28 10, 2025

The Great Wall offers a brick-and-mortar lesson in the limits of barriers

By |2025-10-25T16:49:53+00:00October 28th, 2025|China, Travel|

BEIJING — On the minibus that bumped and grinded its way here, I spotted The Great Wall of China, long and winding against a backdrop of greenery, miles before I stood at its base. Jumping out of the minibus with the tour guide, I noticed a decidedly American institution in front of me: Subway. American companies have a giant footprint

25 10, 2025

While America spends $8 trillion on wars, China builds highways to the future

By |2025-10-27T14:59:17+00:00October 25th, 2025|China, Commentary, Politics|

As a global traveler, I’ve seen increasing reasons for concern about the influence of China in Africa and elsewhere. Before Americans like me posit solutions that involve higher military spending and strategic competition, they must examine a truth about China: Its rise stems not from superior weaponry but from a fundamentally different approach to national priorities. Since President Jimmy Carter

25 07, 2022

Dining while Black looks as if it travels abroad with you

By |2022-07-25T20:41:27+00:00July 25th, 2022|China, Food, Race, Gender and Class|

Even amid the historic beauty of Rome, a Black man can run into ugliness.I’ve discovered that fact in international cities other than Rome, because as a Black man who travels, I know, sadly, that racism will follow me wherever I set my luggage down.In the past, I’ve recounted instances of where my Blackness got me treatment of the second-class variety.

Go to Top