MMGY Global has partnered with the Black Travel Alliance (BTA) and the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP) to award 30 financial grants totaling $70,000 to Black travel organizations and content creators.
These grants were funded by proceeds from the sale of The Black Traveler: Insights, Opportunities & Priorities, a research report created by MMGY Travel Intelligence on behalf of Black traveler advocacy organizations to identify the needs, behaviors and sentiment of the Black travel community. The newly awarded funds are in addition to $30,000 in report proceeds that have already been distributed to the BTA, NCBMP and the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) to support their organizations.
Grant entries, which were submitted in April, were reviewed by Ursula Petula Barzey, research committee chair with the Black Travel Alliance, and Jason Dunn, immediate past chair of the NCBMP, with the support of MMGY Global. Individuals and organizations from the U.S., Canada, France, Germany and U.K./Ireland—the countries in which The Black Traveler study was conducted—were invited to apply.
“This entire experience—from concepting the study with our partners and analyzing the data to now awarding these grants—has been both eye-opening and extremely rewarding,” said Clayton Reid, CEO, MMGY Global. “The research revealed many issues that need to be addressed in our industry, so I’m proud that these grants will be helping to amplify Black voices and support Black travel organizations.”
Dunn added, “We believe that travel and tourism empowers communities. When we first started this journey, we wanted to do three things—the first being to heighten awareness for the $129 billion impact of Black travelers. The second was to embolden Black travel organizations globally to walk in their power and remove the false narrative that their business has no value. Third, we wanted to inspire the next generation of Black travelers to explore the world. It’s refreshing to know that the 10 organizations selected reflect what we set out to do. Mission accomplished.”
Black Travel Organization Grant
Recipients in alphabetical order:
- Black Kids Adventures Inc
- Black Kids Do Travel
- Fight Through Flights Incorporated
- iFLY Youth
- Little Africa Paris
- Maison Carib
- Niagara Bound Tours
- Teens of Color Abroad Inc.
- The Vonne Group
- The Wind Collective
Black Travel Content Creator Grant
According to Barzey, “Reviewing the applications for the content creator grant was inspiring for the team as there was a diverse mix of storytellers. The 20 selected are a snapshot into the amazing but often overlooked talent pool of Black travel content creators who are influential in advancing the Black travel movement. Thus it is gratifying to know that a year of hard work on The Black Traveler study has generated funds to help amplify some of these lesser-known but important voices.”
Recipients in alphabetical order by their first name:
- Aisha Springer, blogger, Urban Escapist
- Brian Oliver, social media influencer, Beyond Bmore
- Calvin Hearns, photographer, The Calvin Chronicles
- Caroline Sande, vlogger, TravelEatSlay
- Danielle Desir, podcaster, The Thought Card
- Frederick Murphy, social media influencer, History Before Us
- Ime Umoh, vlogger, Push the Button
- Jessica Ufuoma, blogger, The Ufuoma
- Joyce Oladeinde, blogger, Diy With Joy
- Jupiter Kayonga, photographer, Jupiter Konnections
- Kareemah Ashiru, blogger, Hijabiglobetrotter
- Kesi Irvin, blogger, Kesi To and Fro
- Montoya Hudson, blogger, The Spring Break Family
- Roobens Fils, blogger, Been Around The Globe
- Sandy Salyeres, travel author, Abenafrica
- Sierra Redmond, journalist, The Daily Impressions
- Simone Mills, blogger, EverytingSimSimma
- Sojourner White, social media influencer, Sojournies
- Tameika Gentles, social media influencer, Tameika
- Tia Mills, social media influencer, Tia Takes The World
For more on how the industry is working on inclusion, see the July 15th issue of Hotel Business.