Why Don't Black Students Study Abroad?

Junior year of college I was fortunate enough to patch together money from students loans and working at a fast food joint to spend a year abroad in Florence. It was a definitive moment in my life, bringing to me revelations and wisdom so divine I felt like a living fresco of the Annunciation. Alright, slight exaggeration. But it certainly broadened my sense of the world and my place in it, instilled an explorer spirit, stoked my passion for art, and as a bonus, enabled me to meet the love of my life. That's why my stomach dropped when I read a stat from the Institute of International Education that only 5% of American students that study abroad are black. How could such an enriching experience be accessible to so few in the black community?

It's easy to assume the problem is not much--lots of students don't go abroad in college, what difference does it make if it's higher in a minority group? Quite a bit, actually. There's a severe lack of blacks in leadership positions and careers with international networks, including our own State Department. Their absence means a lack of a unique perspective, creating a world where a small number of minorities get to contribute to the conversation of international policy. The cultural enrichment and world perspective given by travel also becomes less likely to be experienced first hand--and taken back--to those in your immediate and extended community.

On a community level, the perception of being able to travel is often credited as a hurdle. Travel out of the country can seem like a luxury only afforded to those with means, or who have saved for years and years. With the rising cost of tuition and student debt, there is undoubtedly validity to this concern; but even in countries like Germany, where tuition is offered free even for international students, no difference is seen. There is also the fear of not seeing someone "like you" taking the plunge (which is a very real concern with  5% rate). It feels like such a big risk--to leave your country to a place where you are not from, and perhaps do not speak the language or look like the locals. The idea of doing so in ethnic isolation makes the idea seem especially daunting. These factors combined creates a reluctance that bleeds through micro communities. Sites like Nomadness Travel Tribe and Travel Noire aim to change that, luring those with an interest in travel to join them in finding cost efficient deals and traveling together. Sites and travelers of this mindset are credited as being a large part of the black travel movement, creating a perception shift through their community of travelers "like us."

While the number of black students studying or traveling internationally is low now, there is a glimmer of hope that through strong niche communities taking the plunge, a greater sense of importance and normalcy of black travel may excite the next generation of students to book a ticket to the glorious unknown, and bring back with them more than souvenirs.

The Atlantic, What's Keeping Black Students from Studying Abroad?