The Trip of a Lifetime
“Travel is an investment paying lifetime dividends in rich memories,” according to Cincinnati educator Althea Hurst, who along with three other educators, Laura Knight, Margaret Duncan, and Martha Bush, embarked on the adventure of a lifetime — an eight-week trip to Canada, Holland, Nazi Germany, France, Italy, and Budapest.
It was the summer of 1938 - the calm before the storm- before World War Two broke out. They sailed on the RMS Empress of Britain & took a photo on the deck. The ship would be blown up by the Nazis in 1940. In Berlin, Germany they stayed at the best hotel which included a private bath, satin wood furniture, & oriental rugs. In Milano, Italy, they lunched at a sidewalk cafe outside a fancy hotel.
Travel included accommodations aboard ships, trains, and in hotels that would not have been available to Black people in America in the 1930s due to the racial segregation imposed by Jim Crow laws. As they traveled through Germany and Austria just months before Kristallnacht or "Night of Broken Glass" violence enacted against Jews in Europe, Hurst documented the restrictions facing Jewish people with notations on pages with photographs of their Jewish guide. She wrote about signs posted, juden
Verboten or "Jews Forbidden" at stops along the way.
Althea Hurst’s scrapbook is filled with many photos and other memorabilia. (Cincinnati Library, CHPL blogs)
I was absolutely captivated by the story of these four incredible women – Althea Hurst, Laura Knight, Margaret Duncan, and Martha Bush – embarking on their ambitious 1938 trip. It truly makes you stop and think about the sheer courage and determination it must have taken to undertake such a journey, especially at a time when travel for Black Americans was so heavily restricted by Jim Crow laws back home. The article mentions they experienced accommodations on ships, trains, and in hotels that simply wouldn't have been available to them in the US. This contrast highlights a fascinating, albeit sobering, aspect of history: how racial segregation dictated daily life, and how finding freedom, even temporarily, abroad must have felt like a revelation. What struck me most was their time in Nazi Germany, just months before the horrific events of Kristallnacht. Can you imagine being an African American woman, traveling through a country where signs declaring 'Juden Verboten' were commonplace, documenting the persecution of another minority group? Althea Hurst's notes on her Jewish guide and the restrictions she observed offer such a unique and poignant perspective. It’s a stark reminder of the global tensions building before World War II and how different forms of prejudice were manifesting simultaneously. Their journey wasn't just a vacation; it was a front-row seat to history unfolding. The details of their travel sound so glamorous, yet tinged with the impending shadow of war. Sailing on the luxurious RMS Empress of Britain must have been an experience in itself – I even saw photos from their scrapbook of them on the deck! And staying at places like the Hotel Europäischer Hof Berlin, described with its private bath, satin wood furniture, and oriental rugs, or enjoying lunch at a sidewalk cafe in Milano near Hotel Andreola, really paints a picture of their adventures. From a London to Rotterdam train ticket to lavish hotels, their itinerary was quite remarkable for the period. It makes you realize how much planning and privilege, despite the racial barriers, went into such an extensive eight-week tour. Their observations, particularly Althea Hurst's diligent documentation of the rising antisemitism, are invaluable. As someone who personally understood the sting of racial discrimination, her empathy and eyewitness account provide a powerful historical record. It's a testament to the fact that even amidst personal adventure, these educators remained acutely aware of the world around them, using their experiences to inform and educate. This trip truly embodies the idea of 'travel as an investment paying lifetime dividends in rich memories.' For these four pioneering Black women, their 1938 journey through Europe wasn't just a personal achievement; it became a historical document, offering modern readers a rare glimpse into a complex and tumultuous era through the eyes of those who navigated it with extraordinary grace and insight. Their scrapbook, brimming with photos and memorabilia, is a treasure that continues to teach us today.
