Woni Spotts

Woni Spotts (born January 6, 1964) is an American traveler and entrepreneur. She is the first African-American woman to have traveled to every country and continent in the world. [1] Spotts completed her world travel on September 2018, in Turkey, the last country on her list. [2] Her travel history was validated by a team of archivists and the Travelers’ Century Club (TCC).

Early life and education

Spotts was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Roger Spotts, composer, songwriter, and expert saxophonist while her mother, Betty Spotts [3], was a pianist, singer, songwriter, and dancer. Her parent’s influence made Spotts a musician, songwriter, pianist, and artist. Woni attended school on the East coast in New York. When she began high school, she was the host of a documentary. She studied creation stories, religious beliefs, and rites of passage ceremonies from people worldwide.[4]

World travels

Spotts had begun traveling as a child due to the nature of her parent’s work. She traveled through Asia, South America, the Caribbean islands, and Africa. [5]

Phase I

In 1979, she joined her father’s [6] friend, Nolan Davis’ [7] production crew for his documentary film Passing Through, also known as, Woni Spotts: First Black Woman to Travel to Every Country, which was released in 1989 [8] Between 1979 and 1982, Spotts traveled to 165 countries, including Nigeria, Lagos, and parts of Eastern Europe. [9]

Phase II

Spotts completed her education while taking a break from traveling. In 1999, she started an e-commerce business. In 2014, she resumed traveling, visiting the remaining 35 countries. [10] By September 2018, she covered 195 countries and 22 regions, across all continents in a matter of 40 years. [11]

Certifications

On April 19, 2019, Woni Spotts received an official travel certificate from Travelers’ Century Club (TCC). [12]

Personal life

Spotts is an animal supporter and a vegan. [13] An avid genealogy researcher, Spotts traced both sides of her family back to 1799 and the 1600s in North America. Woni Spotts' grandmother, Marian Hamilton Spotts' civil rights accomplishments are celebrated at the Amistad Research Center. [14]

Controversy

Jessica Nabongo, a traveler, attempting to visit every country, disputed Spotts' claim. Nabongo never entered Syria due to ongoing violence. [15] Nabongo never visited Antarctica.