Tag: #TravelingWhileBlack

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Dr. G's Travels

#TanzaniaJourneyTravels-Day 6: Welcome to Zanzibar!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Today was a day of transit and rest! Leaving the beautiful and breathtaking Serengeti! As mentioned in previous posts the past few days have been unforgettable and will be embedded in my memory.

Now as we made our way to Zanzibar (also known as Unguja) we would board a plane that I kid you not could only hold 12 passengers and the two pilots. Another unforgettable experience…I literally was a seat away from the pilots. Talk about flying on a small plane (see below)…

Our plane for the trip between Serengeti and Zanzibar
Aerial views flying over Zanzibar city

Once we landed in Zanzibar I would have somewhat of an awakening. First off Zanzibar is actually an island province that is still part of Tanzania. So we were literally leaving grasslands and plains entering an urban city landscape. As we were flying over the city, the aerial views showed just how jammed packed the city is. Now while their is a similar landscape to the mainland, you can see a distinct change in Zanzibar. It is also very clear there is definitely a heavy middle eastern influence, as the majority (99%) of the island practices Islam, with a very small percentage that practices Christianity.

This would put things into perspective…when talking with people from the Tanzanian mainland many have expressed how the President is preferred to come from the mainland and have the vice president from Zanzibar. There tends to be different leadership styles from both roles. Currently the President of Tanzania is from Zanzibar (and is the first woman president) due to the President passing away from COVID-19. A example of the VP stepping in.

Another awakening moment was how perceived what Zanzibar would look like upon my arrival. I will admit when I thought of Zanzibar I pictured primarily beaches and five-star resorts or something from a spy action movie…think Queen Sono (Netflix), but there is definitely a deep history here as well considering during the mid-19th century as many as 50,000 enslaved people came through through the Zanzibar City port.

More to come on that in the coming days.

As stated earlier today was more of a day of transit and rest, not too much to report. However, I’m looking forward to a little R&R as well as making some more memories!!

Till Tomorrow!! See you then!

~Dr. G

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Dr. G's Travels

#TanzaniaJourneyTravels- Day 5: A Visit with the Maasai

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

What a day!! There are many moments where you will watch something on tv or read in a book that make you say, “I wish I could be there” or “I wonder what it would be like to see a community in their natural element. Well today I was able make that happen when visiting a Maasai village. I have read about them, seen them portrayed in movies, featured in documentaries, but here was a moment to witness them in all their glory!

A brief history…The Maasai is a community of people that inhabit the northern, central and southern part of Kenya and northern part of Tanzania. They are known for their residence near many game parks/reserves of the African Great Lakes, their warrior style of fighting, and their distinctive customs and attire. While the last Census in 2019 of the Maasai population was reported as numbering 1,189,522 in Kenya this may be skewed as many of the Maasai view the census as government meddling and often either refuse to participate or actively provide false information. I can definitely respect this move and also count it fortunate that they even allowed us into their space. I will say they definitely encouraged us to take pictures and video and they even let us wear some of the garments during the visit.

Dr. G dressed in traditional Maasai attire with some of the Maasai women

The Maasai are very much a self-sustaining community that rely on cattle for wealth (although they are very familiar with the US Dollar) and the men and women each play an active role in maintaining its existence. Interesting enough the women I would say in many ways take on a great deal of the tasks whether it is teaching the kindergarten classes, bearing children, selling goods in the market and building the homes that they live in. The role of Black and African women is in many ways universal.

Some other interesting things to note include:

  • The Maasai people were against slavery and never condoned the trafficking of human beings, thus those outsiders looking for people to enslave avoided the Maasai
  • All of the Maasai’s needs for food are met by their cattle. Not only do they eat their meat, but drink their milk daily, and sometimes drink their blood. Goats and lamb are slaughtered for meat on special occasions and ceremonies.
  • A big part of their culture also includes music and dance. Upon entering the village we would participate in the welcome dance and jumping competition. I appreciated taking part in this as we were not just simply bystanders looking on (see the above video).

One other thing that would stand out for me was the 5-step progression of boys to elders. Between the ages of 12-15 the young Maasai boys are circumcised making this the first step into manhood, then at age 15 they are trained to become warriors (this lasts for 9 years), after they become middle man, from there a man at which point they are eligible to be married, and then the final stage is becoming an elder.

As an extra bonus, the professor/teacher in me, I was elated to be able to see the kindergarten class in session. I love when children have such enthusiasm…

These past few days have truly been enlightening and confirming! This would be another time coming to the continent and feeling like being in a second home. On our way to dinner one of the Maasai asked us where we were from and when we replied USA/America, he would then in turn tell us “you look like you are African, like you belong here…” That hit deep for me because I am real big person on this idea of “Home” and belonging. For him and several others to say we are Home it really makes you think who we are and where we fit in.

Let me tell you I AM PROUD to be a BLACK WOMAN whose ancestors are from AFRICA!! No one can ever take that away!

—

So today closes out our last day in the northern part of Tanzania, tomorrow we are headed to Zanzibar! I cannot wait to share what new experiences and memories will be gained!!

See you tomorrow!! Happy October!!

~Dr. G

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Dr. G's Travels, On The Radar

#TanzaniaJourneyTravels-Day 3: It’s Safari Time!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Jambo!! (Swahili for Hello!) Today was all about the “Safari Life”!! For today’s excursion we spent the day driving up to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area which is a national park that consists of highland plains, savanna, savanna woodlands and forests.

Dr. G at the entrance of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area

As a conservation area it also home to the Great Migration, a massive annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and other animals, which we were fortunate enough to witness.

You know I had to get a selfie with the elephants #DSTinTanzania

This was truly a grand experience! Witnessing these animals in their natural habitat versus gawking at them behind a cage or fence. During this 6-hour safari (yep you read that right!) we would see four of what is considered Africa’s “Big 5” (Elephant, Water Buffalo, Lion, Black Rhinoceros) but also take in the calming landscape. The only one we missed today was the leopard, but hopefully we will see one at the Serengeti! In addition to see almost all of the “Big 5” we would also see flamingos, an ostrich, warthogs, giraffes, baboons, hippopotamus, wildebeests, gazelles, zebras and so much more!

A few of the animals even brought some comic relief…

Here is one the Big 5 in all their glory!! We were able to get pretty close this king and queen of the pride lands :-). Shout out to all my Leo’s in the virtual building!

I would find it very interesting how many of the animals had no issue with us driving in our 4X4 jeeps taking pictures and admiring their day to day. But as our guide Waziri would tell us, they see these vehicles everyday, they were born and coming out the womb seeing it, so it is just a part of the routine. However, the moment anyone would step out their vehicle, they scattered across the plain!

I will say taking a Ngorongoro safari is truly an eye-opening experience you will never forget, and the fact that it essentially has a unique micro-climate, one can enjoy it year round.

To close out the post let me share some #PostcardViews worthy images to start your day…

Now normally I would say “see you tomorrow” …. however I may be MIA due to the fact that I will be in the Serengeti, staying the night (with no wifi), but fret not I will have much to share once I am able!

So see you soon!

~Dr. G

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Dr. G's Travels, On the Desk...

#TanzaniaJourneyTravels-Day 2: Village Culture and Agriculture!!

Posted on by drblackfuturefeminist

Gotta love when you don’t have a particular plan, but things just work out for you! Woke up, grabbed some delicious breakfast, and then sat on our balcony with my Kindle and coffee!

Following the morning rise and liquid pick me up, we would spend the day in the RiverTrees area soaking in some more Tanzanian culture. While we had planned to use this as a chill day, we embarked on a local village walking tour. The village, Chim Chim, sits right next to the RiverTrees Country Inn where we are staying and is a space full of farm land, greenhouses, small businesses, schools, churches, and family homes.

Take a look at some of the visuals that were captured today:

Some of the local churches and Hair salons… Photo credit: Dr. G

“Agriculture is our backbone.” This is the motto and mission of this scenic East African country. Just walking through the village not only did we saw how the community lives, but how they work and the agriculture that sustains them. While Tanzania is known for the nature-filled parks, game reserves, spices, and the Massai people, much of what keeps the country moving and shaking is the agriculture. A great deal of the country deals with farming with much of their product includes corn/maize, sweet potatoes, yams, and bananas.

Sweet Potatoes, Corn, Eggplants, Bananas, and Figs….Fresh Food coming!! … Photo Credit: Dr. G

While walking through the village we would also stop by one of the local churches (see below). [Much like in the US, one can find many churches throughout one’s city, the same is definitely true here within the Chim Chim village.] Now while the original purpose was to admire the spiritual space and briefly rest our feet, the pastor of the church was led to say a prayer for us. In that moment, I would definitely realize this was no accident or chance encounter. Such a powerful moment, that will stick with me even after we return home!

Entering the El-Shaddai Christian Centre…Photo Credit: Dr. G

Shout out to our amazing guide from Wayo Africa, Delvina who was AWESOME!! So well-versed in everything from farming, education, politics, and so much more! I feel like I got a course in Tanzania 101 all while soaking in some village culture.

A final shot with our amazing guide Delvina!! … Photo Credit: Dr. G

Closing Thoughts of the Day…

One thing I love about traveling is meeting new people and building on my community network. After returning from our village tour we would meet this gentleman named Emmanuel who owns a safari company in Tanzania. During our conversation, where he was very careful with his words, he would talk about how excited he was to see Black Americans not only traveling to Africa but also doing safari excursions. Based on his choice of words and enthusiasm in seeing us, I gather not many Black folks do safari trips. This could be for a variety of reasons (access, lack of information and resources, fear, misrepresentations, etc.) This is why it soooo important to step outside of one’s comfort zone/neighborhood and explore all that the world has to offer. I appreciated the honest conversation and Emmanuel’s candor! It just further confirmed the importance of #TravelingWhileBlack ! This was the second place where I felt like I was home, and it was an extra bonus hearing a fellow native tell us “this is your home!”

While I was definitely exhausted at the end of the day from all the walking, plus the heat sapping our energy, this was an eventful and informative day.

Tomorrow begins our journey to the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area!! So stay tuned!! See ya later!

~Dr. G