I’m sometimes asked why I chose the title ‘Black American In Europe’ for my website.  There are a myriad of reasons.  For one, there are tons of websites, TV programs, and literature documenting the travels of Americans around the world.  But, what do they all have in common?  Oh yeah, you never really see any black people in those unless they are referring to traveling to a Caribbean island or an African nation.  And when you do see or hear about black people it’s usually regarding the indigenous people of that area, not travelers.  As a matter of fact, when I was doing research before my trip to try and find out about the black experience in Europe my resources were very limited.  That is how I formulated the idea to provide information, not just for black people, but for all people on the experiences of a lone black man traveling the world.  Also, it would be very naive to think that my experience wouldn’t be any different than, say, a white American.  As I have shown in previous posts on this site, it really is a different experience.  And I don’t think it’s far fetched to think otherwise.  We are living in an era where interracial marriages are still being denied in America. 

When I set out on my trip, I honestly didn’t go into it expecting or looking for racism.  As a matter of fact, the information that I got was more positive than anything else.  I was told by other black men that the European women loved us and I must say that those remarks really fed my motivational fire.  I was also told that people would be genuinely interested in me, being a Black American and that racism in Europe is almost non-existent compared to the racism here in America.  Well, what I’ve learned is that women everywhere are just about the same.  I honestly didn’t get any different reaction from women in Europe than I do in America.  Some are rude.  Some are nice.  Some are friendly.  Some are not.  I definitely didn’t feel like I had an advantage or a leg up being a Black American.  Oh, and trust me, I TRIED to use it to my advantage.  LOL. 

What I also wanted to achieve with this site is to create a resource for other Black Americans to show them that the world is not such a dangerous place and although you are still going to encounter some forms of discrimination anywhere you go you are not likely to be lynched as soon as you get off the plane or have burning crosses outside your hotel window.  I think that one of the primary reasons that Black Americans don’t venture out more is fear of the unknown.  We really don’t know how we are going to be accepted so we just stay with what we are used to and comfortable with.  If I can help others break out of their respective comfort zones I feel I would have fulfilled my goals and then some.