by Jeroslyn JoVonn
May 28, 2024
Check out the second edition of the first travel guide by and for black women: Go Girl 2: The Black Woman's Book of Travel and Adventure.
Nearly 30 years after writing the first travel guide by and for African-American women, author Elaine Lee is back with the publication of Go Girl 2: The Black Woman's Book of Travel and Adventure.
With the second edition of her groundbreaking guidebook, Lee continues her legacy as a pioneer of travel writing with a new, captivating collection of 54 travel stories, poems, and photographs designed to inspire, inform, and entertain Black women globetrotters. Readers can take part in thrilling adventures from the icy Arctic to the sun-drenched Caribbean, and discover cultural treasures in Africa, Australia, the Americas, and Asia.
Featuring captivating stories by Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Jill Nelson, Linda Villarosa, Faith Adiele, and Evelyn White, as well as other beloved favorites, Go Girl 2 also includes newly published parts of the original Go Girl. Discover stories from a new generation of travel writers with experts such as Lola Akinmade Åkerström, Lebawit Lily Girma, Georgina Lawton, Martinique Lewis, Rue Mapp, and Noo Saro-Wiwa.
“I was inspired to start Go Girl 2 because there was a need for a forum to showcase the voices of modern black travelers and travel journalists,” said Lee BLACK COMPANY.
“No other travel anthology by a black woman has been published since my first anthology in 1997, and it was high time for an updated and more comprehensive version.”
“Go Girl 2 delves into the challenges black women face when traveling with racism, overcoming fears and asserting their rights. It also offers practical advice on everything from packing to staying safe while traveling alone, making it the ultimate guide for modern black women traveling.”
“Go Girl One was the first black travel book published after Victor Green's Green Book, which ceased publication in the '60s. It was a pioneering work that opened the door for dozens more black travel books,” Lee said.
“Go Girl 2 follows this groundbreaking tradition by ushering in a new era of travel media experts and exploring the new black travel movement.”
As an editor and freelance writer, Lee excels in a distinctive style of storytelling that highlights the rich, diverse experiences of Black travelers. With two guidebooks under her belt, she invites readers on a journey that is both personal and universal, offering insights into the joys, challenges, and transformative power of travel.
“It’s amazing how many travel blogs, groups, books, websites, Facebook pages and influencers have sprung up like mushrooms in the last few years,” says Lee of the evolution of black female globetrotters since the publication of Go Girl One.
“When I made my first solo round-the-world trip in 1992, I had never met a black woman who had accomplished such a feat, and that was one of the reasons I wrote my first RTW travel book for black women. I didn't want other curious black travelers to feel the same fear/terror that I did when I embarked on my first trip, and I also wanted them to know how glorious, safe, and fun it is to circumnavigate Mother Earth.”
Lee's guidebook and anthology serve as a beacon to help future explorers and storytellers unleash their inner wanderlust. Lee is an avid follower of her work and raved about the inspiring travel stories that readers will enjoy.
“The stories range from 'Belonging,' a vivid exploration of the experience of visiting a majority-black country for the first time, to 'Going to Ghana,' the story of a mother and daughter who travel to Africa to participate in sacred rites in a Ghanaian village, to 'A Homegirl Hits Beijing,' a light-hearted account of learning Mandarin and learning to know yourself,” she says.
“Maya Angelou tells the story of arriving in Africa as a stranger but leaving as a member of the Bambara tribe. Evelyn C. White writes of finding new pride in being black after a visit to Egypt. Alice Walker offers a quiet meditation on how the country's beauty captured her imagination. Opal Palmer Adisa conjures up the sights, sounds and smells of urban Ghana, where she traveled to meet her lifelong pen pal.”
And then there's her favorite story in the book. It tells the story of a couple who went on vacation after struggling with infertility and experienced a miraculous transformation.
“It's about a couple who used their frequent flyer miles to vacation in Gambia to recover from his wife's long and exhausting fertility issues,” Lee said. “During the course of their trip, they experienced a fertility ritual that ultimately gave them twins.”
“Go Girl 2: The Black Woman's Book of Travel and Adventure” is available on Amazon or at www.ugogurl.com.
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