In September I traveled to Memphis Tennessee for the 2ndannual Audacity Fest. Audacity Fest is held by Nomadness Travel Tribe. The 2019 Audacity Fest Memphis was a 3 day event filled with informative and educational panels, social events, and an uplifting brunch.
Nomadness Travel Tribe:
Nomadness Travel Tribe was founded 8 years ago by Evita Robinson. Evita is a pioneer of “The Black Travel Movement”. The Facebook group currently has over 22,000 members. I have been a member for about 6 years. During this time I have interacted with black and brown people of all ages that share my similar passion for travel.
Within the group you can find information on destinations all over the world. If you are looking for airfare deals (please do NOT call the airlines lol), best restaurants, barber shops, black heritage tours, and black owned businesses…the information can be found here. The group page is open 24/7 for questions and even emergency assistance when needed. Nomadness Travel Tribe also organizes national and international group trips, local meetups, anniversary parties, conferences and BBQs.
Before I get more into Audacity Fest Memphis, here are a few examples of how special the Nomadness Travel Tribe network is. In January of 2017 I visited Thailand with my friend and fellow tribe member Joy. While visiting one of the floating markets in Bangkok, we saw 2 other black women. One of the women asked if we were in Nomadness Travel Tribe. She actually lives in my hometown of Atlanta and we have connected here.
During the same trip we ran into a group of black expats in Chiang Mai. I recognized a couple from the Nomadness Travel Tribe Facebook group and we all started chatting and hanging out. This was a day after getting a local tour from another expat friend I made thru the Nomadness Facebook group. When you are so far away from home it is great to connect with people who can give you the local 411.
Audacity Fest Memphis: Topics
Back to the 2ndannual Audacity Festival held in Memphis Tennessee. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the inaugural event in Oakland last year. Once I heard the dates and location for 2019, I put in on my calendar. The main event took place on Saturday September 28th.
Not only was I able to attend the festival this year, I spoke on 2 panels. I helped kick off the festival by moderating the culinary travel panel with ChaMcCoy-sommelier of Cha2Hospitality, Philip Ashley of Philip Ashley Chocolates and Grey of Grey Music and Plant Based Drippin.
I also closed out the conference with fellow physicians on the Travel 911 panel. Dr.Yvette McQueen, Dr.Yemi Odugbesan and Dr.Dafina Good and I discussed how to prepare for and stay healthy during international travel. We also covered medical emergencies and travel insurance.
The sessions and workshops all took place at Beale St. Landing across several stages indoors and outdoors. There were so many great topics to choose from it was hard to pick which ones to attend.
Topics covered at Audacity fest included a Remote Work Lifestyle panel, Budget Travel Hacks, Black Men of the Travel World, Traveling with Children, Expat Life, Volunteering Abroad, Queer & Solo Travel, Year of the Return, Body Positivity in Travel, Wellness & Fitness in Travel, Travel Writing, 6 Figure Blog, Content Creation and more! The speakers were all experts in their fields and were very open to sharing this expertise with attendees and fellow travelers.
Audacity Fest: For Travelers
As a travel blogger I have attended several travel blogging conferences. What I loved about Audacity Fest is that it is for travelers. I can’t think of another travel conference I have been to that has covered so many relevant topics to travelers and black travelers in particular. For me what was extra special was finally meeting so many travel bloggers and travel influencers IRL (in real life). I have known and collaborated with many of them over the past few years.
Friday & Sunday Events
Besides the main event on Saturday, Audacity Fest Memphis held events on Friday and Sunday. On Friday we attended a private self-guided tour of the National Civil Rights Museum. This was my first time visiting the museum. It is adjacent to The Lorraine Hotel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Touring the museum was an educational, emotional and moving experience. It was not lost on me that we were there in Memphis, as world travelers, because of sacrifices made by those who came before us.
On Sunday I attended the Nomadness Anniversary/Awards Ceremony which included fireside chats with Evita Robinson. The first chat was with Deesha Dyer. She served as the White House Social Secretary for President Obama from 2015 to 2017. Ms. Dyer now runs “beGirl.world” which is a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower young women through travel. Ms.Dyer was full of energy and emphasized that you must believe in yourself and reach for every opportunity.
The second fireside chat during Audacity Fest Memphis included Evita Robinson, Martinique Lewis and her cousins Mr. & Mrs. Robertson. Mr. & Mrs. Robertson are Memphis natives and Mrs. Robertson was the former director of the National Civil Rights Museum. And, she was recently named the CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber. The topics ranged from the Civil Rights movement to traveling during the Jim Crow Era using the “The Green Book” to increasing voter registration in the Black community. The conversation was uplifting and inspiring. Mr. & Mrs. Robertson commented on how amazing it was to see so many brown and black people of all ages traveling around the world. It was a reminder that traveling is a privilege that I do not take for the granted.
The Community
By the time I left Audacity Fest Memphis my heart and soul were full. I had met my travel friends. We laughed, networked, supported and learned from each other. I also met fans of my blog which was truly humbling and gratifying (because it is hard work!). Throughout the weekend I heard people say several times that it felt like a family reunion and I totally agree.
Here is the thing, traveling while black is different for several reasons. Racism exists everywhere. Some countries are still not used to Black tourists. Black people experience things differently while traveling. There are also safety concerns for Black travelers.
Groups like Nomadness Travel Tribe also exist to inspire black and brown people to travel. Diversity in the travel space is important. Our voices and our dollars are important. Coming together as a group at this conference made me realize that more than ever. I felt comfortable in my own skin and at home around my own. So, when someone asks why people of color need their own travel festival or conference, feel free to cite the reasons above.
Check out my highlight reel on Instagram for pictures and videos from this amazing event and be sure to follow my fellow travel bloggers! Feel free to share this post using the hashtags #AudacityMemphis #BringYourSoul and @AudacityFest
The 3rdannual Audacity Fest will be held in NYC next year. I hope to see you there.
