Every industry, including travel, has been shaken up this year. While 2020 has been tough on most working-class people worldwide, Black folks face two pandemics side by side: COVID-19 and racism. But Black Americans (who also love travel) know how to come together as a community, carve out our own spaces, and soar through all weather no matter the turbulence.
Photo: Audacity Fest, Courtesy Martinique Lewis/Samantha Everette
Audacity Fest Vol. 3 Continues Building a Community for Travelers of Color
Enter AUDACITY Fest, a travel conference with people of color at the forefront, created by the OG Black travel community, Nomadness. When other travel conferences left founder Evita Robinson as one of the few people of color in the room, she created AUDACITY Fest in Oakland in 2018.
“I wanted to create an event that put our stories, resources, community organizers, influencers, and experiences at the forefront — allowing allies in, but being clear that it was about our role in the industry of travel as people of color,” explains Robinson.
This year the festival, aptly named AUDACITY Digi, has gone virtual, and volume three of the interactive festival is happening on Saturday, October 24, from 10:45 AM to 7:45 PM ET. While the festival moved to a digital space, team AUDACITY says the event’s vibe remains the same.
“AUDACITY Digi went from the little engine that could to the must-attend event. Not only are the programming and verticals hitting to the core of our community needs during COVID, but the style and vibe of AUDACITY has been preserved,” says Robinson.
AUDACITY Digi volume 3 attendees can look forward to (virtually) hearing from speakers like Libryia Jones, who will be leading a remote working session on parenting around the world; Lavina D’Souza, leading a discussion on Asian Allies; Heena Patel, who will discuss the intersection of politics and culture; and Kareemah Ashiru unpacking the experience of Muslim travel. This session’s itinerary will include both speaking panels and hands-on workshops with top travel influencers of color, live and pre-recorded content, and one-on-one audio/video chatting available so you can network with other attendees.
This volume of AUDACITY follows the highly successful volume 2, which took place in August. Vol. 2 covered the ways in which Black travelers could use travel as a means of liberation and gave insights on making long-term investments abroad to increase generational wealth. There were also panel discussions on LGBTQIA travel, Black travel during the Black Lives Matter Movement, and conversations with allies in the travel industry.
This iteration promises to deliver a similarly impactful experience.
With a full day of programming, music breaks, digital vendor booths, and one-to-one networking, there’s room for making long lasting connections and tapping into the sense of community that many of us are craving at this time.
Get Your Tickets for AUDACITY Digi on Saturday, October 24, 2020: https://hopin.to/events/audacity-digi-vol-2
Editor’s note: Matador Network is a proud sponsor of Audacity Digi. 
A version of this article was previously published on July 29, 2020, and was updated on October 14, 2020, with more information.