Today we’d like to introduce you to Nadine Duncan.
Hi Nadine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The Traveling Black Women Network started with the publication of “Diary of a Traveling Black Woman: A Guide to International Travel” in 2015. This self-published guide offered an overview of how to travel internationally and what to expect. I was impressed with the feedback and then published “Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the 5 Other Emirates You Didn’t Know About…” in 2017. These quick, easy-to-read guides, available in print and eBook, offered a travel resource written specifically from the lens of one Black woman to another.
After the publication of these two guides and amassing an online following, I recognized the impact of connecting through the shared experiences of other Black women. As a result, I decided to build a network that would offer a diverse collection of resources and information that Black women would be able to access in a variety of media.
I began with expanding the travel guide collection to include the experiences of other Black women. In 2019, travel guides for Jamaica, Iceland, Trinidad, Morocco, Studying Abroad, and Solo Travel were all published under Grace Royal International. The following year (2020), Taiwan, Guatemala, and South Africa were also published.
Currently, I am working on expanding the travel guide collection. I’ve also just released a new podcast entitled The Traveling Black Women Podcast. As of 2023, the network has 10 points of engagement.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, this has not been a smooth road. Between the global impact of Covid – 19 and the process of juggling being a full-time special education teacher and now a consultant. My progress often felt a lot slower than it could have been. Not to mention, during the first few years of building the Traveling Black Women Network, I was also working on my doctorate in Special Education. I earned my Doctorate of Education in 2019 and was then able to dedicate more time to building the network and establishing funding sources.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in international travel and special education (learning disabilities and behavioral disorders). Outside of TBW, I also founded The PrOOF Project, Inc, a career mentorship non-profit. Currently, I work as a special education consultant and Job Developer for at-risk youth through my nonprofit. I believe that experiences and exposure are vital to meeting one’s full potential. Travel and education both provide those opportunities.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was always a very inquisitive child. I read often and enjoyed writing stories. In third grade, our teacher would assign us 20 spelling words per week. Each week there was a day where we had to use at least five words in a paragraph for homework. This was my favorite homework assignment. I would write full 1-2 page stories using all 20 spelling words. By fourth grade, I would read chapter books in a day, and by seventh grade, I was swapping Terri McMillan books with my teacher. It’s safe to say I was always a “Book Nerd.”
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.travelingblackwomen.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/travelingblackwomen
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/travelingblackwomen
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/travelingblackwomen
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/travelingblkwmn
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@travelingblackwomen
- Other: linktr.ee/travelingblackwomen
