Before starting your Black Birthright 2025 application, please carefully review the following criteria and indicate your ability to comply at the bottom of the page.

Applicants must meet all criteria to be considered for Black Birthright. Applicants who do not meet these criteria at the time of application will not be considered for Black Birthright.

Once accepted into Black Birthright, Scholars who do not continue meeting these criteria will not be permitted to continue in the program.

DEMOGRAPHIC

• Full-time resident of the United States within the contiguous 48 states
  
  
• At least one biological parent of the African Diaspora (i.e. identifies as African-American, African, Caribbean, Caribbean-American, etc.)

• Enrolled full-time in an accredited school or state-recognized home-school program 
  
  
• Currently enrolled in 8th, 9th, 10th or 11th grade at the time of application (Minimum age: 13)
  
  
• GPA: Minimum 3.0/4.0 (or the scale equivalent at your school) 

TRAVEL 

• Obtain a valid passport: Scholars must submit passport applications no later than November 7, 2025.
  
  
• If you have a passport, ensure the passport has at least three completely blank pages and will not expire within six months of our travel dates. If the passport does not have sufficient blank pages and/or will expire within six months of our travel dates, the passport must be renewed prior to travel. 
  
  
• Available to travel July 2026
  
  Note: Travel dates have not yet been determined, but we will travel sometime between July 6th and July 29th, 2026.
  

MEDICAL

• Be in full compliance with the Black Birthright Medical, Health & Wellness Policy (detailed on the next page)
  
  
• Complete a medical examination with a US-board certified physician who certifies that you are in good health to travel and fully participate in the Black Birthright experience
  
  
• Complete immunization series as advised by the CDC and is required for successful entry/exit to and from our destination (Visit the Health page on our website to learn more.) 
  
  
• Obtain a prescription for anti-malarial pills and complete the prescription according to schedule 

PERMISSION

• Obtain written permission from a parent or legal guardian to participate in Black Birthright
  
  Note: You must obtain permission from your parent to travel to Africa before submitting your application. If you complete your application and your parent will not grant permission to travel, you will not be accepted into Black Birthright. 

FINANCIAL 

• Pay $6,800 non-refundable program fee according to the payment schedule following program acceptance
  
  Note: Black Birthright does not cover the cost of passport, medical or immunization fees. You must cover these costs independently in addition to the program fee. Visit the Costs page on our website to learn more. 

THE SALON: AWAKENING YOUR AFRICAN MIND
In addition to traveling to the African Continent, Black Birthright Scholars have an incredible opportunity to immerse themselves in Black American and African Diaspora history, economics, philosophy, psychology and culture, during the school year preceding travel. This immersive program is called The Salon: Awakening Your African Mind. 

• All Black Birthright Scholars must participate in The Salon without exception. 
  
  
• The Salon consists of 16 separate sessions, beginning October 2025, ending June 2026. 
  
  
• The Salon sessions will be conducted on Sundays at 5:00PM Eastern. We will not meet every Sunday as the program consists of 16 sessions spread over nine months (October - June). 
  
  
• Scholars are required to prepare in advance for sessions - doing the required reading, listening, viewing, etc. Average prep time per session is 4 - 6 hours. Scholars will have at least two weeks between each session to prepare. 
  
  
• Scholars can miss up to four of the 16 sessions. 
  
  
• Scholars who miss more than four sessions, are not prepared for session, or do not meet other specified criteria are ineligible to travel. There are no exceptions whatsoever.

OTHER 

• Have not traveled to Black Birthright destination country in the last 7 years 
  
  
• Agree and adhere to Black Birthright Code of Conduct, including maintaining academic standing 
  
  
• Complete pre-trip context assignment (Estimated time to complete: 10 - 15 hours)
  
  
• Participate in all activities and daily reflection discussions during trip 
  
  
• Participate in the Black Birthright referral program by referring three students who meet the program’s demographic requirements
  

Medical, Health & Wellness Policy

The following information pertains to the Black Birthright travel experience. Please carefully review the following information and indicate your ability to comply at the bottom of the page.

MEDICAL

Black Birthright’s number one priority during travel is traveler safety. We aim to deliver an educational, enlightening and enjoyable experience, but our key consideration and motivation is traveler safety.

Our leadership team engages in a variety of strategies and practices to ensure travelers are safe during travel.

Prior to travel, Black Birthright Scholars are required to complete a questionnaire regarding their medical/health history. Among other things, this information is used to help Black Birthright leadership assess a Scholar’s needs during travel and further ensure that our leadership, destination, medical facilities, and emergency plans can accommodate those needs.

Additionally, Black Birthright Scholars are required to undergo an examination from a United States-based, board-certified physician who is actively practicing medicine in a relevant field. The physician must state that the Scholar is in good physical and mental health to travel.

Scholars and parents/guardians who do not comply with these requirements, provide misleading or incomplete information, withhold information, or falsely represent the Scholar in any application or required documents, will be denied admittance to or ongoing participation in Black Birthright.

Black Birthright reserves the right to deny travel to Scholars who currently have or previously had medical conditions, diagnosed or undiagnosed, which will prevent the Scholar from safely and fully participating in the travel experience. Black Birthright will make this determination at the sole discretion of its leadership. Meaning, Black Birthright does not require agreement with a Scholar’s physician(s) to make its travel determination about a Scholar.

Scholars who have experienced any of the following in the two years preceding the Scholar’s acceptance to Black Birthright, are not permitted to travel:

• Epilepsy
• Seizures or seizure-like activity
• Reoccurring fainting episodes
• Sudden loss of consciousness, explained or unexplained
• Asthma attacks requiring emergency care and/or hospitalization
• Heart disease
• Cardiac arrest
• Heart attack
• Arrhythmia
• Stroke
• Aneurysm
• Pulmonary embolism
• Blood clots
• Blood / bleeding disorders, including hemorrhage
• Cancer
• Tumors
• Flare-ups associated with auto-immune diseases / disorders
• Organ failure
• Organ transplant
• Life-threatening infectious diseases (e.g. meningitis)
• Sleep-related disorders including: Insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep walking, etc.
• Eating/food-related disorders including: Bulimia, anorexia, binge eating, restrictive food intake inhibiting growth and development, etc.
• Severe depression
• Severe anxiety
• Nervous breakdown
• Substance abuse
• Self-harm attempts or actualization
• Suicide attempts
• Any surgery or hospitalization which will impact the Scholar’s ability to travel safely and fully participate in the travel experience

The aforementioned list serves as a guide and is not exhaustive and all-encompassing. Black Birthright leadership, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to deny travel to any Scholar who demonstrates a diagnosis, symptoms or signs of a medical issue/concern that would make travel unsafe for the Scholar and/or the cohort.

HEALTH

The Black Birthright travel experience requires daily, sustained physical activity including, but not limited to:

• Walking in a variety of environments (e.g. city, suburbs, dirt roads/rural areas, etc.)
• Scholars should feel comfortable walking at least 1.5 - 2 miles in warm weather (i.e. 80 - 95 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Hiking
• Light running
• Vehicle travel over rough roads
• Boat rides
• Carrying own bags (including backpacks, purses, suitcases and other luggage)
• Climbing stairs
• Standing for extended periods 
• Sitting on hard surfaces (e.g. wood, the ground) for extended periods
• Dancing, drumming
• Water activities*

*Scholars are not required to know how to swim, but we will participate in activities in, on or near water during travel. Scholars who cannot swim will not be requested, required, nor permitted to engage in water-based activities that put them at risk of injury or drowning.

WELLNESS

The Black Birthright travel experience places Scholars in a different environment than that to which they are accustomed. Differences include, but are not limited to: geography, time zones, climate, cuisine, meal times, accommodations, sleep duration, sleep times, activities, availability of amenities, language, cultural practices, etc.

As such, it is imperative that Scholars manage their self-care proactively, independently and effectively. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Getting adequate rest during travel
• Staying hydrated at all times
• Eating a balanced diet during available meal times
• Daily hygiene (e.g. bathing, teeth brushing, cosmetic grooming, etc.)
• Taking any medications prescribed by the Scholar’s physician(s) according to dosage and schedule
• Taking prescribed malaria prophylaxis according to schedule

Scholars who repeatedly do not engage in proactive and constructive self-care activities may be sent home from travel.

Please be mindful as you enter your responses. Double check your work for accuracy, typos, misspellings, grammar, etc. 

We will use the information you provide to contact you, your parent/guardian and your references. If this information is inaccurate, we will not be able to process your application.

Thank you.

To participate in Black Birthright 2025, you must obtain written permission from your parent or legal guardian. This application is not a permission slip, but you must indicate if you have received verbal permission from your parent/guardian to participate. If you are accepted into Black Birthright 2025, we will provide a permission slip for your parent/guardian to review and sign.

Additionally, your parent/guardian must participate in your application process. We will send your parent/guardian an email to the email address you provide below where they will be asked to answer one question in 100 words or less. The question is, "Why do you want your child to participate in Black Birthright 2025?" If your parent/guardian does not speak English, they may provide their answer in the language in which they feel most comfortable and we will take care of translation.

We will send your parent/guardian this question via email during the week of April 28th. 

The following questions are about your extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities are any activities in which you consistently engage outside of school. They may include: sports, civic organizations, religious groups, after-school clubs, etc. 

You may include a maximum of three activities only, so please provide information for the most significant and meaningful activities in which you participate. Please note that you are not required to enter three activities. You may enter fewer than that.

If you work a paying job, do not enter it in the extracurricular activities section. There is a separate section below for students with paying jobs.

Please read and follow the instructions regarding your academic transcript/report card below. Depending upon your current grade, you will be asked to provide different documentation.

Definitions
Transcript: An academic transcript is an official document outlining the courses taken and the grades/markings earned throughout the student's full enrollment history at the institution. Meaning, a transcript should reflect the grades/markings earned for the entire time the student has been enrolled in high school.

Report Card: A report card is a document reflecting the grades/markings earned during the current school year.

Requirements
a) Please provide the documents that are requested of you. Meaning, if you are currently an 8th grader and we request your report card, please provide that. If you are an 11th grader and we request an academic transcript reflecting your grades for your entire high school career, please provide that.

b) Please do not take online portal screenshots of your grades. If your school posts your transcript or report card online for you to access it, please download it, save it and then upload it to this application. 

c) The document(s) you upload MUST contain your first name, last name, school name, grade year, names of courses taken, and associated grades. 

d) The document(s) you upload must have a file name in the following format:

For Transcripts:
Transcript_Your First Name, Your Last Name_Your Current Grade
Example: Transcript_Jamal Smith_Grade 10

For Report Cards: 

Report Card_Your First Name, Your Last Name_Your Current Grade 

Example: Report Card_Trina Jenkins_Grade 9 

Applications from students who do not follow these guidelines will be rejected.

Please provide two references who meet all of the following criteria:

• At least 18 years of age and older 

• Not related to you 

• Know you through school, work, sports, extracurricular activities, religious services, etc. (Examples: Teacher, Guidance Counselor, Coach, Manager, Religious Leader, etc.) 

Essay #1: Short Answer

Please provide your response below. We strongly recommend typing your essay responses into a separate document (e.g. MS Word), saving your work and then copying and pasting your responses into this form. In the event that you lose Internet connectivity or the browser closes, your work will be saved in a separate document.

Essay #2 - Long Answer

Please select one of the two essay prompts and provide your response in the space below. We strongly recommend typing your essay response into a separate document (e.g. MS Word), saving your work and then copying and pasting your responses into this form. In the event that you lose Internet connectivity or the browser closes, your work will be saved in a separate document.

Listening/Viewing Q&A

Please watch the following lecture on self-hate, love and fear, presented by psychologist and professor, Dr. Amos Wilson. Watch from the beginning through 27:23 (Minute 27, Second 23). 

Please note the following about the lecture:

1. Dr. Amos Wilson was a prolific author, speaker, psychologist, social worker and philosopher. He is now deceased.
   
   
2. This lecture was given in the 1980s (hence the references to President Ronald Reagan).

Click HERE to access the lecture.

Alternatively, you can copy/paste the following link into a new browser window if needed: https://youtu.be/reto2ZQexXQ

After listening/viewing the lecture, please answer the questions below.

We strongly recommend typing your responses into a separate document (e.g. MS Word), saving your work and then copying and pasting your responses into this form. In the event that you lose Internet connectivity or the browser closes, your work will be saved in a separate document.

If you are ready to submit your application, select the "Submit" button below. Once you submit, you will have an opportunity to review, modify and/or print your application. After you've reviewed your application, select "Confirm" at the bottom of the page to ensure your application is submitted.

If you fail to complete the steps to submit your application and simply close the browser window, your application will not be submitted and we cannot consider your application. Thank you.