Celebrating our TPOC member, Gaynelle Henderson and Henderson Travel Service!

Hello TPOC Members Established in 1955, the origin story of Henderson Travel Service—both the first Black-owned full-service travel agency in the U.S. and a pioneer of Black American travel to Africa—is rooted in the determination and resilience of one woman: Freddye Henderson. Through the years the agency has planned and booked thousands of trips for Black travelers, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1964 visit to Oslo, Norway, where he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership in the Civil Rights Movement.

Though her mother managed to send clients all over the continent, there was one market that Gaynelle was able to open on her own: post-apartheid South Africa, which became the company’s most popular destination for several years.
Today, you’ll find Henderson semi-retired but still organizing at least five totally customized group trips to Africa every year. Most of her clients head to West African countries like Ghana and Senegal, where she says they have impactful experiences learning about the history of the Transatlantic slave trade and connecting with the people and cultures there.