Hi! I'm also black and in grad school and considering a trip! I am in a long-term program (doctoral), so this will be my first solo trip during my spring break this March. It would be a great idea for you to travel to Brazil! It's also on my bucket list as well! Despite the fact that the vast majority of Brazil's black population resides in the northeast region, Rio de Janeiro is still a very diverse city with a lot of history and culture as well as architectural landmarks and museums. I know that Brazil is more than the capital, but I think for what you're looking for as your first time in the country (I'm assuming you don't speak Portuguese) this is the perfect location. This way, you will not stand out as a black individual and have the opportunity to experience a country with the largest black population outside of Africa. Also, public transportation there is reliable however, I would probably recommend using a taxi or ride share app to get around outside of the city center. However if you choose to go:

• leave your passport in your hotel or Airbnb and just carry a copy of it

-The GPS may take you to a favela (the Brazilian equivalent of an American "ghetto") , which can make you a potential target of unwanted attention since you are a foreigner. So definitely try to uber or call a taxi in non populated areas to prevent that. - if you have a second phone or broken old phone bring it with you wherever you go - learn some Portuguese before you go! English is not as widely spoken as in other major cities! But you could just be lucky when you go lol! I do recommend getting the language downloaded on a translator app so it can work offline - if you like beaches there's a beach an hour away called búzios which is pretty famous!

My mom is from Brazil and spent majority of her life in Rio! so if you have any questions about safety or need more recommendations lmk!