Where to go in February and why I'm obsessed with Memphis

Guess what y’all? We have an extra day of Black history month this year (thanks, leap year!) so BUCKLE UP!

It's almost time to celebrate all things Blackity Black Black Black next month and I could not be more excited. I also could not be more busy because all of your favorite media outlets want their Black history month travel stories from their favorite writer and you know I’m here to serve. But don’t worry, I’ve saved some of my best expertise on all things Black travel just for you all. For this newsletter, I’m going to spotlight one of my new (to me) favorite Black travel destinations: Memphis. Then we’ll wrap up with my travel recommendations for February, and some travel deals that caught my eye.

Snapshots from Memphis

I visited Memphis for the first time this October and although I felt like I saw SO much relating to the city’s thriving Black history, present and future, I know I barely scratched the surface. First, I want to address the fact that Memphis obviously has its own very complicated and fraught racial history alongside present-day racial issues, and these issues aren’t always between Black and white people. Perhaps you remember last year’s murder of Tyre Nichols by five police officers who all happened to be Black (and though one could make an argument that this is strictly a police brutality issue, you’ll find think pieces on the interwebs about the relationship between white supremacy and Black police but I won’t go into that here), and then there’s the assassination of Dr. King and the Memphis Massacre of 1866. While some of these events seem like they are in the distant past, they carry very real, modern day trauma that affect the travel decisions of many Black travelers. I will admit, I was hesitant to come to Memphis for all of these reasons. Would I feel safe to walk around alone? Like many southern cities I’ve visited, would Memphis still feel segregated?

Truth be told, I’m not sure these questions can be answered by the 48 hours I spent in Memphis. But what I can tell you is that thanks to the advice and guidance of the team behind We Are Memphis, a nonprofit whose goal is to elevate Memphis as an epicenter of diversity, inclusion, and creativity, I think I got a glimpse into the soul of Memphis. A soul that has been in a constant battle for decades.

I started my trip at the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, and I’m honestly not sure that I’d recommend you start your trip that way. The museum is fantastic and pulls no punches, but the exhibits starting from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, contemporary times and then finally the room where Dr. King was murdered completely gutted me. The museum is informative, immersive and most importantly honest, but there are no trigger warnings relating to imagery and there were times where I felt highly anxious while walking through it. Also, I burst into tears the moment I saw Dr. King’s hotel room but I am a self-acknowledged crybaby so that may not be your experience! It’s the type of museum I truly believe every American should experience once in their lifetime to understand the origins of racial hate in America and the resiliency of African Americans.

Now, this newsletter is already getting lengthy so here are some quick hits of my Black Memphis faves. Cxffeeblack (brand) and the Anti-Gentrification Coffee Club (coffee shop); their “Love Black People Like You Love Black Coffee” tumbler is a staple in my house. The Four Way, a soul food restaurant opened since 1946 that was one of the only places in Memphis where Black and white patrons dined together in the 1960s. The fried catfish made me want to shout glorayyyyyy! Collage Dance Collective, one of the few professional ballet companies in the world with a roster of BIPOC talent and a conservatory teaching mostly students of color. Seeing all those Black and Brown children in tights, leotards and pointe shoes that matched their skin tones made me well up with tears. Clayborn Temple, the site where the I Am a Man protest signs were created prior to the sanitation workers strike of 1968, is in the midst of restoration but you can visit the poignant I Am A Man plaza on the site of the church. There stands a memorial to the 1300 workers who participated in the strike (the strike was the reason for Dr. King’s visit to Memphis when he was killed).

Quick hit of where to go in February (besides Memphis)

These lists are always arbitrary and filled with opinions, so here are mine lol.

• Charleston, South Carolina - I have complicated feelings about Charleston, but what can’t be denied is the city’s beauty, excellent cuisine, mild winter weather and that it’s the home to the International African American Museum, a site that is high on my list to see this year.

• New Orleans, Louisiana - hi, i’m biased because my family is from Louisiana. Now that that’s out of the way, Fat Tuesday is hella early this year (February 13), and I do believe you should experience it at least once even if the weather may be on the chillier side. I find that the best part of Mardi Gras, the Mardi Gras Indians, are always overlooked, yet are the secret sauce of the Mardi Gras experience. They are a longstanding group of beaded and feather-adorned Mardi Gras performers of Indigenous and African descent. The costumes are incredible and worth witnessing in person in the parades. Read more about them here.

• Rio de Janeiro - I don’t have a specific Black travel recommendation tied to this destination (besides the fact that Brazil has a strong and interesting Afro-Brazilian culture), but I’ve always dreamed of going to Carnaval, which will be February 9 to 17 this year.

• Big Sky, Montana - Fun fact for all my fellow winter babies! The 51st annual summit of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, a Black ski group with chapters around the country, will take place in Big Sky from February 24 to March 1 and I’ll be there! Can’t wait to report back for you all.

* These Deals Caught My Eye

• Hotels.com is having a New Year’s sale with 25% off or more on select hotels in both domestic and international destinations. Book by 1/31/24 travel by 8/31/24.

• Southwest Airlines is back with their Wanna Get Away sale with one way flights as low as $39. Book by 1/25/24.

• Costco Travel has limited-time packages to destinations like Hawaii, Mexico, Bora Bora, Europe and California that include resort credits, breakfast, parking, etc. Book by 1/31/24 and you must have a Costco membership.

* This section will be only available to paid-subscribers moving forward.

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