I grew up in Detroit, went to school in New York, and eventually settled in Chicago — three major cities, yet my travels never needed anything more than a state ID. I’d always dreamed of going to far-flung places, and wanted to experience all those that I saw in the movies. But in adulthood, money was a barrier, and time off work later became another. And recently, I’ve been reflecting on another insidious hurdle: the lack of representation — specifically in film and TV — when it came to traveling the world as a Black woman.
In the pop culture I loved, Black women rarely got to experience luxury travel. There was a surplus of “Under the Tuscan Sun”s and “Eat, Pray, Love”s with white women exploring the world, but aside from “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and “Last Holiday,” there are so few stories that I can think of that reflected us in that way.
Recently, Natasha Rothwell has portrayed not one but two characters (in “The White Lotus” and “How to Die Alone”) who share that same craving — not just for travel, but for the kind of global, luxurious experiences that long felt out of reach for me. Her character Belinda in “The White Lotus” really drove it home for me, especially in a quiet moment in season 3. Belinda spots another Black woman in the same luxury wellness hotel in Thailand, and they share an unspoken nod — one of those moments that says everything without a single word.
“I’m obsessed sort of with Black travel,” Rothwell said in an interview with NPR, discussing the latest season of “The White Lotus.” “I remember traveling when I was real, real broke and seeing a Black person sitting in first class when I was on my way to coach. And it subconsciously let me know that I should be able to do that, that I could do that, that I belonged in that space.”
We deserve to see ourselves luxuriating, exploring, indulging.
Indeed, it’s so rare to see Black women in these spaces, in both pop culture and in real life. In fiction, it’s always white women who escape into luxury, self-care, and wellness. Their stories frame travel as a necessary retreat from the demands of their lives, the deep need for me time after hardship. But in reality, if anyone needs true rest, deep restoration, and the kind of escape that comes wrapped in five-star service and ocean views, it’s Black women.
We move through a world that constantly tries to take from us — our labor, our creativity, our joy — while asking us to be everything for everyone. We’re expected to push through exhaustion, to endure harm, to heal ourselves, and then to turn around and heal others. We are deserving of an escape that requires absolutely nothing in return.
I’m proud to say that my younger self’s dreams did come true. I’ve traveled and begun seeing the world, and when I do, I’m writing the story I wish I had seen more of on screen. I’ve found myself lost in the deep Dutch countryside, surrounded by goats and lush greenery while waiting for a 10-passenger bus to take me into the city. I could have been annoyed or filled with anxiety, but instead, I walked down the road and stumbled onto a castle as kind Dutch folks went by me on their bikes and the sun let out the perfect amount of shine.
It was incredible. I felt like I was 45 minutes into the movie where the girl stops and realizes that she is the master of her own fate, right before the montage of her eating all the desserts at all the cute places. It may seem corny to have imagined that, but the truth is, we belong in these stories. We deserve to see ourselves luxuriating, exploring, indulging — fully embracing all that the world has to offer without hesitation or apology.
A while ago, parents started posting on TikTok how they were showing their daughters the world so they wouldn’t be easily impressed by men doing the same in the future. I understood the snarky sentiment. But underlying that trend was something deeper: it was Black parents showing their children — especially their daughters — that without question, they deserve to experience the fullness of the world.
I want Black folks — especially Black women — to let the world see us living our dreams. Post that picture of you in a beret eating a croissant in Paris. Caption that shot of you in the UK phone booth with, “London called, I answered.” Share that 20-photo carousel of you and your honey in Thailand, soaking up every inch of the experience. Be the pop culture you want to see — and know Belinda would absolutely be proud.
Shelli Nicole is a contributing writer for Architectural Digest and Vogue and the creator of the pop culture newsletter Hi Shelli. Her pieces are often about pop culture, art, and travel and infused with personal narratives from her Black and queer identity. Shelli was born in Detroit and resides in Chicago, where she is watching “Rye Lane” on repeat.
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