Black Lives Matter | Wanderful

A message to our Wanderful community:

When we travel, we immerse ourselves in the worlds of other people. If we’re lucky, those moments of immersion change us for the better. They help us see and understand — to a level we couldn’t before — perspectives and realities different from our own.

But our ability to have these moments — and then to come back, to take and learn from them and then leave — is a privilege. Not all of us can step away from our own realities, much less into others.

While travel can be a positive experience for many of us personally, the tourism industry has a long record of actively harming Black and brown communities. The history of travel and “discovery” is violent and filled with colonialism, forced displacement, and genocide. To travel and not look at the world through this lens — to not think critically about who has had access to travel and whose voices are represented in our industry and in media today — is irresponsible.

The events of the past few weeks have left us heartbroken, but they are not new phenomena, and they parallel travel’s oft-overlooked legacy. The only things that have changed are technology and our ability to instantly document injustice.

The centuries of persistent violence against Black people in the United States and across the globe must end, and we must be a part of that revolution.

If you are Black, we want you to know that you belong here, you are a part of this community, and your life matters. Wanderful was built to elevate underrepresented voices, celebrate humanity, and embrace intersectional identities — not just in travel, but around the world. We exist for you.

If you’re not Black, I ask that you join our community in doing the work for justice together. I don’t have all the answers, but what I do know is that this is not just about being against racism, it is about being actively anti-racist. About truly examining what we’re doing as individuals and as a community to dismantle the structures that oppress, and to be better — whether it’s in listening to Black people being vocal and providing education, using our platforms to amplify those voices, having conversations with friends and family, or donating money to Black causes and organizations.

These are not just actions for today or tomorrow. These are actions for every day of our lives. To be in a constant motion of listening, learning, adapting, and disrupting.