A Black Woman versus a Poor Afghani

“Let me break that down clearly,” says Jessica. “For anyone who is not black nor female to make the assertion that those are “POSSIBLY” not the biggest challenges during this journey surely is not black nor female.” Then she goes on a rant of how she's been discriminated against and questioned even when entering the US all the while holding a US passport, and how she was denied VOA even though Ugandans had the right.

Jessica is an American-Ugandan aiming to be the first black woman to every country. Let me first start by stating that I'm glad there is a black person doing this too. That is, travelling to every country. And I'm sure blacks are discriminated against just simply because their skin color is out there before our eyes. As a woman, I'm quite aware of the hardships and risks of travel. However, contrary to Jessica's claims that being black and being a woman are the hardest parts of travel and anybody who argues otherwise is neither black nor a woman and doesn't know a thing, I believe the passport you hold and the amount of money in your pocket ARE the main obstacles to people who wish to travel. Actually, I do not simply believe this, I assert it. I mean how can you object? Have a look the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index- Global Travel Freedom at a Glance or have a look at the info-graphic “How powerful is your passport?” by Ricky Linn. How do you expect an Afghani to play the game of “travel to every country”?? How do you? I mean how can you expect any Afghani to overcome all the hurdles to obtain a visa for the 160-170 countries that are required of him? As most people featured in “Chasing 193” books, visas are one of the, if not the, main problems to travel. Or the most pain in the ass part of travel. Mind you, the people who are saying this have obtained only about 20-30 visas. The rest was visa free or VOA (Visa on Arrival).

And don't let me get started on the “being rich versus poor” issue. You know what is the most important thing embassies ask to grant visas to people from countries they deem not deserving setting foot on their territory? Airplane and hotel bookings are not important. Anybody can do that, can either buy or fake it. Embassies ask for your bank account! They want you to prove your financial means to make sure that you can support yourself and not be a burden on them. You may think it is logical; after all, they have a right not to want a burden, BUT then you have to accept that in the end, it all comes down to having MONEY. No, you do not need to be necessarily or especially rich in order to travel, I know that very well. But “rich” is a relative term, rich according to whose standards? The answer is obviously “Western” standards. As for people from other countries, they necessarily need to be especially rich in order to travel; not only because of the costs of travel, but to have the potential to secure the visas needed by them to travel.

If the reporting in the Forbes interview is correct, Jessica will be using her Ugandan passport rather than her American. (“In order to promote the idea of African tourists, she will frequently use her Ugandan passport rather than her American.”) Well, given the time and money constraints she has, I seriously doubt such a thing. So I dare her to post and tell us where she used the Ugandan one when she could get in easily with the American. Want to try Equatorial Guinea on the Ugandan passport Jessica?

I've used my Turkish passport to travel to more than a 110 countries. And I felt the birthplace racism on my skin. That's why I decided to go to every country in the world so that I can burn my passports to protest this injustice at birth. To end global apartheid. Would you join me and burn your passports?