International Lifestyle influencer Tai Beauchamp and celebrity photographer Elton Anderson partner up in this new groundbreaking travel series entitled Len of Culture.
Together the two will give viewers a first-class travel experience through their unique lenses visiting world-class destinations, engaging with renowned local travel experts, exploring regional cultural entertainment spots and discovering local culinary traditions.
Destinations include St. Thomas, Harlem, Ghana, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and more.
“The thing I love about this show is that we go off the grid a lot and we also do deep dives. I’ve been to New Orleans a dozen times, but I experienced it in a way that I’ve never done before and the audience just gets to see it through our lens,” says Anderson.
“Because a lot of the times, you see these travel shows with hosts who don’t look like you and we’re going to be talking to other millennials and people that look exactly like us and that’s what the show is for.”
Beauchamps jokingly compares the show to the widely famous travel and food show Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, saying “it’s a little bit of [that] meets your girl and guy trip.”
“We talk about everything while we’re eating, like conversations about our relationships. Conversations about community, culture, and family. All those things come up but we’re also exploring. And all the places that we go to all have a connection in some way to the diaspora. We went to Saint Thomas, we went to Puerto Rico. Even the time we spent here in L.A. and in Harlem and Philadelphia, we go to the places that we think really are going to be honored and appreciated by us as people of color.”
The black dollar has also been the driving force in the economy with people of color spending more money on any other race. Most recently, blacks are traveling more than ever and pushing their dollars toward experiences.
Beauchamps talks on the importance of travel saying, “the thing about travel for me is that it’s always opened my eyes to recognizing humanity and appreciating humanity.”
Adding that show will encourage people to step outside of their comfort zones.
“Even if you live in Philadelphia I think the way that we experienced Philly is different. And actually I had one of our executive at the network who’s from Philly, and when she saw us go to the places that we did in Philadelphia, she was like I never knew that existed. So it’s also going to open your eyes to your own community in a different way.”
Anderson also mentions the “Ghana episode” and the significance of that portion of their travels.
“A lot of African American have not been to the continent at all. So not only is it important to go there and get reacquainted with our roots and our history but we’re also injecting our money and tourism dollars back into the continent as well.”
“I’m tired of spending [53 billion] in Paris. I want that money to go back to the continent, “Anderson teasingly said.
Collectively the pair have visited over 100 destinations all over the world. With Anderson’s adventurous drive and Beauchamp’s love for the culture, the two are a giving a black spin on the world of travel and food, all while actively breaking down the stereotypes of black travelers.
Lens of Culture airs on Cleo TV—the sister network to TV One—Saturdays at 12 pm. Check your local listings for information on how you can catch this show. The show is also available to view online at mycleo.tv.
