On September 28, 2018, Woni Spotts completed her goal of visiting all seven continents and the 195 countries recognized by the United Nations. Much of Spotts travel occurred during the 1970s and 1980s before the era of social media, and so her proof comes in the form of airline records, passport stamps, and US State Department documents.
She is also a member of the Travelers’ Century Club.
Spotts’ claim of being the first African American to visit all 195 countries is disputed by Jessica Nabongo, who accomplished this goal on October 6, 2019. Nabongo documented her travels on social media and received a lot of publicity on mainstream media outlines. Irrespective of who was first, both Black women have much to be proud of as they join a very exclusive club.
References:
- Cooper, Nicole. 2019. “What We Can Learn From Woni Spotts: The First Black Woman To Visit Every Country In The World.” Nicole Coop Medium.
- Deadline. 2020. “Meet Woni Spotts – An African American Woman who traveled the whole world.”
- Joses, Joy. 2019. “I am the first Black woman to visit every country in the world: Woni Spotts.” Melan Mag.
Photo:
- Woni Spotts at Great Wall Of China. Woni Spotts via Instagram.