Hello and big thanks to members of the forum for sharing. I have been reading posts religiously hoping not to have to bring this question up myself. I plan on hiking the
Camino Frances solo starting April 1st. I am of African descent and black ; I wonder what level of racial discrimination I may come across during my Camino.
This will be my first Camino. I would appreciate if anyone has experience they can share or advice.
KCarole,
This is the type of question women pose about safely walking camino alone. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred I say, yes it is safe to do so and buen camino. Initially, I was going to give a pat answer: No prejudice and buen camino. But, sometimes a little more exposition is okay too.
Answer, is there prejudice on camino: Yes. On my first camino I had so many time constraints, I walked quickly, shepherded my mom, and experienced so many camino angels and miracles that was pretty much it. No time for reflection or much else. My schedule was: eat, walk, sleep, camino miracle repeat.
However camino number two was the most miraculous and fun of my five times on pilgrimage. My time was my own. I was a sola peregrina. But....
One day I was walking with three white American guys. They entered a store in one of Spain's many small towns. I waited outside soaking up the sun. After exiting the store guys asked me did I experience prejudice on the way. I asked: why ask? Apparently the proprietor gave them flack for walking with a morena. And, twice kids hollered Negra to me. Quite often locals smiled and told me I was a beautiful morena. Just threw that in for a feel good moment.
When I first volunteered as a hospitalera occasionally I'd hear remarks. One time a pilgrim told my fellows the albergue would lose customers due to my presence. Said pilgrim, said, pilgrims would look at me and keep right on walking. Even though that conversation was in Spanish I understood completely. All those years of Junior high, High school, and college Spanish stood me well.
While enjoying the sun, Brazilian pilgrim jokingly told me to get out of the sun because I was already too Black. His joke. My response: tight-lipped.
I could cite a few more examples but you get the gist.
Now, was my perma-tan a barrier to albergue admittance: no. Did my dark skin preclude wonderful friendships formed: no. Nothing about being an African-American woman seemed to stand between me and a glorious experience I've sought five times over from 2001-2014. And praying to repeat as often as time and money will allow.
When I volunteered a second time a young Black guy from Chicago was shocked to see me working as a hospitalera. There's just not that many Blacks on camino.
And, on that note. One of the three white guys with whom I was walking, on camino number two, wondered aloud how come so many pilgrims knew my name and gave me hugs and kisses after only a few days trek from SJPP. I laughed. Then we all laughed. I am quite gregaroius... but my personality is not.... Again, there just aren't that many Blacks of any nationality on camino.
A lifetime of being African is all the prep you'll need for any and all "interesting" moments on the way.
Buen camino.
,yanks,and all the other earth habitants going the same way. All the different skin colours make the Meseta look bright. Buen camino, and who knows, maybe we'll meet, I start the 9th of April in Bilbao for the camino del Norte.
)
