Jessica Nabongo

Jessica Nabongo became the first documented Black woman to visit every country in the world — all 195 UN-recognized nations — completing her journey on October 6, 2019, in the Seychelles. Her travels, documented on social media and in her book The Catch Me If You Can, challenged the narrative that world travel is a white pursuit and inspired a generation of Black travelers to see the world as their own.

Born in Detroit in 1984, to Ugandan immigrant parents, Nabongo grew up between two cultures and developed a fascination with the wider world early. She attended St. John's University and the London School of Economics, worked at the United Nations, and launched a travel company, Jet Black, before embarking on her quest to visit every country. She funded much of the journey through brand partnerships and her travel business.

Nabongo's journey was more than a personal achievement — it was a political statement. As a Black woman traveling alone through countries in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Pacific Islands, she encountered both warm hospitality and prejudice, and she documented both with unflinching honesty. Her work has helped build the Black travel movement, an industry that generates billions in revenue but has historically been invisible in mainstream travel media. She has been featured in National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, and Forbes.