Driving While Black Before GPS: The Warnings a Map Couldn’t Give

A map could show my best friend how to reach me in North Carolina. But there were things about that overnight drive I wanted him to understand before he left.

It was the mid-1990s. I was stationed at Camp Lejeune, and he was coming up from Tampa. When he decided to take the backroads instead of my suggested route, our conversation became about more than directions.

Closed gas stations. Small towns after midnight. Sudden speed-limit changes. No cell phones to check in. And the concerns I carried as a Black man who grew up navigating the South.

He arrived safely—but one of the first things he told me was, “I need you never to let me make that drive again.

”In this episode of IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves, I reflect on friendship, Black Gen X road-trip memories, and why knowing the route and understanding the places along it can be two different things.What travel advice did someone give you that made sense only after you experienced the trip yourself?

If this story brought back memories, share this episode with someone who remembers road trips before GPS, and follow IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves for more stories and reflections.

For more of my perspective on navigating the road as a Black Gen Xer, explore Traveling While Black Gen X through my store at AnthonyReeves.com.


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