Being a black traveler

November 17, 2021
It’s 2021, and it still amazes me to see the reactions of people I assume think I don’t belong in a particular space.  Stereotypes are well established, and I still get the microaggressive questions like, where are you from? What do you do? What does your husband do?  Sometimes I also get blunt questions like What brings you here?  I remember the famous Oprah Winfrey shopping experience quite well, and I realize that no matter the status, being a black traveler comes with some unique experiences.  Here are a few recollections from my experiences.

First-class

I’m a luxury traveler, and whenever possible, I indulge myself with that experience.  I can’t count the number of times I have queued for the first /business class travel lane and had fellow passengers step around me like I was invisible.  I often also get the automatic direction to the right from a flight attendant when boarding a plane.  It amuses me to go left, and then I get asked again for my boarding pass for a second verification as if somehow there was a mistake.

Travel lounges

Entering a travel lounge is no different.  I often see people flash their boarding passes and walk into the lounge.  However, I am frequently asked not only for my boarding pass but for identification.  When in the lounge, I see other passengers being asked if they would like a refill or a request if service is needed.  Frequently I am overlooked and must request service.

Customs and immigration

Customs and immigration are no different. I realize that some questions are valid, but I sometimes feel a sense of invasiveness when asked, what brings you here? Where are you staying? How long are you staying?  Although these might be valid questions, I’ve stood in line long enough to see that not everyone is questioned in the same way.  My history of microaggressive behavior makes me question the questioner.

Hotels

As a frequent traveler, I often stay at the same hotel chain for loyalty points.  As a loyal customer and quite knowledgeable about hotel services, I am rarely recognized as a loyal customer.  I know my wants are documented in the system, yet my room is often not as requested.  Again, this may be just assuming the worst, but historical experience tells me I’m not off the mark.

This article is by no means meant to be a  complaint.  It is simply a sharing of my lived experiences.  Have you noticed or experienced similar experiences?  If you haven’t, I invite you to take notice and claim your validity of space.  It’s incredible that even now, in 2021, the spaces I enter question my presence simply because of my hue.

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6 Comments

  1. Dana Garnett

    Wow, Donna. Thanks for your specific travel accounts. Each situation is so familiar, yet you’ve further opened my eyes to things I’ve always taken for granted. I’m sorry for the routine mistreatment – call it racism, implicit bias or profiling, it’s wrong and shows no respect. Period.

    Reply
    • Donna Hunter, PhD

      Thanks, Dana it was a very eye-opening experience for my husband as well. I like to think that much of it is implicit bias. One of the reasons I write these stories is to help open people’s minds to the occurrences.

      Reply
  2. Andrea Lewis

    I hate that in this day things like this still happen! So glad you have this platform to bring it to light. I’m also excited to live vicariously through you and all your travel adventures.

    Reply
    • Donna Hunter, PhD

      It still boggles my mind. The experiences keep me “woke” when I start to get comfortable. In a way, I think that is a good thing.

      Reply
  3. Raqi

    I think so insightful and informative. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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