Freddye Henderson knew that America wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She experienced rampant racism AND sexism but was determined to live a life outside white supremacy's ills.
With this intention, she pioneered an entire industry.
The doors to Henderson Travel Service (HTS) opened during travel's "Golden Age," but nothing was glitzy about how we were being brutalized and killed in 1955.
With her husband, Jacob, by her side and her kids helping with operations, they created something remarkable.
For Freddye, it wasn't just about seeing the world for vanity's sake. She wanted our people to experience an existence outside of the turbulence of Black life in the US.
While whites were still calling Africa "The Dark Continent," the Hendersons were taking thousands of our people to countries like Ghana and South Africa. Before commercial airlines even flew to the continent, HTS chartered their own planes! They even organized MLK's Oslo trip to accept his Nobel Peace Prize.
Today, our travel movement continues to evolve, with Black travelers spending $109 billion in 2019 and plenty of travel groups created just for us.
Like the Hendersons, starting a company built with us in mind can pay off big. Whether in business or community, prioritizing our people will always be worth it. In this liberation struggle, we're all we got!