In the Press
Why These Professors Helped Create a ‘History Of Black Travel’ Timeline
Now is the time to teach the public about the impact of the African Diaspora on the travel industry … As academics and industry practitioners, we are adamant about stressing the importance of the tourism industry taking a clear stand. A stand to amplify Black stories with the assistance of the timeline, even as intense pushback against the accurate telling of American history continues, be it through censorship, burning of books, and laws that perpetuate silence around discussing race globally.
February 21, 2022
TRIPADVISOR PARTNERS WITH BLACK TRAVEL ALLIANCE, TOURISM RESET ON NEW CAMPAIGN
Online travel giant Tripadvisor is partnering with Black Travel Alliance and Tourism Reset on a new campaign for Black History Month, which is in February in the United States.
FEBRUARY 3, 2022
BLACK TRAVEL ALLIANCE & TOURISM RESET, CREATORS OF THE HISTORY OF BLACK TRAVEL WEBSITE, PARTNER WITH TRIPADVISOR FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH CAMPAIGN
Black Travel Alliance and Tourism RESET, creators of the History Of Black Travel website (www.historyofblacktravel.com) plan a Black History Month campaign with Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, as the headline sponsor.
Through the sponsorship with Tripadvisor, Black travel content creator Phillip Calvert, better known on social media as Philwaukee, will create and publish ten sixty-second videos to promote stories featured on the History Of Black Travel. They include videos on Black pioneers in aviation, North & South Pole explorations, Harlem Cultural Festival, and the development of Black leisure travel, among others.
In addition, over thirty social media graphics will be shared showcasing the diversity of Black travel through the decades.
Shayna Walker, Global Head of Equity, Diversity + Inclusion, Tripadvisor, Inc said, “As an avid Black traveler, I want to add to the richness of my travel experience by exploring new destinations and learning first-hand about their history.” Walker added, “Tripadvisor is proud to sponsor the History of Black Travel. The project amplifies and shares the stories of countless Black explorers, change agents, trailblazers, and travel enthusiasts who have changed the way we all see and travel the world. Tripadvisor is committed to using our platform, global influence and position in the travel industry to better serve the diversity of travelers everywhere.”
“The History Of Black Travel website has been a year-long project for the Black Travel Alliance and Tourism RESET and we are really excited to be at this next stage, working with brands like Tripadvisor to amplify and create awareness for lesser-known Black travel stories,” states Ursula Petula Barzey, Research Committee Chair, Black Travel Alliance.
New Report Finds VA’s Presidential Plantations Need To Do More To Address Slavery
Dr. Stephen Hanna, professor at University of Mary Washington and Tourism RESET Research Fellow, is at work on a new book detailing how plantations can improve education on slavery.
Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, Hanna led several undergraduate students through multi-year research on how narratives and exhibits about enslaved populations and slavery were presented or absent at 15 different plantation sites. The goal was to present their findings to museum managers and thus facilitate more historically accurate and meaningful tours. His team is in the final stages of publishing a book summarizing their data and findings, to be released in March 2022
New Website Chronicles The History Of Black Leisure Travel Across The Diaspora
Co-Directors, Dr. Alana Dillette and Dr. Stefanie Benjamin partnered with Black Travel Alliance with the launching of the new History of Black Travel website. The site intends to educate the public on Black leisure travel and how the African Diaspora traveled the planet— leaving their mark within the travel industry throughout history.
August 4, 2021
Black travel is not a monolith
Co-Directors, Dr. Alana Dillette and Dr. Stefanie Benjamin partnered with Nomadness Travel Tribe to create and disseminate the 2020 BI-POC Diversity in Travel Report: Trends + Insights. From this report - they wrote 'Black Travel is Not a Monolith' Op-Ed for AFAR.
"Black travelers are seeking authenticity, not only in their experiences while traveling, but also in the depth of representation across media."
February 12, 2021
Let's Get Real: Conversation with Allies in the Travel Space
Dr. Stefanie Benjamin joined AUDACITY DIGI Travel Fest as a panelist discussing - Let's Get Real: Conversation with Allies in the Travel Space. Learn more here.
August 1, 2020
AMPLIFYING BLACK VOICES IN TOURISM, MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Dr. Alana Dillette joins Tess Vismale (Chief Event Executioner & Event Technologist) on the Inside Events by Swapcard Podcast to discuss the civil revolution that has emerged in the and its importance in the tourism, meetings and events industry.
July 16, 2020
PHOTO CRED - Washington Post - Folk dancers gather before performing at the 2018 Confederate Festival in Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, Brazil. Each of their dresses is embroidered with the name of a state in the U.S. Confederacy. (Giovana Schluter Nunes)
They lost the Civil War and fled to Brazil. Their descendants refuse to take down the Confederate flag.
Dr. Jordan Brasher discusses his dissertation research with The Washington Post regarding the Confederados in Brazil.
HOW TO RENAME A STREET
Dr. Derek Alderman was interviewed by The New York Times regarding his research around the politics of street naming - specifically the politics of Martin Luther King Jr. Street.
GOING THE DISTANCE OR BEING GROUNDED AT HOME? MOBILITIES AFTER COVID-19
Professor Lapointe is looking at tourism from the mobility angle to raise questions about the post-COVID-19 era.
PUBLIC SPACE, PARK SPACE, AND RACIALIZED SPACE
Dr. Kangjae Jerry Lee unpacks how decision-making, design, programming, and management can consciously or subconsciously make public spaces into “white spaces”. In this article, Lee unpacks his research and the history of racialized public spaces.
The Complicated Business of Plantation Tourism
Dr. Derek Alderman shares in the 1A NPR Podcast how Tourism RESET scholars are exploring the inequities and underrepresentation of enslaved peoples at plantation sites.
The Long Shadow of the Plantation: How a weighted past creates a complicated present
Dr. Amy Potter was interviewed by backstory around her research on plantation museums and how counter-stories and narratives of enslaved people are becoming a part of the tour.
DO IDYLLIC SOUTHERN PLANTATIONS REALLY TELL THE STORY OF SLAVERY?
“Amy Potter, an associate professor of geography at Georgia Southern University, has been leading a Reset project in Charleston, and found it was still possible to visit a plantation without learning about the African American experience.
August 15, 2019
A King's Place: Finding Martin Luther King Jr. In America's Streets
Dr. Derek Alderman spoke with The Root regarding his ongoing research around Dr. Martin Luther King street names. This is the first in a series of episodes on various MLK streets in the US.A. and is potentially good classroom resource for helping unpack the stories and lives behind street names.