Our guest's journey started with a late-night Google search that led to a 52-hour Amtrak ride…and sparked a passion that’s taken her across 20+ train routes in the U.S. and around the world, from Alaska and George to Uzbekistan and India. Through her vibrant videos and slow travel storytelling, she’s grown a community of over 350K people, exploring destinations one meal, one museum, and one meaningful connection at a time.

I’m joined by Sojourner White: the “Train Travel Queen” and award-winning travel vlogger and writer behind Sojournies.  We explore train travel as a powerful way to experience the United States, alongside Sojourner’s perspective on navigating Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as a Black woman.

Sojourner shares what it’s like to move through the country by rail and how slowing down changes the way you see people, places, and the journey itself. We also unpack her experience being Black in Milwaukee, what it reveals about visibility, segregation, culture, and community, and how those realities shape the way she moves through the city.

This conversation highlights how both transit and destination shape the Black travel experience, and how travel can become a tool for reflection, storytelling, and deeper cultural understanding.

If you’re curious about traveling the United States without a car, interested in train travel, or want a more nuanced perspective of traveling while Black in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this episode is for you.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN

📌 What it’s like to travel across the United States by train as a Black woman

📌 How train travel creates a slower, more intentional connection to place

📌 What Sojourner’s experience reveals about being Black in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

📌 How safety, visibility, and belonging show up in both transit and destination

📌 Why and how train travel can transform how you visit all 50 states

📌 What are her top Amtrak travel destinations & Amtrak routes, including the California Zephyr

📌 Recommendations for Black-owned businesses in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, so you can shop Black-owned and support Black-owned businesses and shop local

CONNECT WITH SOJOURNER WHITE

Website → https://sojournies.com/

Instagram → https://instagram.com/thesojournies

Youtube → https://youtube.com/@Sojournies

LinkedIn →  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sojournerwhite/

TikTok → https://tiktok.com/@sojournies

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/Sojournies

CONNECT WITH DR. FRANNY

Website → https://frannythetraveler.com/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/franny_the_traveler/

YouTube → ‪@frannythetraveler

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/princess-francois

ADDITIONAL LINKS

📧 SUBSCRIBE to Unlock Black Journeys: The Newsletter

https://unlock-black-journeys-with-dr-franny.kit.com/9e3080bde9

🎙️CHECK OUT all episode recaps: https://frannythetraveler.com/post/category/podcast-episode/💜 Enjoying my content? LEAVE A TIP here

https://unlock-black-journeys-with-dr-franny.kit.com/products/unlock-black-journe

📗 PURCHASE my Support BLACK Greenbook & Framework

https://amzn.to/4vskd3R

NOTE: This contains affiliate links. If you book through my links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you!

We explore a black woman's journey across all 50 states and 50 countries and what she has learned about Black travel, belonging, and navigating space across the United States and beyond.

I’m joined by Ebony Walden, an author, filmmaker, consultant, and speaker based in Richmond, Virginia.

Ebony shares what it means to move through different places as a Black traveler, how safety and freedom show up in unexpected ways, and what it looks like to find connection and cultural immersion across borders. We also talk about how travel becomes a tool for reflection, storytelling, and transformation.

If you’re curious about the Black travel experience across the U.S. and around the world, or you’re looking for meaningful insights on the best destinations for Black people to find comfort and community through the lens of someone who has deeply traveled both domestically and internationally, this episode is for you.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:

📌 What it’s like to travel across all 50 states and 50 countries as a Black woman

📌 How safety, belonging, and freedom shape the Black travel experience

📌 Where and how to find immersive Black cultural experiences across the U.S.

📌 How travel can become a practice of reflection, storytelling, and transformation

📌 The toll travel can take on your body, mentally and physically

📌 Why Ebony advises people to explore their home first before exploring the country or the world

_______________________________________________

RELEVANT LINKS FOR TODAY'S EPISODE

🔗 A Black Woman's Guide to Visit All 50 States, State-by-State: https://frannythetraveler.com/post/a-black-womans-guide-to-visit-all-50-states/

🔗 15 Black Women Traveling to All 50 States: https://frannythetraveler.com/post/black-women-traveling-all-50-states/

🔗 Check out her award-winning documentary: https://blackbeyondborders.com/

🔗 Pre-Order her Book, Where I’m From: https://amzn.to/4v2V13S (affiliate link)

🔗 For all things: https://linktr.ee/allthingsebonywalden

CONNECT WITH EBONY WALDEN

Website → www.ebonywalden.com

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/ebonywalden80/

Youtube → https://www.youtube.com/@ebony.aroundtheworld

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebonywalden/

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@ebony.aroundtheworld

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/ebony.walden

Substack → https://substack.com/@ebonywalden

CONNECT WITH DR. FRANNY

Website → https://frannythetraveler.com/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/franny_the_traveler/

YouTube → ‪@frannythetraveler

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/princess-francois

ADDITIONAL LINKS

📧 SUBSCRIBE to Unlock Black Journeys: The Newsletter

https://unlock-black-journeys-with-dr-franny.kit.com/9e3080bde9

🎙️CHECK OUT all episode recaps: https://frannythetraveler.com/post/category/podcast-episode/💜 Enjoying my content? LEAVE A TIP here

https://unlock-black-journeys-with-dr-franny.kit.com/products/unlock-black-journe

📗 PURCHASE my Support BLACK Greenbook & Framework

https://amzn.to/4vskd3R

NOTE: This contains affiliate links. If you book through my links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you!

Welcome to Unlock Black Journeys, the podcast archiving the Black experience across all 50 U.S. states, one conversation at a time. Through real stories, people, and places, we explore Black identity, community, culture, and impact. Each episode is grounded in a U.S. city, explored through a theme, and expanded through reflections and curated Black travel insights.

This is a legacy project rooted in one belief: every destination is a Black destination, with stories waiting to be explored, honored, and unlocked.

FOLLOW UNLOCK BLACK JOURNEYS

Join the newsletter: https://unlock-black-journeys-with-dr-franny.kit.com/9e3080bde9

Read the blog: ⁠https://frannythetraveler.com/⁠

Check out episode recaps: https://frannythetraveler.com/post/category/podcast-episode/

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franny_the_traveler/

Follow on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@frannythetraveler

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/princess-francois

Purchase: Support BLACK Green Book: https://amzn.to/4vskd3R

In this solo episode, I share the story behind my journey to all 50 states and the deeper purpose that led me to create this podcast.

What started as a personal travel goal became something much more meaningful. As I moved across the country, I found myself questioning what it really means to experience a place centered on missing. I began to reflect on how Black travelers have historically navigated space, safety, and belonging, and how those realities still shape our experiences today.

This episode is my starting point. I share the moments that shifted my perspective, the gaps I noticed in travel narratives, and why I felt called to begin documenting and reclaiming these stories.

This podcast is more than travel. It is storytelling, reflection, and a living archive of Black experiences across all 50 states.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:

📌 How my journey to all 50 states evolved into something deeper than travel

📌 The “why” behind creating Unlock Black Journeys: The Podcast

📌 What it means to experience a place with intention and awareness

📌 What you can expect from this podcast and the stories to come

RELEVANT LINKS

🔗 A Black Woman's Guide to Visit All 50 States: https://frannythetraveler.com/post/a-black-womans-guide-to-visit-all-50-states/

🔗 15 Black Women Traveling to All 50 States: https://frannythetraveler.com/post/black-women-traveling-all-50-states/

FOLLOW UNLOCK BLACK JOURNEYS

Join the newsletter: https://unlock-black-journeys-with-dr-franny.kit.com/9e3080bde9

Read the blog: https://frannythetraveler.com/

Check out episode recaps: https://frannythetraveler.com/post/category/podcast-episode/

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franny_the_traveler/

Follow on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@frannythetraveler

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/princess-francois

Purchase: Support BLACK Green Book: https://amzn.to/4vskd3R

Welcome to Unlock Black Journeys, the podcast archiving the Black experience across all 50 U.S. states, one conversation at a time. Through real stories, people, and places, we explore Black identity, community, culture, and impact. Each episode is grounded in a U.S. city, explored through a theme, and expanded through reflections and curated Black travel insights. This is a legacy project rooted in one belief: every destination is a Black destination, with stories waiting to be explored, honored, and unlocked.

🎙️ SEASON 1: Black in Motion — How We Experience Place

This season explores:

🚆 Movement — how we navigate and show up in spaces

🌿 Moments — the experiences we create along the way

🧠 Meaning — the stories we carry, reclaim, and redefine

From iconic cities to overlooked corners of the country, this season examines what it means to travel, move, and exist while Black in America.

This isn’t just about travel.

It’s about presence.

It’s about perspective.

It’s about seeing ourselves in places we were never taught to look.

Welcome to Unlock Black Journeys.

#BlackTravel #BlackHistory #TravelPodcast #BlackCulture #Storytelling #BlackOwned #TravelWhileBlack #USTravel #BlackStories #CulturalTravel #BlackPodcast #TravelStorytelling

📲 STAY IN THE LOOP:

Website → https://frannythetraveler.com/ 

Instagram →  https://www.instagram.com/franny_the_traveler/ 

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@frannythetraveler 

📺 Watch all episodes of Unlock Black Journeys: The Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/@frannythetraveler 

📧 SUBSCRIBE to Unlock Black Journeys: The Newsletter

https://unlock-black-journeys-with-dr-franny.kit.com/9e3080bde9 

💜Enjoying my content? Leave a tip here

https://unlock-black-journeys-with-dr-franny.kit.com/products/unlock-black-journe 

📗Purchase my Support BLACK Greenbook & Framework
https://www.amazon.com/Support-BLACK-Periodt-Greenbook-Eliminate/dp/1737138255