Being a father of color who travels often feels invisible. Our stories of adventure and our mere presence are often non-existent. And, while I’ve realized that I won’t encounter faces like mine on 95% of my family holidays, mainstream travel organizations must do better projecting the reality of who travels.
Travelers of color represent a market valued at over $100 billion, according to Mandala research. However, marketing towards these groups is nil. "It's a societal problem," said Sarah Enelow-Snyder, assistant editor at the travel research company Skift. “Predominately White marketing departments aren’t making great efforts to diversify their workforce with new ideas. This perpetuates the same imagery of who is a traveler and who gets targeted.”
Despite attempts around the world to keep people isolated, life is increasingly interconnected. I believe that traveling fathers of color can help shape a better world by helping our children see, live, and learn beyond borders. "It's not easy for fathers of color in the U.S., and things have arguably gotten worse," added Enelow-Snyder. "These initiatives have profound value, and there is more to this than meets the eye."
KampInd invites you to take a journey with us as we share the voices of several fathers from around the world. We hope these personal narratives unearth these rare stories. #FamilyFLY
"Traveling with my son allows me to see the places I've been through new eyes. I didn't get to see many of these places as a kid, but now, it's like I can."
Darnell Lamont Walker @cleverbastard a self-professed traveling foodie, has been found sitting at tables eating baby goat sweetbreads, drinking tequila, and laughing loudly with strangers. The writer, filmmaker, artist, and sometimes photographer places happiness above all. And, has inspired travelers to grab their backpacks in search of adventure through his travel company, Passport Required — recently featured in GQ.
Tim Nicholson @secretofmanna — your jeweler's favorite jeweler. Following Nicholson's stint designing 2D/3D characters for world-renowned games such as Mortal Kombat, he tried his hand at jewelry, and the rest is history. Earlier this year, Nicholson and his wife embarked on a European tour with their newborn daughter, Mako. One would have never thought that grills, diamonds, and family travel could seamlessly mesh together until coming across this father’s feed.
"I started blogging shortly before my son was born — documenting my wife's pregnancy. Experiencing the flavors, culture, traditions, and music of a country is what I look for in travel. One day, I hope my son sees all these messages and feels the love and warmth of what we were feeling."
John Paul Soria @soriajon is a Mexican-born 🇲🇽 blogger from Jalisco, now living in San Diego. As a child, Soria traveled extensively throughout Mexico. With the birth of his son, Maximiliano, Soria started blogging to capture the different stages of his life. His goal is to show Maximiliano his home country as well as the rest of the world.
“Traveling more is a recent personal goal of mine, and working at it was another way to show my son the importance of setting a goal and seeing it through. Additionally, it is a way to teach my son about our world outside of the classroom. A means for him to visit and see some of the places he reads about in his studies with his own eyes.”
Jasen B. George @mrrenaissance_man_was born in Brooklyn to Grenadan parents. Frequent trips to Grenada 🇬🇩 as a youngster exposed George to a world outside his Brooklyn neighborhood. At the beginning of this year, George decided to travel further afield and touched down in Iceland, Italy, and several other European countries. Having experienced the impact travel can have on one's life, George is currently planning his first major adventure with his seven-year-old son.
"I started v-logging for two main reasons. I didn't see enough representations of who I am, and who I'm trying to become. Also, because I wasn't seeing travel content that interested me. I 've learned empathy, hustle, trust, and love through travel."
I came across Abongi-Gael Bokongo @Gabbok17's story via a Travel Noire story interview and immediately had to find out more. The stock exchange trader has visited 108 countries to date. And, his six-year-old daughter Deiyna has accompanied him on 27 of these adventures. Gabbok treats the world as a classroom and involves Deiyna throughout the planning process. The storyteller boasts an impressive gallery of photos and videos @eyestell_official
Mark Twain once said, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness," and I couldn't have said it better. In this day and age, travel has become a teacher, a sense of freedom, and an opportunity to break down barriers.
Bernard Edwards @mrbernarded is a branding strategist, real estate professional, and keynote speaker on the subjects of career development, diversity, and leadership. The former United States Air Force surgical manager found his purpose following his departure from the forces and is helping military personnel walk a similar path. Edwards is currently based in Hawaii and loves to travel with his newborn son Zander.
Jason Agcaoili @kidsplusdad originally started blogging to document his children's formative years. Later, Agcaoili created the family-focused travel agency @jasonxventures to help families travel to the Maldives & Sri Lanka. Originating from the Philippines, 🇵🇭 the California-based father of two's next goal includes a family holiday back home to experience the family culture.
"I've always wanted to vlog about my life, but I didn't know if it was exciting enough to share. After we had Taj, I knew there wouldn't be a dull moment. So, I hit “record.” My wife and I believe traveling with Taj is essential because I want him to be unconsciously cultured. Meaning, when he sees someone bow their head, he won't be shocked, and will understand that it is a way some people say hello. Alternately, if he sees someone with a kilt on, he knows it’s a kilt and not a skirt. That's my hope — “unconscious culture."
D'Anthony Ward dad_vlog is a Connecticut based vlogger and first-time father. Keep up with the aspiring film-maker and Taj's adventures via their YouTube channel. Stay tuned for the new Dad Vlog | Sessions starting Spring 19'
"Traveling with my son Gio allows us to discover new things about each other in new environments! I get this same feeling with colleagues and friends, but with my son, it's magnified 10x's."
Chaz Langley @thechazlangley is a singer, songwriter, photographer, dapper dad, son, storyteller, foodie, world traveler, and God believer. You may have heard his voice supporting various products and companies like Mercedes, McDonald's and Pepsi, among others. Follow Chaz’s page to catch him and Gio exploring NYC and the world.
The time for embracing different cultures is now. Travel with us as we inspire tomorrow’s leaders. Get involved by tagging your images and videos on social media with the hashtag #FamilyFLY. Or, email us at kampind@gmail.com for additional information.
Jonah Batambuze is a multimedia storyteller and co-founder of lifestyle brand, KampInd. He creates content which disrupts the status quo at the intersection of culture x travel x fashion. These stories challenge false narratives about fatherhood, race, and culture, and give a voice to these “invisible men.” Jonah is inspired by the belief that ALL human beings have the same basic wants and needs.