place in a
new country where
English wasn’t the
main language.
Luckily, English is
a Germanic language,
so I was
able to figure out the meaning of most of
the important words since I couldn’t find
hardly anyone who wanted to help me.
After a few tough hours navigating the
public transportation system, I had a

Reintroduce
Yourself to
Maimouna’s
Discography
mini break-down-in-tears moment on the
train. I started to think I would be lost
in Germany forever and that was not a
comforting thought considering all of
the World War II movies I had seen about
anti-black sentiments in Germany. Just
then, I met a group of really nice German
guys who had just come from America.
They saw me crying and stopped to
ask what was wrong. They told me they
loved NYC and hip hop and Black American
culture and helped me find the right
train to arrive at my destination just in
time for the wedding rehearsal.
The wedding ceremony was absolutely
beautiful and heartwarming. Much of
Black Hollywood had travelled all the
way across the pond to celebrate this
auspicious occasion with their co-stars
Nicole and Boris. I sang an acapella gospel
song during their wedding ceremony
and joined up with an all German band
for the reception. One cool thing about
music is that it transcends all language
barriers. I wasn’t really able to explain
to the band in words how I wanted the
songs played but I just kept singing and
let the music speak for itself until we
were locked in and playing beautifully in

harmony.
Their wedding was hands down one of
the most memorable performances and
experiences I’ve had to date.
GRIOTS REPUBLIC
Your videos typically have a very global
feel to them, mainly due to your wardrobe
choices (e.g. African fabrics, headdress,
etc.) or the song in general (e.g.
Meet Me in Brazil). What influences your
style the most – your travels or growing
up with Black nationalist parents? Also,
what fashion pieces are you most drawn
to when traveling?
MAIMOUNA YOUSSEF
Both my travels abroad and my exposure
to world cultures through being homeschooled
growing up influenced my creative
decisions when filming my videos. I
wanted to bring the world back with me
to my communities at home. I have an
amazing director B.Kyle Atkins who really
helps me see all my visions through.
Visuals are just as important to me as
the music. Through my music and visuals,
I want to share my experiences with
those who have not been as fortunate as
I have been to get paid to travel around
the world. I went on my first world tour
when I was 19 years old with The Roots.
I experienced things that my family and
friends in the neighborhoods I grew up
in could never even imagine. Music allows
me access that normally would be
off limits to a young brown girl from the
west side of Baltimore city like me.
I normally style myself for most of my
visuals and performances. The headdresses
from “The Already Royals” music
video were supplied by a cultural curator
and designer in Washington, D.C. named
Januwa Moja who also happened to be a
good friend of my mother’s.
When I do have a stylist, I normally seek
out ones who are very culturally versatile.
I like my clothes to be as original as
my music. A good friend of mine from
Japan who belongs to the same homeschool
co-op as I do makes hand-made
African print Kimonos and has styled me
for several events. Her company is called
Hiko Asiatic Fusion. When I travel abroad
I’m always on the prowl for one of a kind
items.
I especially love jewelry. I always say that
my jewelry tells the stories of the places
I’ve been and the men who have loved
me. Sometimes I forget all of the places
I’ve been until I see a piece of my jewelry
somewhere in the back of one of my old
jewelry boxes and think back to where it
came from and reminisce on the experience
that brought it to me.
GRIOTS REPUBLIC
You performed during opening weekend
of the National Museum of African
American History and Culture and then
followed that up with performances at
Harry Belafonte’s “Many Rivers To Cross”
Festival. That entire week sounds like you
marinated in Black excellence! In your
own words, can you describe the energy
surrounding those two events? Also, what
exhibits at NMAAHC do you consider a
“must see”?
MAIMOUNA YOUSSEF
I’m sooo happy to see the construction of
the NMAAHC come into fruition because
it has been a long time coming and long
overdue. Over the years I’ve taken my son
to visit just about all of the Smithsonian

Museums and most of them I really enjoy
but none were so disappointing as
the American History Museum. I couldn’t
even complete the tour because I was
so disgusted at how blantantly the contributions
of people of color had been
omitted and white washed. The language
used to describe the genocide of Indigenous
peoples was so callous and barbaric,
I couldn’t stomach it.
There should only
be a need for one
American history
museum to tell the
history of this one
country but because
the colonizers of
America refuse to be
honest about their
past, we have to now
have three...
There should only be a need for one
American history museum to tell the
history of this one country but because
the colonizers of America refuse to be
honest about their past, we have to now
have three Smithsonian museums on the
National Mall. The (White) American History
Museum, The Native American History
Museum, and the National Museum
of African American History and Culture.
It’s exactly what’s wrong with the education
system in any colonized country.
I travelled all the way to a school in Nigeria
just to find out that in Africa, Africans
are still not allowed to study themselves
either. All of the text books are provided
by their colonizers, the British. I talked
to a young cat about 19 who played in
a band with me in Nigeria and he had
no knowledge of the trans atlantic slave
trade. I was trying to explain to him that
we are the same people but because he
didn’t know the history, he couldn’t understand
the connection. But don’t let
me get started on education...you only
asked me about travel.
It was an incredible honor to be able to
perform for the opening of the NMAAHC
alongside my Playlist family - J Period,
Rhyme Fest and Masego; especially as a
guest of “ America Divided” especially
as a guest of “ America Divided” which
is a docu-series dealing with examining
the inequities in black and brown communities
in regards to basic American
rights like housing, education, food ect.
Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t able to
stay and see the exhibits because I had
to fly to Chicago immediately following
my performance in D.C. to perform with
Common at his annual event, Ahh Fest! It
was bitter-sweet because although I haven’t
experienced the museum yet, the
Ahh Fest was pretty incredible, I got to
battle R.Kelly on stage lol. (just joking a
little) and also rock with Ice Cube.
We also performed for the opening of the
NY Film Festival where filmmaker Ava Duvernay
debuted her documentary “13th”
about mass incarceration in the US. Then
we headed to ATL to perform at “Many
Rivers To Cross.”
That event did my heart so much good. It
was so beautiful to see so many activists
and lovers of freedom come together to
plan a brighter tomorrow in a new world
based on freedom justice and equality for
real. I was happy to see my Native family
there gathering support to stop the Dakota
Access Pipeline too. #SayNotoDAPL

GRIOTS REPUBLIC
In terms of both music and travel, what’s
next for Maimouna Youssef? What are
you working on and where are you traveling
to?
MAIMOUNA YOUSSEF
The first week of November I’ll be traveling
to Belgium to perform for about
4 days with an event series called Nuff
Said, then I’m back to the U.S. for a fundraiser
in Flint, Michigan, and another
performance in Miami. Then I have a few
more shows with Common coming up.
But more than anything, I’m working on
sitting my butt at home and completing
all this music I’ve been working on.
I really wanted to release it all this year,
but I decided to wait and drop it in the new
year and make 2017’s head nod crazy.
Also I’m planning my first ever non-music
related vacation this December with
my son. He loves to travel too. He’s filling
up his passport book as we speak. I’ve
made him my official merchandiser when
we go on tour. He is serious about his
10% cut too. He deserved a vacation. lol.
I haven’t decided where our vacation will
be yet, but all I know is that it’s going
down! Next year is going to be very busy
for me, so I’ve got to rest up. I actually
don’t know the meaning of the word
“rest” but I’m trying.
In January, I’ll be working on my first
documentary, launching my record label,
and expanding my humanitarian and educational
work to new areas of the globe.
And maybe have like two more babies
(just kidding).
Anyway, I’m out. I’ve got to go battle
these bamas on Fitbit right quick.

Music Director,
JASON IKEEM RODGERS
MUSIC. PASSION, LEGACY.
For concert dates visit www.orchestranoir.com.
facebook.com/orchestranoir @orchestranoir @orchestranoir

STACEYANN CHIN
Black Travel Profiles
Staceyann Chin is a spoken-word poet,
performing artist and LGBT rights political
activist. Her work has been published
in The New York Times, The
Washington Post, and the Pittsburgh
Daily, and has been featured on 60
Minutes. She was also featured on The
Oprah Winfrey Show, where she shared
her struggles growing up as a gay person
in Jamaica.
Chin was born in Jamaica but now lives
in New York City, in Brooklyn. She is of
Chinese-Jamaican and Afro-Jamaican
descent. She announced in 2011 that
she was pregnant with her first child,
giving birth to a daughter in January
2012. She has been candid about her
pregnancy by means of in-vitro fertilization,
and wrote about her experiences
as a pregnant, single lesbian in a guest
blog for the Huffington Post.
Openly lesbian, she has been an “out
poet and political activist” since 1998.
In addition to performing in and co-writing
the Tony-nominated Russell Simmons
Def Poetry Jam on Broadway,
Chin has appeared in Off-Broadway
one-woman shows and at the Nuyorican
Poets Cafe. She has also held poetry
workshops worldwide. Chin credits
her accomplishments to her hard-working
grandmother and the pain of her
mother’s absence.
(Bio Taken directly from the Staceyann
Chin wiki page.)

DEAR
FRIENDS
By Anonymous

Dear Friends,
My second day in Ethiopia, our
group of volunteers crammed into the
basement of a hotel for what had been
called a “Diversity Panel.” The doors
were shut, the curtains pulled, and the
session began.
I was nervous. I had done my research
before stepping on the plane and knew
your laws, sisters and brothers of Ethiopia.
I knew about deportation and prison
time—twelve to fifteen years—and,
though I tried not to think of it, that
there were other punishments for those
unlucky enough to be caught by friends
and family first. And I knew about Robel
Hailu, Ethiopia’s first entry into the Mr.
Gay World competition. He fled to South
Africa and likely wouldn’t come back.
Two volunteers gave us background information
on what “LGBTQ” means,
struggles for Queer Volunteers, and ways
straight Volunteers could be allies. Then
the stories began; the leader of our Peer
Support Network told us about an Ethiopian
man whose friends took him to an
alley and killed him. We learned of the
Volunteer who outed another Gay Volunteer
to an Ethiopian friend the next
town over. Both were separated from the
service and left the country. Finally, we

learned that it wasn’t safe to come out to
Ethiopian Peace Corps staff members;
Our support could be compromised. Volunteers
in other countries had put a Safe
Zone training module together, but, so
far, Peace Corps-Ethiopia’s staff had refused
to implement it.
I looked around at my fellow group members
and wondered if there was anyone
like me. I began to feel very alone. But
you know all about what it’s like to wake
up every day in a world that isn’t yours.
When the session ended, I went upstairs
for our coffee break and bummed my first
Nyala cigarette off of another Volunteer.
We learned to use code words for ‘gay’
and ‘lesbian’ in public, because we never
knew when someone at a cafe might
be sitting at the next table over, listening
to the foreigners chat to practice English
for an upcoming university exam. There
were others who might be listening as
well; our phone conversations, emails,
and blog posts weren’t private. The night
of the Diversity Panel, I asked another
new friend if she’d pose as my girlfriend
just in case anyone asked. All we would
need to do was take pictures together at
conferences and trainings so I could keep
up my alibi. She agreed.
Occasionally, we volunteers caught
glimpses of some of you in our day-to-

day interactions. There was a woman
living in another training site who
dressed like a man. Neighbors simply
shrugged and said, “That’s her way.”
There was another woman I saw at a
hotel in my site. I’d gone there with my
site mates and my neighbor, and I saw
her short hair and jersey for the national
football team. I asked my neighbor,
“Did you see that woman in the football
jersey?” She scanned the room quickly
and said, “What woman?”
There was a man working at the hotel
I met after attending a counseling session.
He had bright white teeth and a
trimmed mustache. He lightly touched
my wrists from behind the hotel bar,
admiring the bracelets I’d bought. And
he watched my eyes, just half a moment
too long, each time we ran into
each other in the hallways.
I lied to Peace Corps Medical office
staff and told them I was having trouble
coping with this new culture. The
counselor I saw was born in Ethiopia
but was adopted as a child, moving to
the United States. She’d come back to
the capital to open a practice. I told
her everything, how it felt to be queer
in this country. I told her about lying
to my friends, and then I described
the touches. I was confused about the
physical affection Ethiopian men show
each other. She heard what I was describing
and said, “I know Ethiopian
men are more affectionate than American
men, but what you’re describing
isn’t… typical.”
There had been other light touches like
those on my wrists in the hotel bar.
A neighbor’s hands brushing against
my stomach in passing, a friend’s extra
long caresses on my shoulders and
neck. A man spilled beer down my leg
at a community celebration once and
brushed it off, letting his fingers linger
on my calf. And I recognized some of
you the way I recognize my American
brothers on the street: something loose
in the gait, that half-moment pause in
the eyes as if asking, “Are you one of
us?”

Friends, I still think of you often. I still
see you on Facebook sometimes, friends
of Volunteers who still live in Ethiopia.
I envy those straight friends and what
they can know. Why is it that my straight
friends have always been able to know
my people? What must it be like not to
risk that?
I looked around at
my fellow group
members and
wondered if there
was anyone like me.
But, one story: My neighbor up north
was about twenty-two years old. She was
from the capital and spoke fluent American
English with little accent. We spent
many evenings with my site mates, mixing
our cheap wine with Coke and Mirinda
to lessen the bitterness. We were sure
she knew about me; no one could watch
as much American TV as she did and not
know. One Sunday, she told me she’d
made too much for lunch and invited me
over. She handed me a plate of scrambled
eggs and fried potatoes. I looked at
the food and asked, “How long have you
known I’m gay?”
“You’re gay?” she asked, incredulous.
“Oh, honey,” I said.
“But what about your girlfriend?!”
“Oh, HONEY,” I repeated.
I came clean. I told her about the alibi
girlfriend, the counseling session, the
touches. Other than the counselor, this
was the first time I had ever been completely
honest with an Ethiopian. I was
worried; I’d done what we were told never
to do.
She thought for a moment and said, “You
know, I’m kind of proud of myself. I always
thought I’d be okay with people being
gay, and now I know I am! Gay people
are kind of like celebrities. You know they
exist, but you never think you’ll meet one.
Now, let’s go get a bottle of wine and talk
all afternoon!”
Dear friends, I ache for the time we
couldn’t spend together. I wanted, so
much, to know you, extending our solidarity
and love to each other; our world has
been treacherous and dark. But there are
allies. They show themselves over time.
I hope it’s true what the counselor told
me:
“Right now in Ethiopia, it’s like the 1960s
in America. The sexual revolution in
America was so violent in the 1960s, but
in time it calmed down.”
Peace Corps-Ethiopia was finally required
by Headquarters in Washington, DC to
administer Safe Zoning training to its
staff. I had already returned to the United
States by that point, but a Gay Volunteer,
friend of mine, who was still there
said the staff wished afterward that they
didn’t know there were Queer Volunteers
in Ethiopia. I still struggle to help my
American friends understand my Peace
Corps story. It was often heartbreaking
and difficult; it was not what I expected.
Some in the Peace Corps family are
changing minds and hearts, and others
are still waiting for the calm in the storm.
With love,
A friend

This letter was orginally published on lgbrpcv.org (Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) a site devoted
to promoting Peace Corps and the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender people around the world. For more information on the
challenges of LGBT Peace
Corps volunteers by country,
visit LGBRPCV.org.
Thank you to the writer who
graciously allowed us to
reshare his story with the
Griots Republic community.

EXODUS
a convo on cyphers & giants
By Davita McKelvey
You know that feeling you get
when you are sitting around a table
waxing poetic with like minded
folks and someone says something
so profound that it resonates with everyone?
It’s like the cypher meets the
COGIC church and somebody is liable
to scream “YES! SPEAK!” If you understand
this reference then hold on,
I’m going to endeavor to be as transparent
as possible and tell you a little
story...
After our first issue of Griots Republic
published, we had an interview
with a podcast station in Brazil about
the magazine. We were amped about
the response we received for the first
issue, so we’d spent thirty minutes
talking excitedly to the host about Griots
Republic, our travels, and serving
the community. At the end of the interview
the host said “I get it. You guys
are the ‘smart Black travelers.’”
Like a high school nerd wanting to fit
in I unconsciously became defensive
and spent the next few minutes trying
to convince him that we get lit too.
“Naw...We go to the strip club in every
country! I’m down! I swear I’m fun!”
In hindsight, I’m embarrassed that I
even allowed that type of insecurity to
rear its head. I’m even more chagrined
that for the next few issues of GR I was
overly concerned about whether editorials
were too deep, too heavy, or if we
had too many contributors with Phds.
For us, this movement
is about where we’re
going, but it’s just as
much about where
we’ve been.
Interestingly enough, all of this came
to a halt after a late night conversation
with writer Shanita Hubbard. She
had just finished telling me how Damon
Young from verysmartbrothas.
com wrote an introductory letter on
her behalf to a major magazine and
in it he described her as “a writing
ass nigga.” (YES! SPEAK!) Now, if
you’ve ever read anything Damon has
written, then you likely can hear him
actually saying this. I cried real tears
laughing at the description and at the
same time something on the inside
shattered.

© Griots Republic LLC.
If I have seen further than
others, it is by standing upon
the shoulders of giants.
Isaac Newton

For many of us, it has become common
place to put on our “corporate
face” when conducting business. If
you’ve worked or are working in corporate
America, then you may understand
questions of appropriateness
and the need to portray the right image
in order to garner the largest return.
Yet, Damon’s simple email reminded
me that we no longer worked
for someone else and that we’d have
to be authentic and unapologetic in
order to succeed. If people like what
you offer, they’ll rock with you. PERI-
OD!
So here’s the thing...We could easily
fill every single page of Griots Republic
with pictures of folks getting
turnt. Hell, any one of us on staff
could chock these pages with our own
travel stories and pictures, but that’s
not what excites us about Black travel
and it’s definitely not what drives us.
For us, this movement is about where
we’re going, but it’s just as much
about where we’ve been and the giants
whose shoulders we stand on.
It’s about exploration and self discovery
and sometimes that’s deep.
This is where the anthology comes in...
We commissioned Kenyan artist, Maurice
Odede, to come up with an image
that captures the concept of cyphers
and giants (see left). We call it
“Exodus.” To us this image visually
describes what #BlackTravel: The Anthology
celebrates. A community of
Black travelers, standing on the shoulders
of those who came before them,
pushing each other to go higher and
further, while encouraging others to
climb on board. We call it Exodus, not
because we have no intention of returning,
but because we have no intention
of returning the same!
#BlackTravel: The Anthology is the
best of what we do at Griots Republic
and the best of what you do on the
web. We’ve filled all 324 pages with
photos, editorials, and Black travel
resources (groups, bloggers, historical
sites and HBCU study abroad programs)
in hopes that it can serve as
the table that Black travelers break
bread at.
We call it Exodus, not
because we have no
intention of returning,
but because we
have no intention of
returning the same!
We want to continue to be in the midst
of that cypher, nodding our heads in
understanding and screaming “Yes!
Speak!” when your words resonate. We
want to celebrate you and the giants
before you who increased your possibilities.
We want to do all this, but do
it in a manner that not only captures
and archives these moments, but
makes them tangible and available to
all - even those without a passport.
This is #BlackTravel: The Anthology
and it is authentic and unapologetic
in every way.
So here we are, at the end. The only
question left now is: “will you still rock
with us?” Visit www.blacktravel.com
and let us kno

SEA
differently
By Dameon Byrd Jr & Brent Hudson
Born and raised with a diverse upbringing in Baltimore, Maryland, we
have definitely seen our share of hard times (bad, no—but definitely
hard). Chasing opportunities in film, dance, art and fashion, it seemed
as if every opportunity we’ve come across had us tacking through adversity.
Never had we envisioned ourselves having the opportunity to sail, nor did
we know how much it would mean to us. Now, we sail (old school) on vessels
with no engines and million dollar Catamarans. There are things that we
all search for in life, whether that be adventure or stability. Your adventure
could lie within your 12 o’clock lunch break or a two-week charter to the
Caribbean; we just so happened to get both.
In a world where so much of our perspective is controlled by what’s in front
of our eyes, we choose to “sea differently”. Through our lenses, we are able
to capture the moments of raw polarity between our subjects and the experience
they have. The profound connection sailing gives you to the earth is
indescribable. It’s a mix between flying and floating that leaves your body
in awe, which we get to experience through our company Ocean Science
Sailing/City Maritime.
Ocean Science Sailing (OSS)/City Maritime is an adventure travel company
that takes people and families on sailing trips around the world and their
back yards (ICW and Pacific Oceans), but that’s just the OSS side. City Mar-

IN A WORLD WHERE SO MUCH OF OUR
PERSPECTIVE IS CONTROLLED BY WHAT’S
IN FRONT OF OUR EYES, WE CHOOSE TO
“SEA DIFFERENTLY”.
itime is the S.T.E.M./S.T.E.A.M (science,
technology, engineering, art and mathematics)
equality education program that
we run, which is the direct B-Corp of OSS.
City Maritime kicked off November 1st
at OpenWorks (www.OpenWorks.com),
which is a brand-new makerspace for
communities of Baltimore. We are taking
kids and teens from the city into our program;
they’ll learn how to design, build,
and sail their own boats.
Children in Baltimore have been exposed
to some of the harshest realities that we
as the black community face - from poor
education systems and poverty to economic
instability. While different issues
funnel into different areas of problem
solving, our take is to get people to experience
S.T.E.M. / S.T.E.A.M. education
hands on. City Maritime provides vocational
training in several areas: the art
of boat building, marine science, estuary
conservation, art and media. Upon
completion of the apprenticeship, participants
will have new skills and the opportunity
to join OSS or go into business for
themselves.

Art is a part of life that we all “sea differently”
giving us many advantages to
express our creativity. The opportunity
to introduce urban millennials into the
world of sailing presents us with the
ability to tell stories that haven’t been
told as experienced by the diverse faces
participating in our programs. As we
travel, we will collect raw footage of the
participants’ experience and incorporate
their creative writing abilities to produce
films, web series and potentially television
series.
In the city of Baltimore, a lot of our youth
lack perspective on many things. So we
make it our mission to educate ourselves
and pass on what we’ve learned to those
who come behind us. It’s been quite the
ride so far, yet it’s not enough to be ordinary
in a world that is so extraordinary;
this is what fuels our fire. Every day is an
opportunity to be more successful than
you were yesterday and as we set sail
we’ll bring the world along for the ride
with OSS.
For more information on Ocean Science
Sailing visit us as www.oceansciencesailing.com

INNCLUSIVE
Black Travel Profiles
A few months ago, a study conducted by Harvard University found
that Airbnb hosts are 16% less likely to book users with “distinctively
African-American names.” That statistic, while shocking and horrendous,
doesn’t even tell the whole story of how pervasive Airbnb’s issue
of discrimination is. Hearing firsthand accounts about what it’s
like to use Airbnb as a person of color exposes the full extent of the
problem.
Rohan Gilkes, a Black man originally from Barbados, chronicled his
experience trying to book a cabin in Idaho using Airbnb. Gilkes was
continually denied rental to a cabin after trying to book it for varying
dates. That’s when he decided to conduct an experiment: He asked
his white friend to try to book the same cabin. His friend landed it on
the first try.
Gilkes is one of many people of color who have experienced discrimination
while trying to book through Airbnb, but he wasn’t going to sit
back and just let it happen. As a tech entrepreneur who’s launched
several successful startups, he used his experience as the starting
point for a new business.
Innclusive — originally named Noirebnb — is a competitor to Airbnb
that strives to make users (all users) feel welcome. When asked in
an interview with Fusion how his company differs from competitors,
Gilkes said, “It seems really simple, but we actually start with our
marketing. For the longest while, when you looked on Airbnb, there
weren’t many black people on their site as a part of their promotional
material.” Gilkes wanted to make sure all types of users were reflected
in Innclusive’s marketing.
For more information about Innclusive, visit them at www.Innclusive.
com

“The joy of
photography is
that you become a
steward of people’s
memories.”

OMAR TAKES
PICTURES
PHOTOGRAPHER’S Q&A
Most photographers use their art to
visually tell their stories by capturing
thoughts and emotions of
the subject matter in that moment, immortalized.
Omar Kareem McKenzie is
of a different breed altogether and quite
the storyteller, utilizing pictures to punctuate
his words. Griots Republic had an
opportunity to catch up with the Newark,
New Jersey native and photographer on
the heels of a trip of epic proportions to
Ethiopia, Africa.
Born and raised in Newark, Omar graduated
from St. Benedict’s High School
and then went on to attend Tuskegee
University. Omar discovered his passion
for photography while doing web design
work years later. As part of web designing,
he bought a camera to take photos
for a project. Inspired, Omar began
teaching himself the art of photography
by studying and watching YouTube tutorials
on the subject.
Armed with his favorite tools of the trade,
a Canon 5d Mark 3 and two lenses, a 70-
200mm and a 24-70, he honed the art
of picture taking by walking around New
York City taking pictures of people and
things to get a sense of perspective and
lighting and soon found himself getting
better and better and the rest as they
say, is history.
GRIOTS REPUBLIC
What drew you to photography?
OMAR MCKENZIE
I started taking pictures out of necessity
but over time I got better and better
and began to appreciate the artistry in it.
You freeze memories in the present and
it becomes something that lasts forever.
My family, my grandmother, my aunts
had many pictures and through pictures
you see the history, your genealogy even.
There is something about taking a picture
and showing someone a side of
themselves that they don’t see or have
never seen before. Someone recording
and preserving for future generations is
an amazing power and ability and it’s just
so gratifying. Also, the trust people give
you to capture them is something to be
taken very seriously. Think about a wedding,
grandma’s 80th birthday, or even
a sweet 16. You don’t get a do over. It is
an amazing trust people give you and I

appreciate that trust and gift if you will.
GRIOTS REPUBLIC
Tell our readers where you’ve traveled to.
OMAR MCKENZIE
Well, I’ve been to 39 countries and 4 continents.
My travel journey began with my
parents. They were avid travelers both
domestically and internationally. I didn’t
get into international travel until later
though, around the age of 26. I traveled
on business with some colleagues on an
all guys trip to the Dominican Republic.
Needless to say, it opened my eyes up to
a lot of things.
I remember being abroad and being perplexed
by the portion size at breakfast
(lol) and I was like to my boy, “Yo, where
is the rest?” This was one of the first
things I learned while traveling abroad.
Of course, I’ve learned many other things,
but that always stands out as one of the
first things I learned. Eat to live and enjoy,
but excess is not necessary. People
just do not eat as much and in such large
quantities as we do here in America.
To answer your question, I’ve been
through Central and South America, and
most of the Eastern side of the Motherland,
with the exception of a few places
but essentially, from Egypt all the way
down to South Africa. I have not done
West Africa yet, but it’s definitely on my

list. I’ve also done most of Southeast
Asia with the exception of Myanmar. I’ve
done very little of Europe, however. I’ve
done Spain, Czech Republic and Austria.
I really do not have a lot of interest in
Europe because really, if you live in a colonized
country, you are getting a pretty
good dose of Europe already. With me being
of African descent, it was important
for me to see places of color. I remember
looking at our set of encyclopedias and
reading about The Seven Wonders of the
World and just wanting to see them. This
inspired me to go to Machu Picchu and
to see the pyramids.
Travel just gives you an education you
could never get in school. It gives you a
perspective of not only where you are but
truly where you are coming from.
GRIOTS REPUBLIC
What lesson would you share with people
who haven’t traveled abroad?
OMAR MCKENZIE
Traveling abroad….Well, imagine living
in a house and never going outside and
someone calls to tell you the color of your
house but you don’t know because you’ve
never been outside and seen for yourself.
Now imagine the day you go outside your
house and now your perspective totally
changes. If you do not leave the U.S., you

“We are not
putting your
slave name
down, welcome
home my
brother.”

definitely had to school
people in Africa about
how we got to America and
the West Indies via the slave
trade.
GRIOTS REPUBLIC
will never
see it from
a different
perspective.
Truthfully, you don’t
really see how crazy
things are until you see it
from the outside. One of the
things that was eye-opening is
the fact that a lot of Africans are
not really aware of the slave trade
and do not necessarily look at African-
Americans as descendants of Africans.
They do not know how people of darker
skin ended up in a country of whites. By
some, we are considered white even. I’ve
The media portrays other countries in a
particular light and not always favorable,
how has seeing the world through your
lens (pun intended) changed your perception
of other countries?
OMAR MCKENZIE
It’s made me see the U.S. in a different
light. A lot of countries consider us the
school yard bully. Let’s face it, we spend
more money on guns than on books. I’ve
had the experience of seeing other countries
invest in their people rather than
in their military. I learned that there are
places where happiness is not in direct
proportion to how much money or things
you have.
Outside of this country, if you can pay
your bills, take care of your kids and

keep a roof over your head, you are good.
Happiness comes in from other avenues.
Money is a tool. You use it to barter for
goods and services. Jay-Z said, “there are
but so many steaks you can eat, so many
bottles of champagne you can drink, or
cars you can drive.”
I think many places look at different
sources of happiness and money is not
always a factor. I have to admit that I’ve
had money and then there are times
when I haven’t, but I was definitely happier
when I didn’t have it in abundance.
GRIOTS REPUBLIC
Any thoughts on the Black Travel Movement?
OMAR MCKENZIE
I think it’s amazing we are traveling the
world but traveling can’t be just about
collecting passport stamps and taking
dope pictures. It can’t be equated to a
new Louis Vuitton bag or the new Jordans
or used to shame others. We have
got to come back having learned something
about the people and culture and
then share that lesson.
Also, when we return and see and interact
with people from those places, the
result should be understanding and familiarity.
Sharing those experiences will
also change our view of immigration. If
you’ve been to a country and exposed to
a culture, you will understand them better.
Frankly, if you are not Native American,
we all are immigrants. That’s what
it’s about. That’s what I look for when
reading about others’ travel experiences,
not just pictures in front of a tourist attraction.
GRIOTS REPUBLIC
Why Ethiopia?
OMAR MCKENZIE
I’ve always loved animals and I remember
seeing a picture in a gallery in SoHo
of a lion. I played with the idea of buying
it, but then it struck me: “why don’t I
just go to Africa and take my own damn
picture?”
Growing up in the 80’s everything around
Ethiopia was starvation or Live Aid, flies
on people’s faces but it was so different.
I did not see a lot of poverty or people
begging in the street. At least not more
than anywhere else I have been. It wasn’t
like that at all.
Getting off the plane, immigration wanted
to know why I was there because many
do not go there for tourism. I simply told
him that I am a black man who wants
to see this country and learn and see a
place where my people could be from. So,
my full name is Omar Kareem Mckenzie
but when the gentleman in customs put
my name down he only put Omar Kareem
and when asked why he said, “we are not
putting your slave name down, welcome
home my brother.” I literally burst out
into tears.
I found the people to be very proud of
their culture and history. It was an amazing
homecoming. That is until I got
outside to catch a taxi. Basically, they
charged me the equivalent of twenty dollars
to go about 10 blocks. It’s funny, the
first and last person to rob you in any

country is a taxi.
GRIOTS REPUBLIC
What are some of the must see attractions
for those traveling to Ethiopia?
OMAR MCKENZIE
Well of course there is the capital, Addis
Ababa and also Axum which has roots in
history back to biblical times. here is a
tomb in Axum where the Ark of the Covenant
is purported to be housed. No one
but a single cleric is allowed in there. I was
able to get a picture but was chased out
by armed guards (but I got the picture).
The history behind this can be found in
the story of Solomon and the Queen of
Sheba and also explains the large Jewish
population in Ethiopia.
You’ve got to see the Blue Nile which
feeds into the Nile River. There are also
a lot of well-preserved fossils there including
one of the oldest skeletons ever
found, Lucy, which is in one of their great
museums. The National Museum of Ethiopia
is a must. Even with all that to see,
any traveler should take time to immerse
themselves in the culture to interact and
talk to the people there. That is where the
true learning happens.
To see more of Omar’s work, follow
him on Facebook or visit him at Omega
Imagery Photography
(www.omegaimagery.com)

PURE YUM
A Culinary Trip Down The Nile
By Claire Soares
In October 2016 I spent five days cruising down the Nile in Egypt
on the Sanctuary Retreats Sun Boat IV. The boat featured its own
chef with a culinary staff that made almost everything fresh daily
from the bread, salads, mint lemon juice, soups, and a variety of
entrees. The ship featured an assortment of food daily from lavish
buffets for breakfast and lunch to plated four course dinners. The
lavish buffets featured an impressive amount of fresh ingredients
with a massive assortment of colorful salads and meat dishes with
a platter of desserts.
I had a unique opportunity to go in the kitchen for a cooking class
with the chef to learn a few traditional Egyptian dishes.
The first recipe that the chef showed us how to make was Baba
Ghanouj, which is a vegetable dip made from roasted eggplant
mixed with different spices like lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, pepper
and then mixed with tahini. It’s served with a drizzle of olive
oil on top and fresh vegetables or bread for dipping. They served
Baba Ghanouj almost every day on the boat and it was delicious!
The second recipe that the chef showed us how to make was
Koshari. Koshari is a popular traditional dish in Egypt which is
similar to spaghetti with noodles and rice topped with savory deep

fried onions. Koshari is a great meal
almost using leftovers and is vegetarian
friendly because it doesn’t traditionally
have any meat in it.
Koshari is made by mixing cooked macaroni
with rice, lentils, garlic, salt, pepper,
tomatoes, tomatoe paste, cumin,
and cayenne pepper. Of course you can
add any other savory spices you like to
it. It’s topped off with thinly sliced deep
fried onions. To make the onions, they
cut them extremely thin and toss them
in spices and flour prior to quickly deep
frying them. The dish is then topped
with a tomato sauce made from roasted
cherry tomatoes, spices, garlic, olive
oil, and other herbs as you see fit! It’s
absolutely filling and savory. Pure Yum.
My absolute favorite thing that we
learned how to make was the third
recipe for dessert, called Om Ali. It’s
an Egyptian bread pudding made by
mixing cooked puff pastry, nuts, raisons,
coconut with warm sweetened
milk and sugar. It’s then topped with a
whip cream that’s torched like a crème
brûlée. The final crust is crystalized
and super yummy. The texture is very
creamy with crunch from the nuts. It’s
easy to make and you can whip it up in
a jiffy.
If you get a chance to sail the Nile in
Egypt I highly recommend a cooking
class to learn more about Egyptian cuisine
Boat: Sanctuary Retreats Sun Boat IV
Location: Boarded in Luxor, Egypt and
sailed to Aswan, Egypt while exploring
the historical sites along the Nile.

Claire Soares is the founder of
tour companies “Up in the Air
Life” and “Urban Yacht Life”
based in the Washington, D.C.
area. As a million-miler, visiting
over 45 countries while
learning the ins and out of luxury
travel, Claire uses her love
for luxury, champagne, and
exotic destinations to provide
her clients with once in a lifetime
experiences coupled with
a full concierge service.

JEAN OLIVIER
Black Travel Profiles
Jean Olivier is an avid traveler who has recently completed a 9-month
tour throughout Northeast to Southeast Africa over land. He is a first
generation Haitian-American, born and raised in Brooklyn New York.
He is also an engineer by profession who have been fortunate to work
and manage onstage alongside President Obama (Headed the debut
2008 Inauguration), Alicia Keys, David Chapelle, Roy Ayers, Stevie Wonder,
etc. During Jean’s off time he spends it mentoring youth, shooting
photography, collecting records, modifying electronics or learning a
new language for his next destination.
He is looking forward to completing the rest of Africa within the next
few years as well as releasing his memoir of his journey. Stay tuned as
his adventures have inspired others to take the leap and explore the
motherland from the aspect of local and not a tourist.

Outdoorsy Diva
By Lauren Gay
BLOGGER OF
THE MONTH

Black people don’t camp. Black
people don’t hike. Black people
don’t kayak. Black people don’t
hang glide. Black people don’t enjoy
the great outdoors. You get the idea.
There’s a never ending list of what we
are told at one point or another that
black people don’t do. As a young girl,
raised in South Dallas and later in
Tampa, my entire life has been punctuated
with those kinds of limiting stereotypes.
Yet here I am, a living breathing example
of a black woman that does all of
those things even though they haven’t
been a part of my upbringing. Not only
is this my lifestyle, I’m raising a teenage
son who appreciates the beauty of
the outdoors and loves adventure as
much as I do. In my travels, I incorporate
something outdoorsy and adventurous
as much as I can.
I’m often asked what I love most about
travel. I’m sure most people say things
like, experiencing a different culture,
trying new foods, or learning about
history. While I certainly do enjoy that
aspect of travel, what I love most is the
opportunity to see the natural beauty
of the world.
I live for views that take your breath
away, but I also seek out seclusion and
quiet time for introspection and meditation.
I call it my God time. That moment
of quiet and stillness, where the
only sounds are nature’s soundtrack
of a chorus of birds and rushing water,
is when I feel most connected and
closest to the Creator. Whether it’s
standing on the edge of the Giant’s
Causeway in North Ireland, or paddling
down the crystal clear waters
of the Weeki Wachee River in Florida,
or doing yoga on the banks of a volcanic
crater lake inside of a caldera
in the Azores, if it’s scenic, secluded,
and outdoors I’m in my happy place.
I started the blog, Misadventures of
an Outdoorsy Diva (www.outdoorsydiva.com)
in 2013 as a way to share
about my adventures with friends
and family. It was also a way to try
and connect with others who like to
explore the great outdoors. I fully
understood that if people could see
someone they can identify with doing
those things that we don’t normally
see people like me doing, like chasing
waterfalls, kayaking springs, or
traveling, they would be inspired to
push themselves beyond their own
comfort zones. I also understood
how intimidating it can be as a single
mom to set out on adventures on
your own with your children. I wanted
to show people that if I could find
ways to live more adventurously, they
certainly could too.
Though I started the blog to inspire
others, I have been the one to be in-

I live for views
that take your
breath away

spired and motivated to push myself to
do things I never dreamed I would do.
This journey has connected me with an
amazing community of other people
of color that share my passion. It has
also taken me on epic voyages I never
saw on my horizon. In just the last three
years I’ve taken my first solo international
travel trip to the Azores, traveled
internationally with my son throughout
the Caribbean, gone hang gliding, snorkeled
with manatees, fallen in love with
glamping at locations all over the country,
stayed in a castle Wales, and swam
in an underground prehistoric spring in
a cavern.
It’s been amazing to watch the Outdoorsy
Diva brand grow and expand.
I’ve been featured on Huffington Post
Travel and Outdoor Families Magazine
and voted the best local blogger in
Tampa in 2016. It’s so humbling to be
appreciated and recognized for simply
sharing my passion and pursuing personal
growth.
In answer to requests from subscribers,
I have now started the Facebook community
Adventure Is A Lifestyle, where
people who are not necessarily the outdoorsy
or adventurous type have joined
to get daily inspiration and motivation
and learn how to incorporate more adventure
into their everyday lives. We
have quarterly events like waterbikes,
kayaking, zip lining, and an upcoming
corn maze field trip. I hope to expand
to planning our first group trip in 2017.
Additionally on the horizon is a new line
of apparel that speaks to the outdoors
and adventure life in a witty and fashionable
way.
I’m excited for what’s to come for Misadventures
of an Outdoorsy Diva in the
very near future. I hope to do more work
to encourage visits to our National Parks
and State Parks. Diverse representation
in the outdoor space is so crucial to
cultivating a generation that will enjoy
all that nature has to offer and work to
conserve our precious natural resources.
I will also continue to seek out more
black businesses to highlight throughout
my travels. Recommendations can
be submitted via the website.
I love the community I’ve started and
the connections I’ve made along the
way. Stay tuned to see where this journey
will take me.
Lauren Gay is the creator of the
Misadventures of an Outdoorsy
Diva blog, sharing adventures in
travel, the great outdoors, and
food. Her mission is to inspire
other women and moms just like
her to live adventurously, step out
of their comfort zones, and explore
the world around them. Read
about her adventures on www.
OutdoorsyDiva.com.

UNPLUG
At Nigeria’s Obudu Mountain Resort
By Alexis Barnes

One of Africa’s greatest attributes
is its diversity in landscape. The
continent boasts pristine beaches,
colossal mountains, red sand dunes
and dense tropical jungles from coast
to coast.
Tucked among the Obudu Plateau in
southeast Nigeria’s Cross River State,
Obudu Cattle Ranch (now called the
Obudu Mountain Resort) offers nature
lovers an array of activities- from a canopy
walkway to one of the continent’s
longest cable cars taking riders from
the base of the plateau up and over the
mountains fog-covered peaks. Visitors
can reach the resort via the cable car
or a winding scenic road. As guests ascend
1,584 meters (about 5200 feet)
above sea level, they enter the clouds.
The resort sits on Obudu Plateau on the
Oshie Ridge of the Sankwala Mountain
range. Because of its elevated location,
Obudu Mountain Resort experiences
mild to cooler temperatures, perfect
for taking on the ranch’s hiking paths.
There is something for every level hiker,
including a 2 km path around the resort
to 10 km treks on mapped routes.
On the trails, visitors will find waterfalls
and monkey sightings.
A walk up Holy Mountain (in reality, a
moderately steep hill), gives hikers a
peek into Cameroon. For those interested
in staying in the clouds, the canopy
walk snakes through the resort’s protected
forest valley. For guests interested
in staying on resort, there is also a
pool and water park, fitness center, nature
reserve and a golf course. There is
even a natural swimming pool, a grotto
located beneath a thicket of trees.

Looking to book? Pack a sweater and
an umbrella for the, sometimes sporadic,
mountain weather of the region.
Obudu is often a welcome respite
from the heat of the cities, but
be aware that rain season is between
April and October where weather is
thick with humidity and rain is frequent.
A recent attraction started in 2005,
the 11.25 km (6.9 miles) Obudu
Ranch International Mountain Race
takes place every late November and
stretches up to 1600 meters above
sea level. With a total prize pot of
about $250,000, the race called “the
richest mountain race”, was created
to bring interest to the region and
brings world-class runners to the
state.
Developed in 1951 after a Scottish
man, McCaughley, fell in love with
the mountain ranges in 1949. Mc-
Caughley camped out on the Oshie
Ridge on the Sankwala Mountains for
a month, and then invited his friends
and fellow ranchers Hugh Jones and
Crawfeild Obudu to develop the area.
The destination is a serene escape
with breathtaking views, especially
when the morning and early evening
mist clouds clear. It is accessible by a
short flight or 12-hour drive from Lagos;
Bebi Airstrip is located between
Obudu town and the resort. If in Cross
River State, it is about six hours from
the state’s capital of Calabar.
Whether looking to unplug or seeking
a hiker haven, visitors can call
on Obudu, an ethereal destination
amongst the clouds.

THE
RELUCTANT TRAVELER
Takes Greece
By Crystal M. Ellis

Tucked between the covers of an overtly chic, designer passport
holder was my best kept secret; a completely unused
U.S. passport. My travel had been relegated to the continental
U.S., a couple of Caribbean cruises, and trips to Canada when
passports weren’t required. The irony of my empty passport was
that most people believed that I was a seasoned world traveler.
I dished out travel advice as if I’d traveled the world. The truth
was, that I, a 40-ish, educated, and business savvy woman, was
a reluctant traveler. I’d hidden the secret through being an avid
reader, living vicariously through the international travel of family
and friends, and lastly, an addiction to Huang’s World on the Viceland
Channel.
My unwillingness to travel came from the fact that I could quite
quickly explore the world without any travel anxieties from the
comfort of my sofa and then have enough money left over for an
Alexander McQueen clutch and takeout tofu drunken noodle. Honestly,
I didn’t feel as if I was missing out on anything but I did have
one excursion on a travel wish list which had been to visit Greece.
My timeline was to honeymoon in picturesque Santorini, yet being
a still single, 40-ish, educated, and business savvy woman, when
the opportunity to visit Greece on a Mediterranean cruise became
available through a gay travel club, I said, “sure” but with pause.
Cruises had never excited me with their canned fun, buffets, and
add-ons to their add-ons but for some reason I knew being the
only heterosexual female in a group of seven married homosexual
couples would give me a very entertaining seven days at sea.
My first steps on Greek soil, was a stop in the port city of Corfu,
where Poseidon brought the beautiful nymph Korkyra and where

the Argonauts found refuge while
searching for the Golden Fleece. The
lush vegetation of the island flourished
with aromas from floral blossoms
and eucalyptus trees. A tour
around the island showed a vibrant
town where the local’s bustle through
the open-air market buying fresh
fruits and vegetables then stroll with
their morning coffee to a palm tree
lined park across from the city’s Old
Fortress. My reluctance was slowly
waning.
Our next stop, Athens (Piraeus) unexpectedly
blended a modern metropolis
with the grandeur of the ghosts
of ancient Grecian Scholars. In this
birthplace of democracy, I was able
to take in the surrealism of standing
next to the Parthenon and then
looking down upon the coliseum. Immersed
in history that shaped the
world, I could have stayed here a few
more days, learning and taking in everything
from Aristotle to Socrates.
After a night of sailing the Aegean
seas, the morning granted us a
chance to dock in Mykonos, the closest
resemblance to Santorini on this
cruise. I felt a kindred homecoming
from my many internet searches
about Greece and I was here to stay
or until the cruise staff pushed me
back on board. It was the day that I
was no longer an anxious and hesitant
traveler. I left the comfort and
protection of my 14 guys and ventured
through the maze of winding
streets and whitewashed shops
alone. I talked to local shop owners
to get lessons on Apollo, Hercules,
and Athena. I got lost for hours exploring
the windmills, local menus,
and enjoying the last splashes of
cooling summer waters.
My appreciation for quick internet
based travel has now been replaced
with the need to smell, touch, and
feel cultures; leaving the reluctant
traveler behind because tofu drunken
noodle is probably better in Thailand.

Crystal M. Ellis, author of
Character Flaws and How
Sweet It Is, resides outside
of Washington, D.C. She is
the owner of Urban Works
Publishing and Urban Works
Publicity. Crystal has written
for the Examiner and Tyra
Banks.com, and two blogs of
her own.

ORDER YOUR LIMITED EDITION
ANTHOLOGY TODAY
BLACK TRAVEL
COUPON

Griots Republic Vol. 1 Issue 11
November 2016
Cover Image
Courtesy of Tiffany Battle
Editor in Chief Davita McKelvey
Deputy Editor Rodney Goode
Copy Editor Alexis Barnes
Video Editor Chidi Nwaozomudoh
Social Media Manager: Zaakirah Demba
Business manager
Alexandra Stewart
Alexandra@GriotsRepublic.com
director of media
Brian Blake
Brian@GriotsRepublic.com
Write to: 405 Tarrytown Rd STE 1356,
White Plains, NY 10607
Phone: 1 929-277-9290
For Photo Attributions Please Reference
the following:
www.GriotsRepublic.com
info@GriotsRepublic.com
Published monthly by Griots Republic LLC
All Rights Reserved.
The views expressed in this magazine are
those of the authors and do not necessarily
represent or reflect the views of Griots
Republic.