Venturing into the Blue Grotto during our 2018 Pink Girls Run The World Amalfi Coast Italy Takeover
As an avid traveler since college, I would be in denial if I said that I didn’t notice the lack of diversity in the travel industry. But is “traveling while Black” really an anomaly? Growing up in a reality where there weren’t many people like me on TV or in magazines traveling, mainstream America wanted me to envision the stereotypical jetsetter as White and cultured in ways that offered limited access to those outside of a certain circle of privilege. Have you ever watched reruns of “The Love Boat” or “Fantasy Island?” The struggle for diversity on TV went by a whole different set of rules in the 80’s. Not feeding into these messages conveyed through ads backed by millions of mainstream travel marketing dollars, my grandmother and the friends that joined her “Club Femme” set their own agenda.
Rather than focusing on what she didn’t have, my grandmother (the original “Pink Girl” - see above pic) tapped into the resources around her. In the 1980’s Club Femme embarked on adventures to unique places in warm and cold climates. Long before the inception of these current internet “streets;” I remember watching in my Strawberry Shortcake pajamas as my grandmother made evening calls to different time zones to book hotels, flights, dinner shows and bus tours for other wives in her neighborhood who shared her vision of stashing away their nest eggs with hopes of exploring new destinations.
In creating #PinkGirlsRunTheWorld, I wanted to change the narrative about what travelers look like and the way people typically travel. Going beyond observation and appropriation, I wanted us to immerse ourselves into foreign cultures in an interactive way that fosters learning and appreciation. Not the typical cookie cutter itinerary that one may source from a travel agent, “Pink Girls Run the World” is all about providing tailored experiences that encourage empowerment and networking for the traveler and the people that we encounter during our travels. From conception to the time that we step aboard our return flight, everything is intentional. Prior to Pink Girls Run the World, I had lived in France for six months, traveled to over 20 different countries outside of the US and made friends all over the world….all while making “working from roam” my everyday reality as a freelance publicist. It is essential for girls and women to not only see, but celebrate all the possibilities that come with supporting one another on a global level. As “Pink Girls Run the World” approaches its 3rd Anniversary, we hope to have more women from diverse backgrounds join us in leaving an inspirational trail of pink glitter everywhere we go. Hold my glass of rosé, while I shatter these glass ceilings!
“Where there is a woman, there is magic.” – Ntozake Shange, 1982