Fly Brother: How Ernest White II Journeyed From Traveler to PBS Host
- Ernest White II is the creator and host of the PBS travel series Fly Brother, a show that explores cultures around the world through authentic human connection, friendship and community.
- Before becoming a television host, Ernest White II was an international travel writer and educator at heart.
- The central message of Fly Brother is that “the whole world is our tribe,” highlighting the value of cultural exchange, diversity, curiosity and meaningful relationships across borders.
If you’ve ever watched the travel show Fly Brother on PBS, you know that its host Ernest White II is a true storyteller with a passion for exploring the world and meeting new people. But his career as a travel host wasn’t a path that he had ever envisioned for himself. Now, as he partners with Road Scholar to bring the next season of Fly Brother to viewers, Ernest shares his journey as a writer, traveler and student of the world.
The Child of Educators
Long before Ernest became the Fly Brother on PBS, he valued learning and education to his core. “I’m a teacher’s kid,” says Ernest. “I’m a nerd, unabashed — and I claim it!”
Ernest’s fascination for travel began when he was 10 years old when a preacher’s wife gave him a book called “Free Stuff for Kids.” The book instructed that if you sent postcards to different states and cities, they would send you their travel brochures. When he received these brochures in the mail, his enthusiasm for exploring the world began to grow.
In high school, Ernest worked to save money to study abroad. He chose a program in Sweden — one of the most affordable where you weren’t required to speak another language — and spent a summer in a country that welcomed him and inspired him. In college, he began to develop his love for writing, and he felt his future career would either be in a classroom or as an author.
After college, Ernest traveled and lived abroad in Brazil for three and a half years, and in Colombia for four years. He created a blog called Fly Brother — little did he know that would become the name of his show several years later.
Stockholm, Sweden.
How Ernest White II Found Television
“I was approached by a friend from college,” says Ernest. “He was like, ‘Listen, you’re a great storyteller, you’ve done a little bit of TV work, you’re already working as a travel journalist. I’m the co-owner of a small startup cable network, and we want to commission a travel show from you. And we can’t pay you.’”
At the time, Ernest was not remotely interested in a career in television. He had always envisioned himself as a writer or educator. But the universe had other plans.
“Basically, from then on, every other door in my life shut,” says Ernest. “I would meet people, and they would say, ‘You should do TV! Let me help fund your first episode.’ And I just … I couldn’t escape it. It was something that was clearly a calling.”
No one was more surprised than Ernest when he found a career that put him in front of a camera while he made his way around the world. He made appearances on the Travel Channel’s Destination Showdown and Jamaica: Bared, as well as the documentary Gringo Trails.
His friend’s small cable network went dark in the midst of Ernest’s first season. Fortunately, he made a connection with PBS at a travel blogging conference and in 2020, the first season of Fly Brother aired.
Cape Town, South Africa.
Forging His Path as Fly Brother on PBS
Today, Fly Brother follows Ernest’s adventures around the world as he explores and meets new people in countries he’s always wanted to visit. He’s journeyed far away to countries like India, South Africa and New Zealand, and has stayed closer to home in episodes dedicated to exploring Kansas, Alaska and Toronto.
Ernest invites his viewers to join his “tribe,” a warm community that spans the globe. His travels focus on the ongoing search for connection and the magic that happens when you find it.
“We say it often: No matter the background or boundary, the whole world is our tribe,” says Ernest. “And on the show, I think we really, really prove it. Everywhere I go, people have shown up with love.”
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Finding Community Abroad
For Ernest, finding connection is always one of the most important things in his travels. Some of the places where he’s truly connected to the community have been Brazil, South Africa, Sweden and San Francisco.
“I’m always seeking to understand, seeking to know and learn, and show up in a place with at least some insight into what brought us to this point,” say Ernest. “Even in my research that I do before going to a place, that’s been enough to deepen these connections with people. They give me context and they tell me more, and it’s a point of interaction and engagement.”
Ernest adds, “And that’s quite essential to not only what I do as a storyteller, but who I am as a human being. An organization like Road Scholar understands and leans into that.”
The Beauty of Diversity
As a Black man who grew up in the American South, Ernest understands the beauty of diversity and enthusiastically seeks that out when he travels to new countries and explores new communities. It’s his goal to share these stories on his show, Fly Brother.
“I think Fly Brother provides the opportunity for people to see a world that they know exists, a world that they want to see,” says Ernest.
“They may be in a place that might not have that particular type of diversity, but they’re recognizing the energy of this world that the show kind of provides us. It’s a window into a world I want to be living in, or what I want to access to,” says Ernest. “And that’s part of my own magic-making. I want to live in a world like that. So if I also get to help spread it a little bit, then the benefit and pleasure is really amazing, and the blessing is all mine.”
As world explorer and lifelong learner, Ernest believes that it’s the attitude to be curious and open to other cultures and communities that truly makes discovery possible — and helps make the world a better place. “There are those specifically who have shown up and given of themselves to try to make this place better, more inclusive, more receiving,” says Ernest. “And these are the types of people, I believe, that go on Road Scholar experiences. You know, people who want deeper connection, people who want to have a hand in the world that we all want to live in.”
If there’s anything that Ernest wants to share in his work, it’s that the uniqueness of individuals be celebrated as something of value — and as a gift that can be shared as we learn more about each other and the world. “There’s enough sky for every bird,” says Ernest.
Ready to explore the world like Ernest? Check out our collection of Road Scholar learning adventures inspired by Fly Brother!
Erika Bouchard has been a writer and creative thinker at Road Scholar for more than 17 years. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, mother and an incredibly spoiled tabby cat. When she’s not writing, you can find her somewhere in her gardens.