Statistics show that only 1 percent to 2 percent of the participants in study abroad programs are African-American males. Is it because this particular group has no desire to travel? Not likely. There are a number of cultural circumstances that keep this number low: lack of opportunity, awareness, and finances are all factors that contribute to this statistic. But a remedy has presented itself in 2017!
What started out as a simple idea on a notepad has blossomed into an organization. The Now Boarding Corporation began in 2015 with the goal of increasing the number of minority males participating in study abroad programs and travel opportunities. This 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation started as the brainchild of President and CEO Rickkay L.T. King. Now, in 2017, the foundation has officially launched.
The target demographic for this foundation is African-American male high school students between the ages of 15 and 18. Each year beginning in January, participating students will meet monthly and learn about international travel, cultural immersion, and international business operations. Then in August, they will travel to the country they have been learning about. Once there, they will experience all that country has to offer first hand. Through city tours, landmark and museum visits, and community service activities, the students will be fully immersed in the culture there.
Opportunities like this are unheard of for many African-Americans and members of other underserved communities. Even getting accepted into college can be a daunting task, so the idea of traveling to another country may be deemed irrelevant for people just trying to survive in their own country. “When we actually get to college, the thought of studying abroad is often not even something that comes up because you’re just trying to make it through college,” says King, who spent a semester abroad in Spain. Growing up on the Southside of Chicago, King remembers his experience going abroad, “. . . everything was very new and very interesting . . . It was definitely one of those things that just opened me up . . . I can’t believe I didn’t even know that I can do this.”
King shares this sentiment with many growing up in similar situations. Board member Ben Cory Jones, a writer on the hit television series Insecure on HBO and Underground on WGN, grew up in Memphis and confirms that conversations about traveling to other countries weren’t on anyone’s radar in the community. “I just think that no one’s really telling our young minority men you can travel abroad, you can explore different countries . . . we just weren’t exposed to this at the dinner table.”
For the first travel experience, the organization plans to send 10 students to London next August, all expenses paid. One of the board members is already connected and teaching in London, so the door is open. On average, this experience would cost $8,000 per student, so the foundation is hard at work to bring this first trip into fruition. On a recent Thursday night in Burbank, California, more than one hundred guests descended into the newly renovated Nickelodeon Studios to attend the official launch party. This fundraising event for The Now Boarding Corporation brought in just over $7,500, but King and his team are eager to do more. “We want this to be continuous,” says King. “We want this to keep going; we want to create generations of travel groups from here on out. I don’t want this to be something that ends with me.”
Right now, the group is based in Los Angeles, with future plans to branch out into other cities. Xavier Byers, vice chairman of the Board of Directors and a Senior Business Analyst at Warner Bros., states: “I’m hoping that this is something that we can expand into different chapters and different cities . . . Imagine a bunch of different Now Boarding’s across the nation and them working on stuff all year long only to meet up at a location abroad. I think that would be life changing for many people.”
During the video presentation, board member Sandra Solomon advised that it takes a village and we are that village. We all must do our part to support the growth of the next generation. It’s not enough to go on a social media platform and like a picture. For real progress to occur, we need to support, build awareness, and spread the word. That support comes by way of dollars, getting involved, and information sharing. There are a lot of opportunities for our youth to experience something different. The organization’s publicist Joseph Williams has this tip for youth, “Get uncomfortable being comfortable. If you are comfortable, you are not growing. And the further away you go from home, the more uncomfortable you get because you can’t just run home…You have to challenge yourself and be more disciplined.” It’s easy to live in comfort, but real growth comes from getting uncomfortable. So show your support and advocate for The Now Boarding Corporation’s platform. And remember, the revolution will not fund itself!
For more information on The Now Boarding Corporation and its program, visit http://nowboardingcorp.com. Donations can be made through the website using PayPal or a Debit/Credit Card. Follow The Now Boarding Corporation on social media via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and #travelchangesyou.
(From L to R) Tony Brackett Esq., Ben Cory Jones, Lauren J. Dagett, Rickkay L.T. King, Sandra Solomon, Brad M. McRae, and Xavier Byers.
Inside the Nickelodeon Studios Theater during The Now Boarding Corporation’s presentation.
Pre-event Nickelodeon Studios photograph.