Locs, Jordans, and Stamps: What Jeff Jenkins Critic Choice Awards Nomination Means for Black Travel Culture
By Leroy Adams
Jeff talks with a calligrapher who has a shop near White Snake Castle in Japan.
National Geographic for Disney/Jon Kroll
The groundbreaking travel and adventure show "Never Say Never" has been nominated for a Critics' Choice Award in the Travel/Adventure category, and it's no surprise why. The show's success underscores the power of persistence and the importance of owning and telling one's story, and it paints a future for Black travel storytelling.
As I pulled into his apartment complex, I wondered who I would be meeting. Through his social media moniker Chubby Diaries, Jeff is a joyous, energetic, and contagiously friendly guy who, with his "get out of your comfort zone" message, inspires everyone, regardless of size, to push beyond their deepest fears to reach their goals. He is likable, relatable, and vulnerable, as he demonstrates through a recent video he shares detailing his journey from a creator whose content only caught the attention of his mother and brother to being a featured speaker at Travelcon. He's brought to tears during this reflection while receiving hundreds of encouraging and supportive comments.
Jeff talks about his early content creation days.
Social media personas don't always translate to reality. Likable and relatable can quickly turn into demanding and impossible. Pushing my gearstick into park, I wondered whom I had driven two hours to meet. The rainy melancholic weather did not help lighten the mood; bothered by the idea of my black and gold Retro 7s getting wet, I tip-toed out of the car through the puddle to the side entrance where Jeff, with his big smile, waited for me. He thanked me for driving down for the interview as if I were doing him a favor. The air was light around him. He was laughing while sharing funny stories about production bloops while working on his show, supportive when was showering my team with encouraging words about the magazine, and vulnerable while reflecting on his early days and the painstaking lonely work of just getting it done.
Jeff's walls are likely covered with awards, as he's been in the travel industry for close to ten years. His latest nomination for the Critic Choice Awards is a significant achievement for Jeff and the culture. Let's talk about why.
“Only my momma and my brotha”
During the interview with Jeff, he reflected on his early days in content creation, chuckling and grabbing his beard as he thought about the countless hours creating videos with catchy captions only to receive likes from his mom and brother. Despite the family-first start, Jeff's determination never wavered. He remained committed to his vision, focusing on refining his story and pushing himself beyond his comfort zone, referencing one of his favorite books, the 10X Rule by Grant Cardone, leaning on messages that committing to our dreams means we also commit to the obstacles that we come as we pursue them, to get him past the quiet comment sections of his videos. Over the years, he honed his craft, doing unseen work over the last five year.
Jeff sharing photos from his trip to Rwanda in 2018.
A review of Jeff’s show, Never Say Never, on Rotten Tomatoes.
Today, Jeff, his contagiously joyous travel videos, and Never Say Never, his National Geographic travel show, reach people worldwide, connecting and touching the hearts of millions. From plus-size travelers who see themselves in the challenges they face and find the strength to face theirs as he does his or his family, who love watching their kids get inspired through the show. Jeff's journey from humble beginnings to a Critics' Choice Award nomination exemplifies the importance of persistence, commitment, and owning our stories.
Representing Black Culture and Telling Our Stories
Martial artist Chuck Johnson catches up with Jeff in Beppu, Japan.
National Geographic for Disney/Jon Kroll
Black travelers will see themselves in his show. From the swag at which Jeff frolics the world with his Jordans, gold chain, and freshly twisted locs to the people he meets and the stories he must share. Set at the top of the green picturesque mountains of New Zealand, Jeff travels to New Zealand, where he has lunch with a local family and learns about their deep connection to their ancestors. This connection shapes and influences their culture and social community. When Jeff shares his family history, the family – like others around the world who did not grow up with the history of the United States – appears captivated and moved by his recounting of the transatlantic slave trade and its theft of African American ancestral roots.
Black travelers often have to validate their American identity while educating others about how history has shaped their lives. In another episode, Jeff introduces us to Chuck Johnson who has lived in Japan for most of his life studying martial arts. After practicing different defensive fighting techniques, we find the two men driving in a car with the camera angle centered, giving us equality of both men as they trade stories of the shock people express when learning how about the travel adventures of a Black man.
Jeff Jenkins trains with martial artist Chuck Johnson outside the White Snake Castle in Japan.
National Geographic for Disney/Jon Kroll
Their experiences of dodging unassuming camera shots from locals hoping to catch a picture of the rare Black person they'll likely see and Jeff's educating of locals on the Black American experience highlight the complexities and unique experiences of Black travelers, making "Never Say Never" a necessary show for the expansion of Black storytelling.
Opening Doors for Black Artists and Storytellers
Jeff receiving his Culture Travels cover issue at SXSW in Austin.
Jeff's success with "Never Say Never" is an encouragement for Black artists and storytellers in the travel industry. Our stories are complex, compelling, and full of life lessons everyone can benefit from. From Shayla Lawson's investigation of the difference in Blackness when spelled with a capital 'B' compared to a lowercase 'b,' "Capital‑B Blackness, despite its global appeal, is not a global unifier," she says in an interview with Lit Hub as she explains the contrasting experience of Blackness attached to Americaness to the blackness that black people around the world experience. Phil, who goes by Philwaukee on Instagram, is joy personified for people he meets around the world. His big smile, energy, and boy-like wonder of the world contrast with his muscular frame, creating a cognitively displacing experience for people who've embraced the American myth, pushed through entertainment and media campaigns, of the scary and violent Black man. Through friendly conversation and genuine curiosity about other cultures and people, Philwaukee rewrites the narrative of a Black man's relationship with the world. Their stories and the audience they've attracted prove that a global audience is eager to learn about Black culture and history through authentic, heartfelt travel storytelling.
Sharinda Williams- Simmons (far left), Evita Robinson (second from left), Jeff Jenkins (second from right), and Shayla Lawson (far right) speak on a panel about the Future of Global Storytelling at Black Future House.
The Critics' Choice Award nomination for "Never Say Never" is more than just a recognition of a travel show; it's a celebration of Black culture's resilience, creativity, and global influence. Jeff's success will continue to pave the way for future Black storytellers to share their journeys and enrich the world with their unique perspectives. Get out there and share your story. Sure, your early engagement will come from the same people at your family reunions, and, in time, you could find yourself sharing a BBQ dinner with a family in New Zealand, enlightening them on the culture of Black cookouts.