Counting Brown
I have always been extremely aware that there aren’t very many people of color that travel. In my personal bubble of friends and colleagues, that might not be so true but my bubble only represents a miniscule part of the population. So I’m guessing that it might not surprise you to learn that I count Brown people when I’m at the airport. (And I bet some of you do too.) Not for any particular reason, mind you. Just because.
As much as I like to write, I have taken my sweet time writing about what I call Counting Brown. Mostly because I didn’t want to be misunderstood and also because it’s always been such a personal thing. The truth is that you can’t tell a person’s cultural identity by the color of his or her skin. And if you know anything about how I personally identify Brown, it’s less about skin color and more about cultural identity and pride. So even though not focusing on skin color is what I preach, it’s obvious that when I’m Counting Brown that I’m counting people who are outwardly and more obviously from culturally diverse backgrounds. And yes, I’m sure there are some people I’m missing…but probably not that many. Moving along…
On October 8, 2011, I was returning home from a short trip to Atlanta and almost collapsed into my airplane seat when I counted 8 Brown women in first class. Yep. In first class. That. has. never. happened. to. me. before. Ever. And that is precisely what prompted me to finally write this post. Of course I was on my way back from a city that boasts quite a few upwardly mobile people of color and the National Black MBA Association Conference was winding down, so maybe I shouldn’t have been so surprised when my seatmate was an African-American woman. And friendly to boot! Keep in mind that I typically find more Brown people in some airports more than in others (some being New York, DC, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta); but I was still shocked. Shocked enough to post it on my Facebook page. Somebody pass the smelling salts.
In my experience, the most luxurious environments have the fewest Brown people in them (which would explain why some people are surprised to see a group of mainland Brown children traveling to a high end destination like St. John in the USVIs, but I digress). It’s not that we can’t afford it thankyouverymuch. It’s just a numbers 
thing. There are simply fewer of us traveling. In fact, “fewer of us traveling” is what led me to write for American Airlines’ BlackAtlas.com, a Web portal dedicated to African-American travelers. Truth be told, I wasn’t down at first. I didn’t get why there had to be a separate site for African-Americans or why American Airlines had specific outreach programs in place for Hispanic travelers. You know me, I don’t like the idea of separating to celebrate or pigeon-holing cultural groups. But then it dawned on me *smacking myself in the forehead* …. It’s about encouraging travel in communities that are under-represented. It’s about aiming to create some balance. Maybe I was being a little sensitive. But hey, now I get it. After all, I hope that by traveling (and writing about it) that I encourage people of color to travel too. *Big smile*
There is no real moral to this story. I simply like to count. (Sounds a little OCD-ish, doesn’t it?) Counting Brown has become a habit of mine and I’ll probably always do it. I figure it might take another year or so before I see another 8 Brown women in first class but I’d like to be wrong. I will always wonder who the Brown people are in airport terminals, luxury hotels and first class cabins even if they pretend like they don’t see me sitting across the aisle from them (which happened a few months ago). Not because it matters. But just because I can.
What about you? Do you ever Count Brown?
When Tracey isn’t Counting Brown in airport terminals or in first class cabins, she is blogging at OneBrownGirl.com® and giving girls a world view via OBG Adventure Camps and The Passport Party Project™.
Tracey
Tracey Friley is the founder of OneBrownGirl.com® and The Passport Party Project [dot org], a philanthropic initiative sponsored by Expedia® that gifts underserved U.S. girls with their very first passports. An entrepreneur that uses social media as a platform, Friley is a self-proclaimed culturalista and travelista that will produce and host the first multicultural travel bloggers retreat in 2013. If you can't find her on a plane, a train, or a boat, feel free to check her out on Facebook. =)
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That was a good post. I guess I never really looked at it that way because I don’t get to travel much with a small baby at home. However, I have plans to change that in the near future. On my way to the blogalicious conference next week, I’ll check to see how many brown people I see.
I count too and trust me others are counting me. My husband and I love to travel and for sure if we are on a flight or cruise we just frown because we want to see others. I know it might not mean much to other people but… it does to me. Our honeymoon was in the Mediterranean and we literally had a count the brown folk game… I don’t even want to tell you the numbers.
Like the post, Tracey. I hope people get the humor in my comment to your FB post! Knowing you, I knew whatever you were doing and wherever you were going must be fantabulous, and I would have rather been there in your first class plane cabin than doing the mundane crap I was doing, LOL.
I completely agree with your take, and your struggle, when talking about color in travel. Even when looked at as the percentage of population represented, far less people of color travel. So should we be “color blind” and lot look at it or talk about it? Or should we reach out to engage separate groups? I think engagement is fine. It’s relating to people where they are – it’s the same reason why there are specific travel sites for women, for high schoolers/college kids, etc.
On another note, I have been involved in volunteerism here in Austin for years, and the same discussion/struggle happens around that. People of color also don’t volunteer as much, particularly Latinos, and more volunteers (especially to serve children in those communities, and as role models) are needed. So there was always discussion about “focusing” on communities of color and volunteers. But as you say, different methods of engagement were needed. My boss at the time, Mando Rayo, even left United Way to start his own organization called Cultural Strategies, which is specifically and just centered around engaging people of color, especially the Hispanic community, in volunteerism. It’s really great.
Kudos for talking about this! And I still say, I’m always happy to be the one pinkish-white women in any Brown Girl travel you want to do!
Alisha: Looking forward to seeing you at Blogalicious next week. Please be sure to say hello! I hope you can make it to the travel panel on Sunday. Sometimes when there is a conference, the numbers of Brown people traveling go up. I’m not sure what part of the country you’re coming from, but I’ll be curious to hear about what you see. And don’t forget to count yourself! LOL
Aisha: You definitely have a point. I guess people might be counting me too. LOL Never thought about that. #countinggames
Oh Shelley, I don’t think anyone would take your Facebook comment out of context. I thought it was hysterical. (You’re silly like me.) And if they do, hey, whatcanyado?
Engaging with separate groups is why I started my Facebook page. I think we all have far more in common than we realize sometimes and I like the idea of exploring those similarities in a fun and celebratory fashion. I don’t find anything offensive about my little counting game and pretending to be colorblind isn’t realistic. It is what it is.
Kudos to Mando Rayo for engaging the Latino & culturally diverse communities in Austin wrt volunteerism. I admire people like that.
LOL…and I just love your spirit…with your pinkish self. =D Thanks for the thoughtful engagement…
I always count brown wherever I go…I guess I’m looking for a comfort zone in atmospheres where folks sometimes look away, look through you, look as though their spaces have been invaded. This reminds me of when I was a kid and there weren’t many actors of color…so, when there was an appearance we’d get all excited and exclaim “there’s one of us”. That was back in the late 50′s and 60′s so I’m sure the day will come where we won’t count be counting anymore.
Thanks Tracey. Although I wouldn’t say I count, I definitely notice when I am somewhere in a travel mode and there are a lot more brown people than I usually notice – because as you say, people of color don’t represent a huge portion of the travel market. In the same way I notice how many women (or rather how few women) are in certain places, like a corporate meeting or board room. Not that I’m in many of those these days, just sayin’.
Aqueelah: Looking forward to the day when we won’t be counting anymore but doubt it will be in my lifetime. I guess my blog posts are the legacy I leave behind. Hope it encourages at least one person to just go somewhere…even if it’s to the next city over….
A truly beautiful and powerful legacy you will leave. The mastery of the written word is a gift. I must say you have inspired me to travel, and I know I’m not the only one.
That means a lot to me, Aqueelah. Thank you. Very much.
Should have known that I wasn’t the only one who “counted brown”! In places that lack color, I feel better when people pretend not to stare (although you know that they are looking). In some places, they stare outright. I hate playing that game!
In your tweet just a bit ago, you asked what I count.
I don’t count brown. I count hot guys, whether they’re white, brown, yellow, orange, or green. ;D
Thank you for your comment Michaela! Nope. You aren’t the only one. I don’t mind when people stare at me because I’m “the only one” or one of a few. I think I’m used to it and I think it just means the people staring are curious.
I used to get upset when people (from ALL cultural backgrounds) stared and asked me if the girls I was traveling with for my camp were at-risk. What I came to realize is that it isn’t the norm to see 10 Brown children in a high end destination, and while I refuse to answer “Are these girls at risk?” (all Brown children ARE NOT for the people that didn’t know), I’m more than happy to share my group dynamic with The Curious. Like Aqueelah said, maybe one day the numbers will be more balanced and we won’t even be having this conversation…
Bahahaha Virginia! I count hot guys too…and not just when I’m traveling. *Wink*
I am a white mom of a girl of color and even before I was a mom, I counted brown (but to myself, I use the term people of color) at every gathering, whether at work, at a cultural event, in a restaurant, at a PTA meeting, or when I travel. It fascinates me to see who is where, and who is *not* where, and to think about why. Sometimes I think it is very important to think about why people are *not* there, such as at PTA meetings in schools with majority people of color, which very often have majority white parent leaders. While it bothers me that the visible PTA, i.e. the meeting, is often way whiter than the school, I have also realized over time that *the meetings are not the work*. If you look at who shows up to events, or who brings food, it’s often a way different “count”, and more representative of the school’s demographic. Still, as a white parent leader, I deliberately pay attention to, name, and work against the unconscious “white privelege” which still shows up regularly in these gatherings.
Since my daughter was little, I would notice the color composition when we were in a restaurant, and as she got older, she might point out, if we are in a very white place like Tahoe or even Marin County, that she was the only person of color in a place-or maybe the only customer of color, if the staff were typical of the area. But then, when we travel to Mexico, I/we are often the only whites in a sea of brown folks, and it’s a good reminder of what it might feel like to be a minority in a majority-white population. (I am perceived as “blonde” in Mexico, though I’m not! My mixed-race daughter is usually perceived there as either white or Latina, even though she’s actually Hapa (Pilipina-American/Irish-American).)
Thanks for the thought-provoking posts, Tracey. You are definitely not the only one counting brown!
Nicole: Thanks for sharing your thoughts! And no, I’m not the only one counting; I think I’m just the one that put it in writing. LOL I’m glad you posted because you prove my [OBG] point that we are all so very similar (i.e., many people from ALL cultural backgrounds count for one reason or another) and also very different at the same time. I like talking about it too…without offense or drama. Thanks for consistenly being a part of the conversation.
I so love your post Tracey. I travel and I find myself doing the same exact thing. I observe so much that I actually try and listen to see if I hear an accent or a different language being spoken all together. Then try and guess where they might be from. I have always been intrigued by brown people who speak different languages and what better place than an airport to come across them.
Isn’t it fun listening to people, Deanna? You hear SO many different accents in the US, but when you LEAVE, accents and multilinguals are everywhere! That’s why I never ask anyone where they’re from. I ask them “Where is your accent from?” because you can be from ANYWHERE and have ANY accent. Neato.
Whether traveling abroad or close to home I find myself counting brown. I guess I feel a bit less uncomfortable when I see at least one other black person. It’s only in the past couple years that I’ve been able to travel outside the U.S. I volunteered on 2 Habitat for Humanity trips (to Brazil & Egypt). On both teams I was the only black person. I am planning to go on another Habitat trip to Kenya in December and again…I am the only black person. All my skin folk ain’t my kin folk but still, I’d feel less… uncomfortable.