Fascinating history, welcoming locals, astounding sights, hidden gems, mouth-watering
food or all of the above — our list of the world’s top ten “must-see” learning
destinations for African-Americans has a little something for everyone.
Sign up to receive our latest brochure and discover the world’s great destinations for yourself.
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In the U.S.
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Around the World
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1. Santa Ynez Valley, California
2. Kona Coast, Hawaii
3. Memphis, Tennessee
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Washington, DC
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1. Nubian Desert, Sudan
2. Okavanga Delta, Botswana
3. Xi’an, China
4. Venice, Italy
5. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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In the U.S.
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Santa Ynez Valley, California
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Napa and Sonoma valleys put California on the wine-lovers’ map, but for those
looking for a more intimate wine-tasting experience with pristine vineyards,
rolling pastures and graceful oaks, charming farmhouses and barns, all surrounded
by stunning mountains — then Santa Ynez Valley is the place to go. Situated in
Santa Barbara County, the Santa Ynez Valley was the backdrop of the popular
comedy film Sideways.
It’s also where you’ll find the curious little town of Solvang — a combination
of Disneyland and Denmark — and Mission Santa Ines, which is one of the California
Missions. Take advantage of some of the local delicacies — olives, cheese — and
choose among the 70 wineries to find the perfect Cabernet. Then pitch your blanket
and take in the views.
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Kona Coast, Hawaii
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Situated on the west and leeward side of the Big Island, the Kona coast is
synonymous with great coffee, but it’s also where you’ll find tiny fishing and
farming communities, an amazing diversity of landscapes and, best of all, golden
sand beaches tucked into pockets along the black lava coast.
When you’ve had your fill scouting exotic bird species in the cloud forest, get to
the secluded south coast to find a marine preserve that features the island’s best
diving and the location where explorer Captain James Cook met his maker.
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Memphis, Tennessee
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Best known in popular culture as the home of Elvis Presley’s Graceland,
Memphis is a lot more kickin’ than blue suede shoes. Did you know Memphis
is where the first blues music was ever written, where B.B. King cut his
teeth and where Otis Redding and Al Green made their magic?
But a visit to Memphis is best considered a pilgrimage. In the place where
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot, there now stands the National Civil
Rights Museum. Inside, you can walk through a remarkable timeline of the
world’s most crucial human rights movements and the achievements gained
through the efforts and sacrifices of courageous individuals who stood by
their convictions.
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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The city famous for its cheese steaks and hoagies has a remarkable wealth of
free black history of Philadelphia’s Colonial period. Begin at Mother Bethel
A.M.E. Church and learn the remarkable story of its founder, Richard Allen.
See the quaint home of the great contralto Marian Anderson, right across the street
from the Union Baptist Church, where she sang as a child. Visit the Paul Robeson
House — a historic museum and institute for civic responsibility that upholds the
tradition of Robeson as scholar, athlete, singer and human rights activist. Finally,
stroll Independence Square at night to see the buildings of America’s first government
and enjoy a ride in a horse-drawn carriage.
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Washington, D.C.
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The first city to pass an Emancipation Act, Washington, D.C., is truly one of the
great repositories of African-American heritage. The Anacostia Museum and Center
for African American History and Culture, the African American Civil War Memorial,
the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site and, of course, the Lincoln
Memorial — to name just a few.
And only in Washington can one actually step into the hallowed chambers of the
Supreme Court and watch and listen as the nation’s nine most renowned legal
experts create history. Visit Washington in the summer and be sure to spend
Friday night at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, where you can
sit by the fountain pool and take in some cool jazz.
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Around the World
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Nubian Desert, Sudan
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Did you know the Eastern region of the Sahara Desert in Sudan is home to more
pyramids than Egypt? For 75 years the great Nubian kings ruled over all of ancient
Egypt, and today Sudan’s seldom-visited pyramids at El Kurru, Nuri and Meroë stand
as glorious artifacts of the Nubian golden age.
While tourists by the busload file past the Egyptian wonders to the north, it is
possible to imagine life nearly 3,000 years ago as you discover majestic temples
in the arid Saharan landscape, alone with the legacy of the black pharaohs.
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Okavango Delta, Botswana
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One of nature’s most remarkable phenomena is the annual flooding of Botswana’s
Okvavango Delta. The world’s largest inland delta is a fragile paradise surrounded
by desert. It’s also home to some of the beast wildlife viewing in the world.
Wildebeests, antelopes, buffalos and zebras roam the islands of the delta, slaking
their thirst on its crystal-clear waters. Elephants wade across channels patrolled
by hippos and crocodiles, while lions, cheetahs and leopards stalk their prey in the
grassland. The delta also includes more than 400 species of birds, including the
African Fish Eagle, the Crested Crane and the Sacred Ibis.
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Xi’an, China
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With more than 3,100 years of history, the Chinese city of Xi’an is most famous
as the resting place of the Terracotta Army — 8,000 soldiers, chariots and horses
made of clay and buried to protect the First Emperor of China in his afterlife.
Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China and is also renowned for being
the eastern end of the Silk Road — the trade route that connected China to the
Mediterranean more than 2,000 years ago. At one time in history, Xi’an was the most
populous city in the world, and today it’s a must for anyone visiting China.
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Venice, Italy
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When you think of Venice you can’t help but think of romantic gondolas and canals,
but few people experience the authentic city, the culture and cuisine, people and
traditions, born of centuries of isolation and innovation — the Venice of the
Venetians. Refugees fleeing the barbaric Roman invasions of the fifth and sixth
centuries are rumored to have constructed a city of rafts moored to wooden posts,
laying the foundation for today’s enchanting city.
Join in on the daily routines of Venetians with a taste of the traditional
appetizers ombra i cicchetti, and an afternoon spent perusing produce in a
local market or people watching in Piazza San Marco. Sipping a Bellini at the
famed Harry's Bar, you can almost imagine yourself fleeing here, to Venice,
still a peaceful refuge after hundreds of years.
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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The land of Carnival and Copacabana is much, much more than just a party.
Character-filled neighborhoods, cutting-edge architecture, surprisingly
diverse wildlife and nature, a wide array of cuisine, nightspots, bookshops,
cafes and museums.
In addition to the world-famous beaches, the icon most associated with Rio is the
giant statue of Jesus, known as Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor), which stands
arms outstretched atop Corcovado mountain and which was recently named one of the
New Seven Wonders of the World.
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