I’ve been back stateside, but my travels and the education I glean from them continue. Shortly after returning from South Africa, I ended my 2022 with a 6-day speaker’s tour in northern Wisconsin. In a mix of different spaces, some incredibly diverse while others hosted an audience that made me hyper-aware, I imparted crucial wisdom about unpacking trauma, healing, navigating workplace conflict, and more. As always, I gave what I could to everyone in the room and walked away with lessons for personal growth. The tour launched on Friday, December 2nd, with a youth leadership retreat hosted by End Abuse WI...Read More

The people. The music. The culture. That’s the heart of my 10-day journey in a part of the motherland. South Africa was a blessing to my soul that I didn’t realize I needed. The experience both humbled me and secured my personal pride. When I planted my foot on the land, it instantly felt like home. Doppelgangers popped up everywhere, reminding me that so much of Black American culture reaches back home, even without our knowledge or permission. Naturally, I felt some nervousness about the newness and the unknown; but that anxiety was eased almost immediately. I found so much comfort in...Read More

Welcome to the world and mind of Ajamou Butler, the Black man who travels. In four days, I embark on my third international trip. This time, I’m journeying back to the origins, my roots, in South Africa. Traveling the world expands your view; your mind naturally opens to the reality that life is lived outside the comforts of home. We’re not meant to live and die restricted only to what and where we’re born into. Just because I was born on the block doesn’t mean I’ll die there. I feel a handful of emotions about this trip – anxious, nervous, excited,...Read More