Traveling While Black & Gen X: Surviving the Road before GPS episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 23, 2025 · 14 MIN

Traveling While Black & Gen X: Surviving the Road before GPS

from In The Know with Tony Reeves · host Anthony Reeves

What was it like to hit the road in the late ’80s and early ’90s without cell phones, GPS, or streaming music? In this episode, I take you back to my days as a Black Gen Xer making 14-hour road trips from Pine Bluff, Arkansas to Tampa, Florida. From glovebox maps and pay phones to dodging sundown towns and planning gas stops, traveling was more than just getting from point A to point B — it was survival. I share the strategies, the risks, and the independence that defined an entire generation of travelers. If you’ve ever wondered how Gen X navigated long-distance road trips — or what it meant to travel while Black in the South — this is an episode you don’t want to miss.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

What was it like to hit the road in the late ’80s and early ’90s without cell phones, GPS, or streaming music? In this episode, I take you back to my days as a Black Gen Xer making 14-hour road trips from Pine Bluff, Arkansas to Tampa, Florida. From glovebox maps and pay phones to dodging sundown towns and planning gas stops, traveling was more than just getting from point A to point B — it was survival. I share the strategies, the risks, and the independence that defined an entire generation of travelers. If you’ve ever wondered how Gen X navigated long-distance road trips — or what it meant to travel while Black in the South — this is an episode you don’t want to miss.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/in-the-know-with-tony-reeves--5596987/support.

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Traveling While Black & Gen X: Surviving the Road before GPS

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This episode was published on September 23, 2025.

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What was it like to hit the road in the late ’80s and early ’90s without cell phones, GPS, or streaming music? In this episode, I take you back to my days as a Black Gen Xer making 14-hour road trips from Pine Bluff, Arkansas to Tampa, Florida. From...

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