World Footprints

Meet Matthew Maxey, Associate Director of Public Relations at Visit Franklin (Tennessee). He discusses the expanded historical narratives that Franklin is sharing beyond the Battlefield and Whiskey Trail. If the streets could talk it would tell stories that many would soon forget because Franklin’s chapter in American history is a dark one thanks to its prominence in America’s Civil War. But Matth...

What’s is like traveling with a hidden disability? Meet Marika Devan, a self-described clumsy Californian with an obsession for exploring the world. Marika started a blog called Clumsy Girl Travels. But, truth is, Marika isn’t clumsy. Marika was born with a degenerative neurological condition called Ataxia Join us as we learn what it is like to travel the world with a hidden disability. Become a s...

Have you ever thought what it would feel like to travel the world in silence? For Nehama Rogozen, an avid traveler who happens to be deaf, her journeys around the world have not been in total silence because of Cochlear Implant technology. Nehama points out that she is deaf but not Deaf with a capital D and she explains the difference between those terms during our interview. Nehama is a former Pe...

In a story that is both personal and historical, author Fatima Shaik, takes us on a journey that begins with the rescue of the library of ledgers, journals and papers by her father in the 1950s to the discovery that he had come to possess the documents that told the story of one of the most important institutions both for jazz and mutual aid for blacks in New Orleans—Economy Hall. With records cov...

Deborah Douglas, author of the Moon’s U.S. Civil Rights Trail guide, talks with World Footprints about the places, people and events that were integral to the civil rights movement. Deborah traces the stories about the movement she grew up hearing about and she brings those stories to life in her book. With profiles of national leaders and local heroes, helpful timelines, a suggested playlist and...

Cordell Reaves is a Historic Preservation Program Analyst with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. In his role, Cordell strives to do preserve and illuminate the historical stories that have been overlooked and purposefully hidden from our historical narratives. Cordell helps to develop educational programming and events that enable historical sites and destin...

"History Has Its Eyes On You" is one of our favorite songs from the Broadway musical, Hamilton. The lyrics hold a cautionary reminder that “…You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story…”. As we know, the historical stories we’ve heard do not generally portray accurate and full narratives, especially, those involving early settlers like the Schuyler family and Founding Fathers lik...

Meet Dale Reardon, a blind traveler from Australia who has not let his disability limit his love for exploring the world. We asked Dale about his travel experiences as a blind person. Some of what he shared may be surprising. Dale’s experience as a blind traveler is inspiring a community overlooked in the travel space. He tell us that nearly 25% of the world’s population has accessibility needs bu...

In honor of America’s 46th President, World Footprints will share a cultural slice of President Joe Biden’s home state of Delaware. Delaware is known as the “First State” because it was the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Its place in American history and colonialism is uniquely blended with the state’s European influences. Join us as we enjoy a glimpse into Delaware’s history starting with...

Washington, D.C, is a very popular tourism destination but, like all destinations around the world, COVID-19 has put a stranglehold on its tourism product. In addition to the pandemic the District of Columbia has also dealt with months of social unrest and a recent violent and unconscionable insurrection. With all of the challenges facing Washington and a forthcoming Presidential Inauguration to p...

World Footprints continues its foundational value of sharing the voices of all travelers and their unique experiences and inspiring stories. Today we walk in the footsteps of a plus-size traveler. Plus-size travelers face challenges that aren't generally considered—lack of appropriate accommodations, one-sized fits all robes that don’t fit larger bodies, zipline cables that may not support extra w...

Who are the Appalachian people? Whoever you think they are you’re probably wrong. Author and scholar Nancy Brown Diggs joins World Footprints to peel back the layers of Appalachian culture that she uncovers in her new book, In Search of Appalachia. Her book shares her years of research and it paints an honest and authentic portrait of this misunderstood culture. Nancy shines a spotlight on Appalac...

Cory Lee joins World Footprints hosts Tonya and Ian Fitzpatrick to talk about the joys and challenges of traveling the world in a powered wheelchair. At the age of two, Cory was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy. Because this disease is progressive it has served as a catalyst for Cory to see as much of the world as he can. Cory, who runs the wheelchair travel blo...

On September 23, 1957, Ernest Green and eight other African American high school students, known as the ‘Little Rock Nine’, integrated the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. This event was the first experiment in school integration came three years after the U.S, Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education landmark ruling that segregation of public schools is unconstitutional...

What can the stars tell you about where you should travel and what destinations you are compatible with? If you’re looking to get a jump-start on your travel planning in the coming months hear what intuitive astrologer Haley Comet has to say before you start charting your journey. Haley combines Western astrology and positive psychology in her specialty of transpersonal astrology—believing we can...

When Monet Hambrick was pregnant with her first child many people told her that she would have to retire her wanderlust. However, Monet and her husband James knew that they could not live without travel, and they didn’t…nor have their two children. Monet has taken her family across the globe from the time her children were infants. She created her blog, The Traveling Child, to help other families...

How do you imagine hope in a seemingly hopeless situation? And once that hope is imagined, how do you manifest those dreams into a sustained reality? These are the questions at the heart of IMAGINE: REFLECTIONS ON PEACE (Hemeria/SparkPress, October 6, 2020) by The VII Foundation (VIIF). Editor and VIIF co-founder, GARY KNIGHT, shares the remarkable collection of first-person testimonials and seari...

Author James Whittaker joins World Footprints with inspiring lessons from transformational thinker Napoleon Hill that is based on his 1908 conversation with billionaire industrialist Andrew Carnegie. These conversations are annotated and edited by James Hill in his new book Andrew Carnegie’s Mental Dynamite: How to Unlock The Awesome Power of You. James is a Napoleon Hill scholar. He uses compleme...

Eric Deggans is NPR’s TV critic, MSNBC media and culture analyst, and author of Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation. Eric joined World Footprints to talk about his book that examines the role cable news networks and social media play in inciting fears around racism, sexism and prejudice. He says that conflict sells in the media so prejudice, racism, stereotypes are...

What does American democracy look like from abroad? Author Elizabeth Rusch answers that question in her newest book, You Call THIS Democracy? Fundamentally, America’s democracy is dysfunctional at best and Elizabeth identifies where the United States falls short. Elizabeth also offers international comparisons. She shows the simple solutions that other countries use to advance their democracy that...

In 1995, the late author Nigel Watts published his highly acclaimed fictional book, Twenty Twenty, that foretold the events the world is experiencing today in the year 2020. Twenty Twenty was published in 1995 by Hodder and Stoughton and received rave reviews from The Times, Time Out, Sunday Times and more. After nearly 30 years, Twenty-Twenty was relaunched by Nigel’s widow, former BBC broadcaste...

David M. Rubenstein, author of The American Story, visionary cofounder of The Carlyle Group, and host of Bloomberg TV’s The David Rubenstein Show returns to World Footprints to discuss his newest book: “How to Lead: Wisdom from the World's Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers.” The billionaire philanthropist has long been fascinated with leadership. What makes a great leader? Are leaders bor...

What does the future of travel look like? We asked a travel industry insider, Helen Hernandez, CEO of the North American Travel Journalist Association (NATJA) for her insights. In a previous episode we learned about Helen’s path from her humble beginnings in California, to her work with the labor union movement, to Hollywood where she worked with famed producer and creator Norman Lear and finally...

Today on World Footprints, we welcome back, author and television host, Rick Steves. We enjoy a very thought-provoking discussion about a range of topics from the current pandemic and social issues to the challenging issues facing the travel industry today. Rick generally spends 100 days a year in Europe but like the rest of us he is stuck at home. However, Rick treated us to a virtual trip throug...

Helen Hernandez has worn a lot of hats in a storied career that’s taken her from the trenches of labor union activism to becoming the CEO of the North American Travel Journalist Association (NATJA) - one of the leading organizations that brings destination managers and travel journalists into the same tent. And in between it all, she has been a presence in the Los Angeles Arts and Entertainment co...