Black & Abroad celebrates travel enthusiasts of color

Kent Johnson and Eric Martin started their company Black & Abroad with a mission based on three principles: explore the world, embrace the culture, and empower the community. Both Maryland natives who eventually landed in Atlanta, the duo was introduced by a mutual friend and quickly found a strong commonality in their love of travel. After a conversation about the desire to see more representation and celebration of their community exploring the world, “we both agreed that there was a severe lack of representation within the industry, although plenty of our community’s dollars went into it,” says Johnson. Shortly after, they decided to create their own T-shirts to wear during an upcoming trip to Dubai (inspired by an episode of the entrepreneur-based show "Shark Tank," where a man built a business empire from a T-shirt). They posted photos of themselves in the shirts on social media, where they began to get likes, shares, and plenty of buzz. They knew they’d stumbled upon something big.

Today, both men spend the bulk of their time managing the website, events, and merchandise for Black & Abroad, with Johnson also working as an attorney running a small firm and Martin selling real estate. They’ve had fans share their Black & Abroad experiences from more than 100 countries, and their merch has been featured across all seven continents. “Black & Abroad is a cultural collective dedicated to encouraging and celebrating black travel,” Martin explains. “Through our digital platforms, we provide global content, destination guides, and of course, merchandise, which we’re best known for.” They’ve got a sizable social media following that often features people of color doing everything from swimming in a geothermal spa in Iceland and shopping textile markets in the Dubai desert to bicycling in Italy and zip lining in Costa Rica — all while rocking B&A shirts or hats.

B&A holds quarterly events where attendees can get insight into travel tips, flight hacks, preparing for solo vacations, and more. Their next one is being planned for the spring. “Our ultimate goal is to shift the culture of travel for the African diaspora,” says Johnson. “We want to ensure that everyone gets a chance to see themselves represented all over the world — and to make sure those experiences are documented to inspire others to see the world.”

weareblackandabroad.com.