Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“I grew up in San Diego during the ’50s, and it was a racist environment then,” said Academy Award nominated actress Margaret Avery. “I was taught at an early age that a colored girl must work 10 times harder than the whites. People that looked like me could not purchase homes in certain neighborhoods. Articles in the local papers about colored people were limited to stories of crime.”
Some people love filming on location so much that they return there for a vacation. Actress Aliyah Turner took it one step further: “I traveled to New York to work on ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ and I enjoyed the city so much that I made it my new home.”
“So many people travel and get upset when it’s not like America,” said Dexter Darden, who is one of the stars of the “Saved by the Bell” reboot. “Abandon all privilege and immerse yourself in their lifestyle.”
“Working on ‘Snowpiercer’ was very special, considering the current climate,” says actor Garfield Wilson. “Casting was very cognizant to have an incredibly diverse cast and how that diversity can be portrayed on the show as a commentary on our present-day society.”
Siobhan Fahey played her first overseas concert in 1983, when she was part of the trio Bananarama. “It was a weird, impromptu appearance by Bananarama in New York supporting Steel Pulse,” says the Irish-born musician. “(It was) the wrong audience for us — irreverent punky club kids that we were. It utterly confused the crowd — and us. (It was) one of many surreal situations I’ve found myself in my life.”
“I’ve been to Montego Bay several times and absolutely love it there,” says “Ambitions” actress Mara Hall. “The culture, the food, the people — it is such an amazing place. Visit White House. They sell fresh fried fish and bammy (cassava flatbread). It’s absolutely delicious!”
“I really enjoy luxury train travel to eat good food, be in your own space and enjoy the scenery that you might not get to see otherwise,” says “The Chi” actress, Yolonda Ross. “My dream trip would be to travel with friends on a week-long luxury train trip like the Belmond or Orient Express.
Grammy Award-winning musician Stephen Marley has many memories of performing with his family. But one of his favorites was when he traveled to Zimbabwe with his father, the late reggae icon, Bob Marley. “It was really eye opening,” says Marley, whose latest EP is “One Take: Acoustic Jams.”“I was probably about 9 years old. My brother, Ziggy, and I performed with him to honor the nation’s independence at the time. This was the moment I realized music is way more than just music.”
As the son of Bob and Rita Marley, Ziggy Marley grew up in Jamaica surrounded by music. “Jamaica is the root of my music,” says the Grammy Award-winning musician. “I was born there, I was raised there and Jamaica is always inside of me. It’s an impactful place in general for many people. For example, Ian Fleming wrote several James Bond novels in Jamaica at Goldeneye near Ocho Rios.”
Singer-songwriter Charli XCX (“5 in the Morning”) is earning rave reviews as Taylor Swift’s opening act. The English star also is a headliner at W Hollywood’s Wake Up Call music festival. Born Charlotte Emma Aitchison, she spends so much of her life on the road that she has a fool-proof plan for dealing with dateline changes: “Party through the jet lag. Or, if you’re not up to that, enjoy a spa day as soon as you get there and really let your body bounce back so you can make the most out of your trip.”