A question posed by the inimitable Wanda, creator of Black Women Travel Podcast, landed on my Twitter timeline recently. “Do you think being Black affects your work as a content creator?” The question inspired me to flesh out thoughts that had been languishing in my drafts folder for sometime. How does travelling and creating while Black (African and woman) affect content on WoW? Incidentally, we touched on this intrinsic link when Wanda had me on the pod – do check it out if you haven’t yet. Let’s get into it.
Being Ghanaian is inexorably woven into the fabric of my life and travels. In Paris and craving waakye? I’ve been known to navigate unfamiliar streets on a thundery night to satisfy that craving. Need to put my 4C hair in a protective style for lectures in Leeds or the office in London? Enter the African threading style my grandma used to spend hours on when I was growing up in Ghana.
Existing in the world as a Black African woman of Ghanaian origin is one of my favourite adventures. Apart from intersecting identities, there’s also the experiences that come from being someone with a multi-cultural outlook. It informs the content I choose to home in on.
Creating While Black. African. Woman.
As a creator and founder of WoW, different parts of my identities have the potential to shape the travel perspectives and content here. To understand these multi-layers as strengths is to continue an enduring journey of self-love and acceptance while travelling with openness to other cultures and ways of life. The nuances and cultural cues of intersecting identities add to the uniqueness of my voice as a creator – and that is cause for celebration.
Why blend in when you can stand out?
Finding affinity with any part of my identities could inspire the premise of a post on WoW, or capture a fleeting moment within a larger context. Sometimes they’re markers of how far you could go and still be reminded of home. Other times they demonstrate the beauty in our shared humanity no matter where our travels take us. One thing’s for sure – they add to what WoW is about by nurturing a place for those who love stories, connections and serendipitous encounters.
You cannot speak to all of the people all of the time. But you can create and share from the intimacy of your experiences.
3 WoW examples of creating while Black
You will find many examples of how my identities as a founder inspire content on WoW, from Ghana-centric articles to moments on the road. If you’d like to check out more, don’t miss the below.
1. Bath
“She was a complete stranger, but we found affinity in our shared African roots within minutes. Her Uganda to my Ghana […] There was an immediate and familiar bond in her use of “my sister”. We were two people of African extraction who had both found new homes in Europe, thrown together by happenstance on a warm August afternoon in Bath.”
Read more: A Serendipitous Meeting in Bath
2. On home
“Whatever the horizon, we can always find home not only in places, but also in people, moments and meaningful connections.”
Read: Home is However You See It
3. Casablanca
“Homey was the last word to describe Casablanca. Yet, for this Ghana native, it all felt instantly familiar.”
Read more: “Casablanca Is Not Worth It“
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Final thoughts
The follow-up question Wanda asked, which I now pose to you, is: how do you perceive WoW as a reader? If you’re a creator yourself, how do your identities inspire the work you do? I would love to hear your perspectives.
