Stephanie Claytor takes us on her journey growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, traveling around the U.S. as a kid, and eventually kicking off her world travel journey by studying abroad in the Dominican Republic. Stephanie reflects on her experience living in the DR at age 19, the impact that had on her life, lessons learned, and how it inspired her future travel journey. She then talks about her experience living in Colombia as part of the Fulbright program, connecting with Afro-Colombian heritage, interviewing internally displaced Colombians, and having a blast salsa dancing and going to Carnival. Stephanie also reflects on the racial profiling and other problematic racial dynamics she observed while traveling in Latin American. She then shares the inspiration for writing her memoir “BlackTrekking: My Journey Living in Latin America” and explains what people can expect from the book. Stephanie then shares her reflections on her trip to Ghana, including her visit to the Slave Castles and her participation in a traditional “Naming Ceremony”. She then talks about her blog, Blacktrekking.com, which focuses on Black cultural heritage around the world. She also shares some examples of important Black heritage destinations in the U.S. that she has visited and written about. Stephanie explains why her goal is to inspire more Black Americans to travel the world and live abroad. She reflects on her minimalism, why she prioritizes experiences over material items, and how and why she intends to integrate world travel into her son’s life. She concludes by sharing why she continues to travel, what travel means to her at this point in her life, and her top tips for Black world travelers. FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: www.TheMaverickShow.com
Episode #128: BlackTrekking: Connecting with Black Cultural Heritage from Colombia to Ghana with Stephanie Claytor
Episode Summary
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About the Guest
Stephanie Claytor
Stephanie Claytor is an award-winning journalist, world traveler, storyteller and founder of the travel blog Blacktrekking.com which focuses on Black history and culture around the world. She is also the author of the travel memoir “BlackTrekking: My Journey Living in Latin America”. After spending much of her professional career as a TV news reporter in the U.S., Stephanie transitioned to becoming a mompreneur, caring for her son while focusing on her travel blog and freelance writing. Her mission today is to inspire more Black Americans to travel internationally, or live abroad, and she has been featured in National Geographic, Travel Noire, and the Black News Channel.
What You'll Learn
- The importance of studying abroad and living in other countries
- Stories and Reflections from her Memoir: “Blacktrekking: My Journey Living in Latin America”
- Stephanie’s Top Tips for Black World Travelers
Links From the Episode
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GET 20% OFF STEPHANIE’S BOOK
- BlackTrekking: My Journey Living in Latin America
(Use Code “BLACK HISTORY” for 20% Discount)
#1 BOOK STEPHANIE RECOMMENDS
DINNER GUESTS STEPHANIE MOST WANTS TO HAVE
OTHER PERSON MENTIONED
TOP 3 FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
TOP 3 BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS
LOCATION WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
BLACK HERITAGE SITES IN THE U.S. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- The Whitney Plantation in New Orleans
- The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC
- The Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Alabama
- The Lynching Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama
- The Tennessee State Museum in Nashville, Tennessee
OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Samaná Province, Dominican Republic
- California
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Ghana
- New Orleans
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Puerto Rico
- Bora Bora, Tahiti
- Tennessee
- Venezuela
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CONTACT AND FOLLOW STEPHANIE
Time Stamped Show Notes
**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.
[2:23] Growing up in Cleveland, Traveling in the U.S., and Wanting to Travel the World
[4:41] Studying Abroad in the Dominican Republic
- Stephanie’s experiences in the DR at age 19
- The impact of the Dominican Republic travel experience on Stephanie
[12:08] Living in Colombia on the Fulbright Program
- Stephanie’s experience living and traveling in Colombia
- Traveling around Colombia, Salsa Dancing and attending Carnival
[16:31] Experiencing Blackface in Colombia and Racial Profiling in Dominican Republic
[19:58] Stephanie’s Memoir: “Blacktrekking: My Journey Living in Latin America”
- Why Stephanie wrote the memoir
- Exploring the Samaná province of DR, inhabited by descendants of African-Americans
- Interviews with internally displaced Afro-Colombians
- How to get a discount on Stephane’s book
[28:14] Traveling through Ghana
- What Stephanie Loves about Accra
- Reflections on Visiting the Slave Castles
- Experiencing a traditional “Naming Ceremony”
[35:20] Stephanie’s Blog Posts on Black History and Culture in the U.S.
- The Whitney Plantation in New Orleans
- The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC
- The Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Alabama
- The Lynching Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama
- The Tennessee State Museum in Nashville, Tennessee
[38:08] Why Stephanie Wants to Inspire More Black Americans to Travel and Live Abroad
[40:48] Prioritizing Experiences over Material Items
[41:49] Stephanie’s Parenting Philosophy About Traveling with Her Son
[44:02] Stephanie’s Tips for Black World Travelers
[45:35] What Travel Means to Stephanie
[46:18] The Lightning Round
- #1 Book Stephanie Recommends
- #1 Travel Hack
- #1 Dinner Guest Stephanie Wants to Have
- Stephanie’s experience interviewing Lebron James
- #1 Piece of Advice Stephanie would give to her 18 Year Old Self
- Top 3 Favorite Travel Destinations
- Top 3 Bucket List Destinations
[50:46] Contact Stephanie
- Read Stephanie’s Blog
- Buy Stephanie’s Book at a Discount
- Follow Stephanie on Social Media
