Take a road trip as a black traveler with the modern green book

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The idea of the “Great American Road Trip” has been romanticized as the best way to travel around the United States and see amazing sights. But navigating the road as a black traveler is not always an easy task, because we often encounter racism in the country. The Negro Motorist Green Book, Ama the Green Book, was first published in 1936 by Victor Hugo Green to give blacks a place to eat and sleep as they traveled across America, making their journeys less dangerous and dare we say it. Even a little fun.

Observing the rise of road transformation at the start of the pandemic, award-winning journalist Christine Braswell saw an opportunity to create comprehensive road trip guides for today’s landscape, offering alternative ways to travel and highlighting Black and POC-owned businesses. on the roads. Thus, Crush Global Road Trip Guides was born, offering curated and personalized tours around the US with pioneering inclusiveness.

“Passport is the greatest education a person can give himself.”

Braswell launched Crush Global in 2016 after years as a travel writer. “Early in my career, I had all these amazing experiences when I went to visit people and visit new places,” Braswell said. “And I thought to myself, I want to share these experiences. I truly believe that travel should be accessible to all people; A passport is the greatest education a person can give himself. And a big part of my passion is just supporting businesses around the world.

The company offers group tours focused on strengthening local economies and making travel accessible to all. Before the outbreak, business was booming. But when travel declined, Braswell (like others in the travel industry) had to adapt its business model to focus on domestic travel. “The idea for organized road trips around America came about during the pandemic,” she says. It’s closed at the moment.”

Until then, Crush Global was heavily dependent on international travel. She and others in the industry were concerned not only with how to generate income, but also how to stay connected to the world and other people while they were isolated.

It still brings that sense of anticipation and adventure of travel to continue that relationship.

“I thought this was a great option because a lot of people can’t get on a plane or can’t get on a plane,” Braswell said. “It’s a great way for people to still be able to explore, to still have that connection, that sense of curiosity and adventure of travel. They are behind the wheel and my team and I create these pre-made guides.

Although the black dollar is powerful and black travelers are often overlooked in the travel industry, Braswell also wanted to support and support black-owned businesses that were disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Some say her road trip guides could be considered the modern green book, but Braswell is humble in comparison.

“I am honored that people have included my initiative and vision at Crush Global as part of something as revolutionary and important as the Green Book,” said Braswell. In a lot of ways, when I was planning road trips during the pandemic, I was trying to find a way that people could still travel and that travel was inclusive whether you were gay or black. disabled”

And that’s what the guidelines do. Prospective road trippers can choose between custom trips or pre-arranged guides. Personalized trips start at $299, depending on the guest’s budget and time frame. It may include hotel reservations, insider discounts, exclusive wine tastings, and coveted spots. A pre-made guide, on the other hand, costs between $29 and $59. Options range from foodie tours in the South to wine tours in California.

While international borders are still open, Braswell is working on creating some awesome group trips for 2023, which people can sign up for now to get information. But Crush Global’s road trips are still popular with Braswell’s customers.

Here are three examples of just a few of the road trips Crush Global has to offer so you can hit the road for a great escape.

of North East Road Trip Guide It includes six exciting days through New York City, Beacon, the Berkshires and Newport. Guests will explore farms, wineries, canoeing, breweries, hiking and even horseback riding along a historic African-American outdoor trail that honors activists.

of Southern Road Travel Guide Winding through New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Macon, Atlanta and Savannah for seven days, guests will be able to taste the best Southern cuisine each city has to offer. Then drivers can find historical points of interest in each city, such as Savannah’s beautiful, often unrepeatable beaches or the French Quarter in New Orleans – or a supernatural leaning horror walking tour. Not only can you eat well, but you can hear stories about black people in every town.

of California Food and Wine Road Trip Guide It’s seven amazing days of drinking and eating your way through Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Oakland, Sonoma and Napa. Along the way, you can stop at a few of Oprah’s favorite haunts, like Model’s Bakery—because who doesn’t want a chance to be like Oprah for a day? This trip also includes winery and restaurant recommendations that focus on black business owners.