She glided through the airport terminal in a long-sleeve black dress, white gloves, and a matching pillbox hat. The agent handed her a ticket, and she was again off to cross the Atlantic.
Gerri Major infused every part of her identity into the work. During a time when we were fighting on the Jim Crow front lines, traveling abroad was a distant dream for many. But as Jet magazine’s society editor, she traversed the world - and always in the Blackest way possible.
Once on assignment in London covering a coronation, she focused on us instead of highlighting their royals. A Benin prince and his companion from the Gold Coast “stopped London traffic” in their eye-catching native dress, with umbrellas that later “created a truly international atmosphere,” Major wrote in her book Black Society.
At home, she covered galas, HBCU football games, and charity events encouraging her readers to have new experiences, no matter the place. “I wrote items that reinforced the breadth and scope of the Black traveler,” Major said.
Gerri Major understood the importance of controlling our narrative. No matter how small the change, we can all actively find ways to decolonize our lives. Consider your work: what’s one way you can divest from the anti-Black norm and prioritize us instead?