12 Black Explorers and Travelers Who Will Inspire You to Adventure More

Born in Atlanta, Texas, in 1892, Bessie Coleman was a woman with a big dream—to be a pilot. At that time, no flight school would accept Coleman into their program because she was a Black woman, but that didn’t stop her. Instead, she learned French to apply to a flight school in France, and in 1920 her dreams came true at the Fédération Aéronotique Internationale. Coleman moved to France and became the first African American and Cherokee woman to receive her international pilot’s license. She’s well-known for her flying tricks, such as the figure-eight pattern.

While she died tragically in a plane crash in 1926, her legacy inspires countless others to never give up on their dreams. According to the National Women’s History Museum, many aviation clubs are named in her memory, and in 1995 the Bessie Coleman postal stamp was issued in her honor.

Mario Rigby is a Turks & Caicos local and outdoor enthusiast who emboldens other Black travelers to embrace the outdoors. Rigby’s love of nature and desire to protect the environment led him to one of his most adventurous feats—exploring Africa by foot. In 2018, Rigby set out from Cape Town, South Africa, and journeyed 7,000 miles up the continent by alternating between kayaking and walking. It took him over two years to complete this intrepid pursuit, which he named Crossing Africa.

Early on, Tété-Michel Kpomassie felt a call to explore cold weather climates, and in 1965, he became the first African to set foot in Greenland. But, his pilgrimage to this arctic region didn’t start there. Country by country, Kpomassie slowly trekked up the western coast of Africa until he arrived in Marseille, France, in 1963. Kpomassie says in his memoir, An African in Greenland, that he felt more freedom in France than he did in Africa. The call of the colder weather persisted, and two years later, Kpomassie made it to Greenland.

George Washington Gibbs Jr. was the first Black person to set foot on the icy continent of Antarctica. With Antarctica exploration growing, positions aboard the USS Bear for Admiral Richard Byrd’s third expedition to the South Pole were highly sought after. Gibbs was selected to accompany the admiral as a mess attendant to help clean and provide rations for the crew. And on January 14, 1940, he officially became the first Black person to disembark and step onto the continent.

One of the biggest icons during the early 1800s was James Beckwourth. Born as an enslaved person in 1798 to a Black mother and white father, Beckwourth had to persuade his father to set him free. His request was taken to court between the years of 1824 and 1826 for several hearings until he became a freeman. Beckwourth quickly turned to nature and learned the art of mountaineering as he journeyed west from the Everglades to the Pacific Ocean. He became a legendary Black explorer and documented his entire voyage in his autobiography, The Life and Adventures of James Beckwourth.

Dubbed the “first man to stand on top of the world,” Matthew Henson was a famous Black trailblazer. He was born in 1866, shortly after the Civil War, in Nanjemoy, Maryland. Orphaned before he was 12 years old, Henson was destined to be an explorer and became a cabin boy, followed by a skilled sailor. Each of these pursuits led him to encounter parts of Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Africa.

In 1908, Henson and naval officer Robert Peary made their eighth (and final) attempt to reach the North Pole from Greenland. It was harsh conditions in the Arctic winter as Henson led the five-week-long expedition. Henson’s contribution is often left out of history, but his measurements were responsible for indicating where the North Pole was, and he planted the U.S. flag there. Together, Henson and Peary were the first people to reach the Pole.

Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable was an influential pioneer and the first non-Indigenous person to establish a permanent settlement in what would become Chicago. DuSable was born in Haiti around 1745, then later moved to New Orleans around 1765. He slowly made his way up the Mississippi River, like the Midwestern pioneer he was, until he landed at the north bank of the Chicago River. There, DuSable fell in love and married a woman from the Potawatomi tribe called Kittihawa (also known as Catherine).

DuSable built his first estate here, equipped with a farm, stable, bakery, trading post, and a home for his wife and kids. What’s more, is that this settlement (which is now Chicago) was located at a powerful interest point for trade routes. It was at the intersection of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan and provided great access to the Mississippi River. Thanks to DuSable’s settlement, Chicago flourished, and he’s called the founder of the city.

One of the most ancient Black explorers you’ll find on this list is Himilco. He was born sometime in the 5th century in Carthage. While many accounts of his explorations have vanished, Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder, was the first to write about his adventurous expeditions to the northeastern parts of Europe. Some historians believe Himilco may have been the first person to discover the Sargasso Sea, but the verdict is still up for debate.

It’s safe to say that we’re all pretty familiar with the story of Christopher Columbus. But, did you know that he also had Black Spanish explorers on his ship? Pedro Alonso Niño piloted the Santa Maria. Niño was born in Moguer, Spain, in 1468, and was already well-known when he joined Christopher Columbus’s first expedition in 1492. It’s also recorded that Niño was with Columbus when they landed at Trinidad on the 1498 voyage. While Niño sailed often with Columbus, he also ventured into the salty ocean on his own terms. He died in 1505.

But Pedro Alonso Niño wasn’t the only explorer of African descent sailing with Christopher Columbus. In fact, he charted the high seas on Columbus’ voyages with his oldest brother Juan and his younger brother Francisco, who were also seasoned sailors. Historians believe Juan owned and steered La Niña on Columbus’ first expedition, while Francisco was a sailor on the ship. They also sailed on Columbus’ second voyage. While Pedro is considered the most famous brother, the Niño brothers were important explorers of the time. It’s said that Francisco died in Honduras, but details about Juan’s death remain a mystery.