History

One December night, I walked up the subway steps in Brooklyn after a rough commute and an exhausting restaurant shift. When I stepped onto Manhattan Avenue and looked up, all my gripes dissipated under a simple string of holiday lights that read, “Welcome To Greenpoint.”

Many people know the story of the African American town Rosewood from the movie about the massacre, but how many of us have heard of Goldsboro, Florida, the second black incorporated city in the United States, which also thrived and was subsequently destroyed?

I've driven by the exit off Interstate 4 just north of Orlando, Florida, dozens of times, and always wondered about Eatonville. You can see the sign from the freeway that reads "Oldest Incorporated African American Municipality in America." Recently, I decided to take the exit and finally explore this city of deep significance to our country.

Black History Month has been celebrated annually since the year 1926. First termed “Negro History Week,” Black History Month is honored each February.

As a Southern-born white woman, incorporating Black history sites into my travel plans never crossed my mind… until I married a Black man.

    Hint: You won’t find it in Louisiana.   “We really cherish all our Mardi Gras traditions here.  We’re very proud of them.” It was that sentence uttered by the woman at the museum’s front desk that got my attention.  I had certainly never thought of anything about Mardi Gras as a cherished tradition.  This gave me an inkling that I was about to get a serious education for my $8.00 admission.  To find the truth about Mardi Gras and its traditions, travelers need to visit the Mobile Carnival Museum in downtown Mobile, Alabama. Street view of the Mobile Carnival Museum. Photographed by Scot Terry. (Public Domain) My guide went on to say, “New Orleans has the larger Mardi Gras.  Theirs is five times the size of ours, but ours is family friendly.  You’d get arrested in Mobile if you tried half the stuff that they get away with on [...]

The small village of Cemoro Lawang is perched on the fringes of an undulating stretch of fine volcanic sand. This is Laut Pasir which, in Javanese, means Sea of Sand. My hotel, Bromo Permai, has a charming lobby that overlooks this unsettlingly unearthly territory.

Amelia Island is a blend of cultures that lived under eight flags. It was a haven for pirates, con men, and hardworking settlers from many countries. From the Timucuans who met the first French and later Spanish settlers, to the Jim Crow era and the founding of American Beach, where African Americans could frolic freely, it has a unique history and offers a perfect vacation spot with fewer crowds than better known Florida beach towns. 

In his sleek and self-illustrated volume ‘Jakhan Choto Chilam’ (When I Was a Child), the great Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray vividly portrays kaleidoscopic cameos of Calcutta (now Kolkata) of the interwar years, a city where he grew up.

Our Creole cultural exploration takes us just outside New Orleans to the Old Mississippi River Road where we'll share the story of a Creole family and a plantation named Laura--voted "Best history tour in the USA" by Lonely Planet Travel and a top travel attraction in Louisiana.

Picture this – it's the last day of the year, and everywhere you look, people are gearing up for a night of celebration. New Year's Eve has this enchanting vibe, a mix of saying goodbye to the past and embracing the unknown of the future. One thing that adds that extra sparkle to the festivities is the mesmerizing display of fireworks that paints the night sky with bursts of color.

Kwanzaa, the vibrant and culturally rich holiday that celebrates African heritage, unity, and community, is observed by millions of people worldwide. As the holiday gains widespread recognition, communities around the globe come together to commemorate the principles and traditions of Kwanzaa. While the celebrations vary in scale and style, some locations stand out as hosting the largest and most impactful Kwanzaa festivities.