Living in Iceland as a Black Person - Our Personal Experiences

Tabitha Laker and I collaborated to share what it is like to live as a black person in Iceland. Let us know in the comments about your experience of living as a black person or person of color in a country where you are the extreme minority.

Follow Tabitha:
Instagram - @tabithalaker
Facebook - @tabithalaker

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Check out more of my adventures in Iceland and abroad on my other social media channels:

Instagram - @allthingsiceland
Facebook - @allthingsiceland
Twitter - @jewellschambers
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Listen to my All Things Iceland Podcast. I conduct interviews, share facts and teach you Icelandic words and phrases in most episodes.

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Thanks for watching!

[AllThingsIceland]

Thanks for all of the love on this video. If you are planning to visit Iceland, make sure to get my free Ultimate Packing Checklist. It has all the essentials you need, and more, to have an awesome trip -

[hrafnhildurblondal]

As a native of Iceland, I never saw a black person through my years of growing up. Well, I saw them on television but never in real life. So when I first saw a black person on the street, I found myself wanting to stare, simply because of the novelty of it. And it's not just the colour but the different facial structure, so exotic and interesting compared to the mundane faces we see every day. I usually refrain from staring because I was brought up to be polite and staring is not polite.

Love your videos, you are so enthusiastic and well informed and educated and now I have subscribed.

[paradoxicalcanons]

Let's not overlook the fact that you're stopping traffic because you're gorgeous!

[kathleenmartin]

I visited Ghana years ago. I'm a white woman. I was shopping in a small village market and a very small boy looked at me, froze and just started screaming!! His mother grabbed him up and said he'd never seen a white person before, I felt so bad that I'd scared him

[Reality_TV]

I would like my add two cents to this. I am a black woman and I LOVE Iceland! I have had beautiful experiences in this country! The stares are absolutely real, but it isn't out of order. They look because seeing a black woman in different areas is different for them sometimes. Sadly, we aren't a usual group to see there because not a lot of us travel to Iceland! I should note that I was there almost a month and I saw one other black person and that was at Reykjavik airport. At restaurants, I was treated with respect and dignity just like anyone else. I had people smile at me, but Icelandic people are not overly smiley like Americans can be. However, people are really nice! One day a guy was staring and I didn't say anything. Then, he asked me if I wanted to eat lunch with him! LOL! I pulled over one day to check a map and someone pulled up to me and asked if I needed help! Please know that in the outskirts, there aren't a lot of black people. In fact, I drove the Ring Road and stopped in every place there was to take pictures and I didn't see ONE other black person at all - male or female. I have had people treat me BEAUTIFULLY in this country and I will ALWAYS consider Iceland to be one of my best places in the world to visit! I LOVE Iceland! Please know that there are good and bad people all over the world, but Iceland is a GREAT country! Don't go to that country with a chip on your shoulder PLEASE! The place is so great that you will enjoy yourself! It is so safe and so much fun! OMG! I slept on a black sand beach with NO ONE else around! I drove the Ring Road! I sat in the mountains, overlooking the ocean, while it snowed around me! I sat on a waterfront overlooking the ocean. I sat on a black sand beach watching waves on the ocean. I watched their beloved sheep play in the middle of a deserted road! I watched whales & puffins! I walked under a waterfall! I scrambled over volcanic rock fields all by myself. I LOVE this place! Just be open to people and don't take things personally if you get looks! It is OK! Icelandic people are not the fake sort. They are strong, wonderful people. AND, please don't take Americanized views of who & what white people are into that country! Iceland is NOT the US! Be kind, don't get offended by people looking at you (or staring) and embrace Iceland with WIDE OPEN ARMS! I would like to add one thing. Many people have a false narrative surrounding who and how black people are. They see images of us on the news and, honestly, those images don't always paint us in the best light. For MANY people in countries like Iceland, we may be the ONLY black person they have ever encountered in the flesh! That sounds odd, but it is true. I have been to places where NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN A BLACK PERSON IN THE FLESH! Does that mean the stares won't make you feel uncomfortable? Of course not, but just remember that sometimes things aren't what they appear to be and you don't want to be guilty of judging a book by its cover just like you don't want people judging you! *Give people a chance to show you the goodness in their hearts and don't be afraid to show yours!*

[jeremykamel]

I think they stare because you’re both stunningly beautiful!

[Walnut]

Icelander here, . I have done the staring thing. The very first black person I saw some what up close. I stared at him out of curiosity. He noticed it before I realised and stared right back! I was embarrassed for having been unintentionally rude. Since then I've tried to be more aware of my staring when I see other races but I admit that I am still really curious about it for some reason, especially curious about black women hair, I stood behind one of you in a line at Bónus Mosó few weeks ago and passed the time admiring it.

[Yosikuma]

Hi. White American guy here, and I think this video is fascinating and amazing; I will never know your perspectives and it is hugely beneficial and interesting to hear the experiences of those who are different from myself and living a different life from my own. Thank you for recording and posting this!

[vanessa_the_mindset_maven]

I had a layover in Iceland on my way to the U.K, and from what I saw about Iceland, I really would like to return; black sand beaches, hot springs, the hills... just breath-taking.

[happilyeverafter]

I'm from Germany, from a rural region that was not very diverse all. All I've learned about black natural hair care and the issues the black community faces on a general basis, I've learned on YouTube when I fell down a rabbit hole one day. :) It was like I discovered a universe that I didn't even know existed.

[atsrong]

Visited Iceland like 3 years ago, I don’t remember being stared at or anything like that. I do remember seeing black people and thinking how did they come to live here.

[sarabjarnveig]

as an Icelander I do stare.. but it is not in a bad way.. I stare because I am curious, I like looking at things that are different and beautiful and looking at people that are different and beautiful.. so if I have ever stared at someone and made them uncomfortable.. I AM SO SORRY.. but also.. you might get some questions that you might find stupid but keep in mind that we didn't grow up in this sort of diverse culture.. I remember being 17 and going for the first time to Denmark.. and I STAAARED at the airport.. I had never EVER seen a muslim woman, I was fascinated by how she looked like, how her clothes looked like, and how she moved.. and then I went to school in Iceland and met the first black person in MY LIFE (she is from Kenya), and I asked her soooo many stupid questions, I remember a few of them.. mostly were about her hair, and if she needed sunscreen EVER..

[ritap]

Love the stories. Im black living in Greece on a small island. Im the only black woman and have been here for about 4 years.

[Twystedsyxx]

As a black woman from America who has seriously considered moving to a Scandinavian country, I was pleased to see this video. It offers a lot of insight and makes me feel like I wouldn't feel so alone. Thank you for this.

[cwfan]

Hi from Missouri! I'm a white woman with red hair, pale skin, and a ruddy complexion with freckles. Back in the 80s, I was cleaning houses while I was laid off from my regular job. I was hired by an Iranian family to clean their apartment. I guess they had never seen a person that looked like me before because they kept staring at me like I was from outer space.

[ToriHalfon]

I love it when black women wear their hair natural, it's so beautiful!

[bergzi]

That ex-slave you are talking about at 10:20 is actually the forefather of our ex-prime minister and ex-mayor of Reykjavik Davíð Oddson.

[sweeperboy]

I haven't seen your videos before, so I would have assumed you're a duo channel rather than a one-off-collab, you have great chemistry together. Keep it up and keep collaborating now and again!

[s.m.]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this video. I was born and raised in Kenya. Married a blonde blue eyed guy in the middle of nowhere Connecticut, USA. There was only one black guy married to a white girl in the entire neighborhood. Thankfully people in CT are super-friendly. Massachusetts was different but not much racism. I could really relate when you talked about how media paints black people a certain way that's far from reality. I hated the way Africa is portrayed in the Media by the likes of National Geographic. I was only married for less than three years, later became a US citizen then left on a one-way tix out of America after 18 years as I never really felt at home.

[positivewoman]

I’m African American in my 60’s. I grew up around all African Americans.
The first time I saw a white person with blue eyes I was mesmerized and still am! I stared and still stare at a pair of beautiful blues. I also love Asian eyes! The almond eye shape is beautiful! I stare! I stare at dark skin I love it the darker the better.