TRAVEL MAGAZINE thebuddypass.co 2022 ISSUE 1 INSPIRE Defying the odds & employing entrepreneurial thinking DISCOVER Freedom and living your passionsto the fullest REIMAGIN Redefineing what it means to be black UBUD BALI A cultural explosion in paradise City of the Gods Heather Greenwood Davis TOP BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES 2022 CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA

TRAVEL PODCAST / MAGAZINE / VIBE

WHAT IS THE BUDDY PASS? In the summer of 2020, as mass Black Lives Matter and Anti-racism protests broke out around the globe, and as quarantine measures tightened all around the world, we sat down and produced the first season of THE podcast, The Buddy Pass. What started as a side project to help me remember my fun times living abroad, morphed into so much more. In 2018, after nearly seven years of living abroad, I returned home excited to share my experiences and fresh ideas with my family, friends, and community. It wasn’t long before the aggression and violence of a now overt racism fueled by the divisive and violent rhetoric of the sitting president reminded me of where I was and that my transition home would not be easy. The next two years brought emotional pain and mental exhaustion. And then 2020 happened. With so many of my fellow Black Americans in pain and searching for hope, I wanted to use The Buddy Pass to show that all hope was not lost. To show that Black people were not only finding that hope but also happiness, peace of mind, a sense of safety, and joy after leaving the United States.. There were Black Americans (and Black people who had immigrated to America), who had left the United States for a chance at the pursuit of happiness that is not afforded back home. They were starting families and successful businesses in places like Mexico, Japan, Spain, and Mainland China. They were building vibrant Black communities in Thailand and Bali and traveling the world. Most of all, they’d come to discover themselves outside of the context of American white supremacy. Daring to challenge the narrative of “America the exceptional” by creating or pursuing opportunities in other countries they had come to see and realize that they were really, and truly, and had always been free. So what is The Buddy Pass? It’s a podcast, magazine, and a vibe - a belief, that life for Black people outside of the United States is not only possible, but it’s also a necessity. The Buddy Pass brings to life the voices, stories, and experiences of Black travelers. We interview those who have left the U.S. with no intentions of coming back. We highlight the successes of Black entrepreneurs abroad. We celebrate the love - of others and self - that many find. We promote Black family travel. We encourage ALL Black people to travel and discover (or rediscover) their Blackness free Welcome to The Buddy Pass !

EDITORS NOTE ISSUE 01 Five years ago, I was sitting in the Bookworm, a cultural mecca, in the form of a bookstore set in the center of Sanlitun–the bustling downtown district of Beijing, China. In Sanlitun, you could immerse yourself in a massive community of ex-pats. You could meet people from countries like Russia, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, Spain, Venezuela, London, Japan, Guyana, Mexico, the list goes on. Every expat brought their culture, traditions, and customs -- creating a vibrant international scene of commerce, art and creativity, fashion, and social connections. It had been one year since I moved to China and nine months since I co-founded the creative arts brand– BLK GEN. The mission of BLK GEN was to enrich the experience of the African-Diaspora in China and spread awareness of our global experiences to the local Chinese community and others. It was a bold, ambitious pursuit that would shape the China experience of the Black ex-pat community and catch the attention of notable China media houses, like City Weekend Beijing. As I was sitting in the Bookworm, a young woman approached and enthusiastically said, “I know you!” I had never met this woman in my life. She had just moved to Beijing from Atlanta, Georgia, and during her flight, she discovered the article written about BLK GEN in the City Weekend magazine. “I was so nervous when I decided to move to Beijing because I thought I would be one of the few Black people here. Then I saw the article about you and BLK GEN. I had no idea there were so many Black people in China and that we were creating things like BLK GEN. After reading that, I felt a little better”. So, I created The Buddy Pass travel magazine. In this first issue, we highlight the stories and experiences of Black travelers from the first season of our podcast — The Buddy Pass. The first issue shares some of the most meaningful quotes, thoughts, and messages that our guests had to offer. In the Entreprenoir section, you’ll learn insights about how our guests defied odds and succeeded in business abroad. In the Finding Yourself chapter, our guests will explain how moving abroad helped them connect to their power in a way that wasn’t possible in the United States. In the Building a Life You Love chapter, you learn how our guests used their time abroad to live their best possible lives, ones that they couldn’t have even imagined in America. And lastly, in the Reimagining Blackness chapter, our guests explain how their careers, education, and global social activism led them to expand the definition of what it means to be Black. Most of all, I hope that you are as inspired in reading these as the audience was listening to the episodes. In the words of one listener: “Very inspiring podcast. The host lets us know that life for African Americans does not begin and end in the United States. We shouldn’t be afraid to step out of our comfort zones, explore, and enjoy and PROSPER from the opportunities provided by the different countries on our planet.” By the end of this magazine, I hope that you understand that you can prosper too. The world is our stage. BLACK LIVES MATTER, Leroy, fouder of the Buddy Pass

CONTENTS HOT LIST 06 GHANA, AFRICA West Africa’s golden child SECTION 01 08 ENTRAPENOIR Bulding buisnessis you love KEITH BARTLETT RUNAKO CELINA LEROY ADAMS SECTION 02 16 DISCOVERY Bulding buisnessis you love DEIRDRE DARES FRANCIA UCHECHI KALU SECTION 04 30 DISCOVERY Bulding buisnessis you love MPHO TUTU ANIMA ADJEPONG CHRISTOPHER RICHARDSON SECTION 03 24 REIMAGIN Bulding buisnessis you love DEJI JEGEDE TRÉ BACON RENEE SIMONE FEATURE 38 DISCOVERY Q&A with Heather Greenwood Davis

BLACK-SP With its welcoming beaches, gorgeous hinterland, rich culture, vibrant cities, diverse wildlife and easy transport, it’s no wonder why Ghana is becoming a popular dest With a population of 17.56 million as of 2020, Shenzhen is the fourth most populous city proper in China. Shenzhen is a global center in technology, research, manufacturing, business and economics, finance, tourism and transportation, and the Port of Shenzhen is the world’s fourth busiest container port. CAPE COAST CASTLE Come the weekend people flock to Accra’s most popular beach to play ball games, frolic in the surf, go horse riding along the sand or party to loud dance music in the bars and restaurants that line the shore. Needless to say, if you’re looking for a quieter experience, come on a weekday. Labadi is about 8km east of Accra; to come LABADI BEACH GHANA West Africa’s Golden child GHANA AFRICA

PAT HOTLIST Nis is idebis excessimus, quis nima gnihil moloribus, tectem quist, te dis nulla velenis dolupta tiaest reressum sequibe rferumq uibust voluptia vello omnihitiis minveles dus evelese diatium essunt.Te odipsam natias aut mostia nos que vollaccat eostrum re, si odi rero odio torum que laceatum rae la que comnis que vellupis modio. Ucillabo. Evenit officto tam nobis.essunt.Te odipsam natias aut. Nis is idebis excessimus, quis nima gnihil moloribus, tectem quist, te dis nulla velenis dolupta tiaest reressum sequibe rferumq uibust voluptia vello omnihitiis minveles dus evelese diatium essunt.Te odipsam natias aut mostia nos que vollaccat eostrum re, si odi rero odio torum que laceatum rae la que comnis que vellupis modio. Ucillabo. Evenit officto. CUTTLE SIDE LIVING QUARTERS With a population of 17.56 CUTTLE SIDE LIVING QUARTERS With a population of 17.56 HOTLIST

WEST AFRICA’S GOLDEN CHILD Hailed as West Africa’s golden child, Ghana deserves its place in the sun. One of Africa’s great success stories, the country is reaping the benefits of a stable democracy in the form of fast-paced development. And it shows: Ghana is suffused with the most incredible energy. GHANA AFRICA What started as a side project to help me remember my fun times living abroad, morphed into so much more. In 2018, after nearly seven years of living abroad, I returned home excited to share my experiences and fresh ideas with my family, friends, and community. It wasn’t long before the aggression and violence of a now overt racism fueled by the divisive and violent rhetoric of the sitting president reminded me of where I was and that my transition home would not be easy. The next two years brought emotional pain and mental exhaustion. And then 2020 happened. With so many of my fellow Black Americans in pain and searching for hope, I wanted to use The Buddy Pass to show that all hope was not lost. To show that Black people were not only finding that hope but also happiness, peace of mind, a sense of safety, and joy after leaving the United States.. There were Black Americans (and Black people who had immigrated to America), who had left the United States for a chance at the pursuit of happiness that is not afforded back home. They were starting families and successful businesses in places like Mexico, Japan, Spain, and Mainland China. They were building vibrant Black communities in Thailand and Bali and traveling the world. Most of all, they’d come to discover themselves outside of the context of American white supremacy. Daring to challenge the narrative of “America the exceptional” by creating or pursuing opportunities in other countries they had come to see and realize that they were really, and truly, and had always been free. So what is The Buddy Pass? It’s a podcast, magazine, and a vibe - a belief, that life for Black people outside of the United States is not only possible, but it’s also a necessity. The Buddy Pass brings to life the voices, stories, and experiences of Black

With its welcoming beaches, gorgeous hinterland, rich culture, vibrant cities, diverse wildlife and easy transport, it’s no wonder why Ghana is becoming a popular dest CUTTLE SIDE LIVING QUARTERS With a population of 17.56 HOTLIST

SECTION 01 B L A C K P E O P L E A B R O A D AR E D E F Y I N G T H E O D D S , E M P L O Y I N G E N T R E P R E N E U R I A L T H I N K I N G , A N D B U I L D I N G B U S I N E S S E S T H E Y L O V E D .

ENTREPENOIR African-Americans are CREATING SUCCESS IN ASIA BLACK BEIJINGeclectic, creative, & entrepreneurial that would be harder to achieve in America.

RUNAKO CELINA ON THE IMPORTANCE OF BLACK-OWNED MEDIA PLATFORMS... BIRTHPLACE: England LOCATION: Beijing,China OCCUPATION: Founder of Black Livity China Raised in London, Runako was no stranger to unpleasant media coverage of the Black Diaspora experience. Disturbed by what she saw as similar media practices in China, she decided to take matters into her own hands. With that motivation, her media brand, Black Livity China was born. What we loved most about Runako’s story was the creativity and determination to create a platform that would share honest and authentic stories about the Black experience in China and other countries around the world.

In terms of the impact [of Black Livity China], I think it’s [Black] people recognizing that they’re being heard. I think it increased the sense of responsibility to each other. If there is a platform or several platforms that exist to highlight what you are doing as an African or a person of African descent in China, then it kind of calls you to action. It kind of suggests that you have to be doing something because there’s someone who cares, there’s someone who’s documenting what we’re doing and saying. So I think it kind of calls you to action. THE BLACK DIASPORA IN CHINA EXPANDS OUR KNOWLEDGE OF BLACK IDENTITY... I’ve always liked the idea of diasporaness. And I’ve always kind of classified myself as like, a diasporan, in the broader sense. Coming from the UK, you have communities who have different identities, even though we all are technically Black British, you’ve got people who are Nigerian British... JamaicanGrenadian British, you’ve got different identities within that. Coming to China, I thought I had a diverse idea of what Blackness was, what it meant to be of African descent, and I think that was challenged in China from engaging with [Black] people whose experiences were so drastically different from mine. MAKING A COMMUNITY IMPACT WE [BLACK PEOPLE] ARE NOT A MONOLITH. THERE’S SO MUCH DIVERSITY IN THE EXPERIENCES OF BLACK PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT IN CHINA. WE MUST PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR AUTHENTIC AND HONEST COVERAGE ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR COMMUNITIES IN CHINA. IF WE DON’T HAVE OUR OWN PLATFORMS, FOR OUR VOICES, THIS BECOMES VERY PROBLEMATIC AND WE LOSE OUR AGENCY AS A PEOPLE.

Keith Bartlett is someone who beat the odds. From growing up in Detroit to becoming a fluent Mandarin speaker to running successful consulting businesses in China, his story symbolizes a phenomenon we saw all over Asia -- African-Americans are creating success in Asia that would be harder to achieve in America. What we loved most about Keith, is that he gave clear tips and strategies as to how you can do the same. BIRTHPLACE: Michigan LOCATION: Shenzhen,China OCCUPATION: Branding Consultant KEITH BARTLETT ON HOW CHINA PREPARED HIM FOR A LIFE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP...

I’m a Black guy from the hood of Detroit. PRock is what we call it. Plymouth -- for all my people from Detroit. So when I came to China, first it was, This guy is Black. That’s interesting. Then I learned Chinese. [And it became] Wow, this guy is Black and he can speak Chinese. And I’m gonna tell you, the moment you open your mouth as a Black person who can speak Chinese, opportunities come to you because they look at you as family... Detroit toughens you up for the street. But China toughens you up for the world. I’m going to be honest with you. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. No matter what situation you’re in, the world has much to offer you. You can create a life of freedom. You can create the lifestyle that you want. For specifics, every 2 months for the last 5 - 6 years, I’m traveling to another country. In the beginning, I did that Early on, I set out to tell myself, I never want a boss. Because that boss essentially controls when I go home, the amount of time I spend with my kids, when I can go on vacation. When you start trading your time for money, that’s what happens. So early on, I said, I have to figure out what value I can create on my own. Because I can be a CEO, I can be making $135,000 a year, but if the next day, someone says, Sorry, we’re going to lay you off, Everything that I did right -- I went to college, I got my degree. I’m in debt. I paid off my debt. I got married. I get 2 vacations a year. -- And you’re telling me that someone can tell me tomorrow that we’re doing some layoffs and we’re going to have to let you go?! That never sat well with me. And early on, I said, You know what? It’s important for me to start finding ways to create value for myself. Which is why I got into consulting. And why I understood that knowledge is everything. With a population of 17.56 million as of 2020, Shenzhen is the fourth most populous city proper in China. Shenzhen is a global center in technology, research, manufacturing, business and economics, finance, tourism and transportation, and the Port of Shenzhen is the world’s fourth busiest container port. SHENZHEN CHINA LIVING A LIFE OF FREEDOM ON WHY THE TRADITIONAL 9-TO-5 IS A LOT MOREUNSTABLE THAN WE THINK... through [working as a teacher], but I was still able to create a life for myself that was amazing. And that woke me up to say, I don’t have to be brainwashed by this American illusion. Don’t get me wrong, I love my country. But I started to explore different avenues of how I could create a prosperous future for myself. I stepped out of my comfort zone. And I said I’m gonna try, at least try.

DISCOVERY BLACK PEOPLE DISCOVERING PERSONAL FREEDOM AND LIVING THEIR PASSIONS TO THE FULLEST. SECTION 02

TRÉ BACON ON WHY SHE’S NEVER AFRAID TO MOVE ANYWHERE NEW... BIRTHPLACE: Florida LOCATION: Bali, Indonesia OCCUPATION: Fashion Designer The beauty of Tré Bacon and her story is that she is fearless. She left her job as a celebrity hairstylist by closing her eyes, spinning a globe, and packing her bags for the country her hand landed on. In her case, it was China. From there, Tre has lived and traveled all over, from Dubai to Bali, each time achieving new and exciting professional and personal heights. Her free spirit is nothing short of inspiration.

People are scared. They’re just flatout scared. People tell me all the time, You’re brave or You’re crazy. I was called crazy a lot. And I’m like, no. If you think about it, we’re not tied to anything unless you have an [ankle bracelet] and you’re stuck in the house. You’re not tied to stay anywhere. You can get up and move. And I think, that the term “being free” -- I really take that literally. [After moving back to America from Dubai] I get to L’Oreal and think, “Da fuck? This is corporate?”... I had a director who just made me feel incompetent. She made me feel as if my going to school didn’t matter. That me having those years of hair experience didn’t matter. That I just need to stay in my place... In my division of L’Oreal, I had a very hard time adapting to the mindset and the mind games. I had anxiety. I’d never had anxiety before. But I had anxiety because I had someone telling me what I can’t do versus motivating me to do more. Living abroad, I was motivated to do more. Living here, I was told, Step back. You’re doing too much. It was never my goal -- I never set out and said, Oh my god, I’m going to be a celebrity stylist. It kind of just came in and I said, “Okay I’m going to do this.” But the lifestyle that came on top of it... The last call I got from a client that made me say, “Yeah, we moving!” was a call at 2:00 in the morning. And the lady said, I need my hair done. I need my hair done now! I have a flight. I have this. I have that... And that’s when I thought to myself, “Let me do something different with my life.”... People think they own you. Like if you have a barber, and that barber says, Yo, I’m gonna be gone for a month, or even two weeks, you’re going to feel like, Wait! What do you mean? I don’t need people telling me where I can go and when I can go. The last time I checked, I was grown and this is what I’m about to do. ON WHY SHE GAVE UP HER DREAM CAREER AS A CELEBRITY STYLIST TO LIVE ABROAD... I’M FREE. I CAN GO ANYWHERE I WANT. MY FRIENDS SAY, I CAN’T DO THAT BECAUSE I JUST CAN’T. WHY WOULD I? I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED HERE. AND I REPLY, COOL, I DON’T. I’M GOING TO KEEP DOING IT UNTIL I FIND EVERYTHING INEED.

FEATURE HEATHER GREENWOOD DAVIS The veteran traveler looks back on the decision to take a year off and travel to 27 countries with her husband and two boys, and what it means to be the first family crowned Traveler of the Year by the National Geographic. By Leroy Davis fouder of the Buddy Pass

HEATHER GREENWOOD DAVIS The beauty of Tré Bacon and her story is that she is fearless. She left her job as a celebrity hairstylist by closing her eyes, spinning a globe, and packing her bags for the country her hand landed on. In her case, it was China. From there, Tre has lived and traveled all over, from Dubai to Bali, each time achieving new and exciting professional and personal heights. Her free spirit is nothing short of inspiration. QQ Q Take us to the beginning, how did this travel journy begin for your family? Take us to the beginning, how did this travel journy begin for your family? Take us to the beginning, how did this travel journy begin for your family? Five years ago, I was sitting in the Bookworm, a cultural mecca, in the form of a bookstore set in the center of Sanlitun–the bustling downtown district of Beijing, China. In Sanlitun, you could immerse yourself in a massive community of ex-pats. You could meet people from countries like Russia, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, Spain, Venezuela, London, Japan, Guyana, Mexico, the list goes on. Every ex-pat brought their culture, traditions, and customs -- creating a vibrant international scene of commerce, art and creativity, fashion, and social connections. It had been one year since I moved to China and nine months since I co-founded the creative arts brand– BLK GEN. The mission of BLK GEN was to enrich the experience of the African-Diaspora in China and spread awareness of our global experiences to the local Chinese community and others. It was a bold, ambitious pursuit Five years ago, I was sitting in the Bookworm, a cultural mecca, in the form of a bookstore set in the center of Sanlitun–the bustling downtown district of Beijing, China. In Sanlitun, you could immerse yourself in a massive community of ex-pats. You could meet people from countries like Russia, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, Spain, Venezuela, London, Japan, Guyana, Mexico, the list goes on. Every ex-pat brought their culture, traditions, and customs -- creating a vibrant international scene of commerce, art and creativity, fashion, and social connections. It had been one year since I moved to China and nine months since I co-founded the creative arts brand– BLK GEN. The mission of BLK GEN was to enrich the experience of the African-Diaspora in China and spread awareness of our global experiences to the local Chinese community and others. It was a bold, ambitious pursuit Five years ago, I was sitting in the Bookworm, a cultural mecca, in the form of a bookstore set in the center of Sanlitun–the bustling downtown district of Beijing, China. In Sanlitun, you could immerse yourself in a massive community of ex-pats. You could meet people from countries like Russia, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, Five years ago, I was sitting in the Bookworm, a cultural mecca, in the form of a bookstore set in the center of Sanlitun–the bustling downtown district of Beijing, China. In Sanlitun, you could immerse yourself in a massive community of ex-pats. You could meet people from countries like Russia, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, Spain, Venezuela, London, Japan, Guyana, Mexico, the list goes on. Every ex-pat brought their culture, traditions, and customs -- creating a vibrant international scene of commerce, AA A

QTake us to the beginning, how did this travel journy begin for your family? Five years ago, I was sitting in the Bookworm, a cultural mecca, in the form of a bookstore set in the center of Sanlitun–the bustling downtown district of Beijing, China. In Sanlitun, you could immerse yourself in a massive community of ex-pats. You could meet people from countries like Russia, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, Spain, Venezuela, London, Japan, Guyana, Mexico, the list goes on. Every ex-pat brought their culture, traditions, and customs -- creating a vibrant international scene of commerce, art and creativity, fashion, and social connections. It had been one year since I moved to China and nine months since I co-founded the creative arts brand– BLK GEN. The mission of BLK GEN was to enrich the experience of the A QTake us to the beginning, how did this travel journy begin for your family? Five years ago, I was sitting in the Bookworm, a cultural mecca, in the form of a bookstore set in the center of Sanlitun–the bustling downtown district of Beijing, China. In Sanlitun, you could immerse yourself in a massive community of ex-pats. You could meet people from countries like Russia, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, Spain, Venezuela, London, Japan, Guyana, Mexico, the list goes on. Every ex-pat brought their culture, traditions, and customs -- creating a vibrant international scene of commerce, art and creativity, fashion, and social connections. It had been one year since I moved to China and nine months since I co-founded the creative arts brand– BLK GEN. The mission of BLK GEN was to enrich the experience of the A QTake us to the beginning, how did this travel journy begin for your family? Five years ago, I was sitting in the Bookworm, a cultural mecca, in the form of a bookstore set in the center of Sanlitun–the bustling downtown district of Beijing, China. In Sanlitun, you could immerse yourself in a massive community of ex-pats. You could meet people from countries like Russia, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, Spain, Venezuela, London, Japan, Guyana, Mexico, the list goes on. Every ex-pat brought their culture, traditions, A QTake us to the beginning, how did this travel journy begin for your family? Five years ago, I was sitting in the Bookworm, a cultural mecca, in the form of a bookstore set in the center of Sanlitun–the bustling downtown district of Beijing, China. In Sanlitun, you could immerse yourself in a massive community of ex-pats. You could meet people from countries like Russia, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, Spain, Venezuela, London, Japan, Guyana, Mexico, the list goes on. Every ex-pat brought their culture, traditions, A