Who we are:

Black Rebel Nomads Creative & Cultural Exchange Program is a professional development opportunity for Black-identifying student artists.

What we do:

Close the travel gap for Black creatives by supporting artists to travel internationally. For one month, Nomads travel abroad to develop their creative practice and open their minds to other cultures. We cover the flight and board of Nomads to remove financial barriers to experiencing life-changing travel opportunities.
Grow the skills of future leaders by supporting them to learn abroad by taking classes and teaching classes of their own! Nomads apply the skills they've learned to their creative practice and go on to serve as cultural ambassadors and educators to their peers, families, and communities.

Amplify emerging Black artists' stories by supporting Nomads to host an art exhibition after they return from traveling. By sharing their creative projects with the community, they gain valuable experience in public speaking, storytelling, event production, and curation while growing their artistic and professional resume.

Provide mentorship opportunities to artists by connecting them with a network of professional artists locally and abroad. Additionally, past Nomads serve as peer mentors to incoming cohorts by running workshops to prepare them for travel and creative production.

Why give?

Every gift to Black Rebel Nomads ensures more creatives will have the needed resources and opportunities to create artwork and build relationships that make an impact in their lives and the lives of others.

Your gifts will cover:

A ticket for Nomads to expand their world view , experience new cultures and exchange creativity through building an international community.
A safe space for youth artists to grow their professional and artistic skills with mentorship and guidance from professional artists and experienced travelers.
A pathway towards financial freedom and agency by offering opportunities to young artists to build creative skills and artistic portfolios for themselves and their communities.

Why now?

We need leaders who think globally and serve locally.

For youth from communities with higher rates of substance abuse and gun violence, having access to mentorship and safe spaces to cultivate their creativity, professional skills can be the motivating force that drives them to success..

That's why Black Rebel Nomads provides our Nomads with international travel experiences so they can create more opportunities for themselves and the communities they’re from.

Dorien’s Story

Far from a simple vacation, Thailand became a turning point. Initially aiming for a fun action-packed travel film, through the sharing of stories and culture, my Philly background collided with a stark reality: limited travel opportunities for many, specifically Black inner-city youth.

Witnessing how previous travel experiences expanded my mind through learning about diverse cultures and nurtured my art and faith, I knew I had to act. Forget a breezy escape; Thailand became the bridge for a short film celebrating our experiences while shining a spotlight on this disparity.

Watch the film “Escape The Block” here

International travel is less accessible to African American/Black youth.

According to various reports only 35% to 40% of all Americans hold a valid US Passport. Of that number an even smaller percentage includes African American/Black identifying individuals. Financial barriers, and the income gap between African American households and their white counterparts prevent Black travelers from obtaining a passport and saving up for international travel. Black Rebel Nomads is closing this gap by sponsoring Nomads and making traveling abroad more accessible to low income communities.

Octavia’s story

Octavia is a 19 year old film student who was attending Community College of Philadelphia. She applied to Black Rebel Nomads for the opportunity to experience international travel for the first time in her life to experience a new culture. When she arrived in Thailand, she not only discovered new cultures and arts but learned more about herself as a creative. Upon returning she took her experiences and planted the seeds in her community by sharing what she learned with peers. This motivated her to continue her creative education at Temple University.

Watch her Nomad Project

Creative culture is more accessible than ever.

We need storytellers who can see the world with humility and tell transformative stories with ethics.

With creative culture more accessible than ever, art helps people understand and respond to the needs of our world. From puppet shows to poetry, artists are on the frontline of activism and building international solidarity to meet the needs of our rapidly changing world. That's why media, cultural literacy, and storytelling skills matter now more than ever.

Black Rebel Nomads is equipping our future’s creative leaders with cultural humility, creative production experience, and storytelling ethics so they can be the bridge to a more dignified and just future in the communities they’re from.

In 2024 alone, we had over 20 students apply to be Black Rebel Nomads.

75% have never traveled internationally
90% come from low income households
100% were Black identifying
100% applicants were student artists pursuing higher education .

There are countless creators like Dorien and Octavia who deserve this opportunity to grow their creative skills and enrich their communities through international travel.

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Check out what our Nomads are doing Now!

Dorien Harris

Octavia Cooper

Daisie Cardona

Kayla Johnson

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By Black Rebel Nomads

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