The last few days, I have been deep in thought. I signed petitions and donated. I also educated myself. I’ve acknowledged my privileges as an American white living in Manhattan. I’ve talked to my family and friends about this privilege. I’ve also used social media more than ever before, not just condemning racism but also learning how to be an ally.
One thing I have struggled with is the notion that I cannot become a full-time advocate overnight. I was so furious; I wanted to change the entire world at once. With all my anger and confusion, I was not getting anywhere. I needed to step back and see where and how real change can be made.
Now, I am turning my attention toward how I can improve my home, my social circle, and my industry.
There’s no doubt that BIPOC creators are underrepresented in the travel blogging industry and the influencer industry. I will discuss how I intend to support them through my work.
I am a travel blogger who creates content full-time. As such, I have a responsibility to use this platform to encourage positive change in the travel and influencer industries. My career is my passion, but it’s not without its flaws.
Here’s how I plan to make it better. Visit this page for more information on the Black Lives Matter Movement.
CHECKING OUT MY FEEDS
My feed was the first place I went to.
I am a person who loves to travel and learn about different cultures. When people ask me about my favorite part of traveling the world, I often answer, “seeing the way people live on other sides of the globe.”
When I viewed my Instagram feed, the majority of people that I follow looked like me.
Why? Why am I only following other white female travelers? Why do I only follow other white female travelers?
It is important to welcome the opinions of BIPOC creators in order to gain a deeper understanding of the travel and social media influencer industry, as well as become a better travel blog.
WHAT CHANGES COULD I MAKE TO MY BLOG
Then, I began to think about what I could do better.
As a travel blog, I create guides and tips about places I have visited in the hopes that they will inspire you to take your trip.
I decided to audit my existing travel guides. Am I recommending Black and Minority-owned restaurants, stores, tours, or travel agencies in these guides?
In the future, I will include these businesses as part of my guide, which in turn will inspire you to visit them.
To recommend more Black-owned and minority-owned businesses, I must first visit them.
When creating my itinerary for future trips, I will actively seek out these businesses.
A second way to make room for BIPOC voices on my blog is to be careful about who I allow to post as a guest. Though I haven’t done this yet, I see myself eventually allowing guest and collaborative posts on my website.
In the future, I will include diverse voices, which is, frankly, something that I think every travel website should do!
It’s so boring to hear the same people talking about the same travel experiences over and over. It would be so much more interesting to learn about the unique travel experiences of people from all different backgrounds and hear their personal stories.