Travelling alone as a black woman? It doesn't get harder than this

Travelling solo as a black woman is not just a simple thrill-seeking or a healing act. It's an empowering and defiant move that overcomes the layered fears of racism and a society that has for a long time, restricted us.

Solo travelling as a woman is a scary venture in general, but black women have to think beyond their gender to the immediate fear of how they will be treated once their skin colour is noticed. The presence of a black woman will incite a spectrum of reactions, from harmless but loaded stares that make them feel unwelcomed to racially motivated attacks.

Travelling solo as a black woman is a “triple whammy,” says Pelumi Nubi, the London-based travel content creator, who has since January been on a cross-continental road trip from London to Lagos, Nigeria. “I’m travelling solo, I’m black and female. It doesn’t get harder than this,” she adds.

Along with her backpack, she carries the