We Have Work To Do
A Letter from Joanne Wilmore
Founder, Sojourn Noir
Joanne Wilmore welcomes guests to the “Bring Yourself Here” Learning Series launch.
Thankful determination. That’s how I’d sum up what I’m feeling in this moment, as I reflect on 2024. A guiding principle and a fundamental reason Sojourn Noir exists is to amplify the voices of Black travelers and create a safe space, based in truthful content, where African American travelers can share their experiences and aspirations related to travel.
Why is this important? Black travelers contributed more than 100 billion dollars to continental U.S. travel last year. Yet, travel industry research shows that Black travelers often report feeling unwelcome in destinations they visit. In a 2023 survey conducted by MMGY Global, 46% of travel planners surveyed stated that their Black clients reported feeling unwelcome in a destination they traveled. In October 2024, a survey conducted by Group Black for TripAdvisor reported that 1 in 5 Black travelers said they felt discriminated against while traveling. These are daunting but not surprising statistics.
At Sojourn Noir, we believe travel is an inalienable right, and Black tourists deserve travel experiences, spaces and destinations that are safe, welcoming and offer a sense of belonging. We believe Black travelers deserve travel industry dollars allocated toward the health and well-being of Black travelers. This includes, but is not limited to, investing targeted marketing dollars that amplify the voices of Black tourists, conducting and compiling continued research to understand the experiences, sentiments and motivations of Black travelers and, most importantly, a commitment to doing the work to help create spaces that are open and welcome to receiving Black travelers.
I’m grateful to everyone who has come alongside Sojourn Noir this year and invested in helping us to build and advance this crucial initiative to engage and encourage Black tourism in York, PA. That support enabled us to expand our digital footprint and build a community centered around promoting and celebrating positive Black travel experiences. We could not have done it without each one of you. We’re thankful for this community – for your perspectives, your support and encouragement, and your voices in this conversation.
Here in York County, Pennsylvania and beyond, we recognize there is still much work to be done in addressing anti-Blackness. Nationally and locally, both historical and present day egregious racial incidents have documented the treatment of Black people that impinged upon their ability to enjoy the benefits of unencumbered leisure, which is a tenant of self-care. As a recent example, the owner of a prominent local restaurant (one that is frequented by Black customers) was seen on video repeatedly hurling racial epithets and proudly admitting to being racist against Black people. These postures often transfer into the culture of a business, adversely impacting Black patron’s experiences. This is just one such incidence; which is less an indictment of our community and more an indication and affirmation that there is still work to be done to dismantle systemic discrimination wherever it exists in various forms.
Ashley Hill, Diversity & Cultural Intelligence Specialist guides the “Bring Yourself Here” Cultural Intelligence session.
Sojourn Noir is committed to the work of addressing anti-Blackness and partnering with communities, businesses, organizations and the public sector to build a culture that supports a welcoming environment for Black travelers. To that end, through the generous support of Explore York, York County PA’s tourism organization, we developed a comprehensive, solutions-oriented approach: “Bring Yourself Here” Cultural Intelligence Learning Series, that focuses on a broad range of tourism segments. The series includes a 7-hour building workshop.
This foundational workshop can be paired with one or multiple of our industry-specific, project based 4-hour trainings in our areas of focus:
Arts and Culture
Entertainment
History and Heritage
Outdoor Spaces
Rest and Relaxation
Dining
Retail
Attendees at the November 14th “Bring Yourself Here” series introduction interact and share ideas.
The series launched November 14, 2024, where we invited a group of York area leaders to a three-hour introduction to the series. A second group will be hosted in February of 2025 before full roll-out. We are encouraged by the feedback that we received from the training so far. We look forward to sharing more insights with you in the coming months and continuing to intentionally include your voices as we shape gratifying, fulfilling travel experiences that meet our expectations, reflect our desires and embrace who we are uniquely as travelers.
I’m thankful for the work we’ve accomplished together, for the conversations and insights from so many of you who have framed our approach. I’m more determined than ever to ensure that Sojourn Noir continues to amplify our voices and is persistent in advocating for Black travelers.
Together, we will inspire Black people to freely engage in the inalienable right to leisure travel!
Sincerely,
Joanne Wilmore
Founder, Sojourn Noir