I still remember the first time I had my passport in my hands. It’s not just a little blue book with my name – it’s a declaration of key, promise and possibility. I was only in my 20s and wasn’t sure what travel would do for me, but I had something I needed to find out. As a black Muslim woman, travel has always been Expand my worldlearn my history beyond what textbooks tell us, and restore my freedom in the way our ancestors fought for.
But too many black people in the United States cannot obtain this freedom. according to Poll Starting in 2023, only 34% of black Americans have valid passports.
I can guarantee that this statistic is not about want to International travel; this has long reflected more of a systemic barrier. From a passport application fee of $165 to a deep fear of traveling abroad, many black Americans feel locked around the world.
Furthermore, stories about lack of representation in travel media or anti-Black racism abroad can cause anxiety. Why bother if we don’t think we are represented by security in the narrative of international travel?
Then there is an unspeakable reality: for generations, Black Americans are actively discouraged (or completely blocked) from moving freely, both inside and outside our boundaries.
When I was 38, I lived in five countries and went to countless other countries Audre Lorde, Maya Angelou, James Baldwinand many other black creatives not only dared to dream, but also lived these dreams loudly in the world. Everywhere I call home, I feel the weight of their footsteps and the strength of their choice. Their journey is not just about escape, but about expansion, just about finding spaces where you can breathe, create and exist, rather than the scope of racism and oppression.
These choices are very political. They reflect the refusal to accept black crime, the silence of the black voice, and the daily losses caused by survival in an anti-black country. Like today, blacks were looking for places that could recognize their entire humanity.
Therefore, the desire to explore the world is not only derived from wanderers. It is an act of resistance, a statement of rest, joy and safety that we deserve. For many, leaving America is more than seeing new attractions – it is finding freedom in places that do not criminalize our survival.
Photo courtesy of Imani Bashir
But I also know that for too many black people who want to visit other countries, the barriers to entry are too high. That’s why I started the Paid Passport Initiative: Eliminating one of the biggest obstacles to standing between black people and freedom of movement.
This concept is simple, but powerful. I will pay for the passport book and the processing fees for black adults who are preparing to move to the first step towards global mobility. Through the campaigns I created, creator funds with Tiktok, and community support On givesendgoSince January 1, 2025, I have been able to fund 18 passports – each of which represents a new possibility of open life. When I first launched the program, I expected interest, but I wasn’t ready for an overwhelming response, especially since it was just me. I just want to do something to influence the impact people traveling has on me.
In the first 24 hours, I received 1,500 submissions and so far, over 9,428 people Apply already. They share stories of wanting to reconnect with their ancestors, seeking job opportunities abroad, or just experience the world they see only on books and screens. It’s a reminder that the desire to move and go has always been strong – my goal is to remove the first financial barrier.
Aside from travel, passports are one of the strongest evidence of citizenship – the document could mean the difference between security and uncertainty, especially when citizenship, rights and even personality are under attack. and Voter suppression lawmass incarceration and policies disproportionately deprive black people of their rights, and having a passport is not just about looking at the world – it is also a security precaution.
A valid passport ensures that we have the ability to leave, seek asylum, and ask for space elsewhere if needed. This is a safeguard against systems that historically attempt to limit our liquidity and remove our attribution. In a world where politics is rapidly shifting, having a passport is more than just freedom. It’s about protection.
Having a passport is a small part of the resistance to a system that has long tried to hold us in place. This reminds you that mutual assistance, collective care and community support can create real change.
I know firsthand that a transformational trip can be made. It shapes who I am, deepens my understanding of myself, and connects me to a global diaspora far beyond the margins of the United States. I want others to go through this – knowing that they are not limiting, and that their existence is not defined by limitations, but by possibility.
My goal is to fund 100 passports by the end of 2025, but that’s bigger than me. It’s about changing the way blacks see themselves in the world. It’s about the idea that planting movement is our right to birth. Because when we have access, when we have options, we will be free. Black freedom (wherever it exists) is always worth investing in.
I’m not going to stop on 100 passports. Because when we move, we learn. As we expand, we become unstoppable.
