'Destination Diaspora' Wins BET+ and Black Travel Summit's Landmark Pitch Competition
Melissa Noel celebrates with judges and competition host after winning the Black Travel Summit's inaugural Passport to Storytelling pitch competition at the Grand Hyatt Regency in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo By: On The Run Images LLC
The series by award-winning media entrepreneur Melissa Noel, who has reshaped Caribbean and African Diaspora storytelling in media, takes top honor in Brazil.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, December 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- "Destination Diaspora," a forthcoming travel docu-series exploring the cultural connections of the African diaspora, has won the Black Travel Summit's inaugural Passport to Storytelling pitch competition in partnership with BET+ in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
In a "Shark Tank" style live pitch competition on Nov. 14, "Destination Diaspora" won the coveted recognition before a four-judge panel including Emmy-winning filmmakers and BET+ Executive Vice President and General Manager Jason Harvey. Contenders presented series trailers and pitch decks, then fielded rapid-fire questions about their vision and the viability of their concepts.
"Destination Diaspora stood out for its creativity, clarity, and cultural resonance," said Harvey. "We're incredibly excited to see how [Melissa's] vision evolves."
"Destination Diaspora" will highlight how African culture has traveled, transformed and thrived across the world through food, language, dance, music and more. Noel will guide viewers through destinations, exploring compelling connections from Barbados to the Gullah Geechee communities of the U.S. South, tracing the African influences in celebrations like Junkanoo, J'ouvert and Mardi Gras, and following signature one-pot dishes from their African roots to the diverse communities they unite today.
Created in 2020 as a YouTube series, Noel always envisioned expanding it for broader distribution. "Travel has always been a way to broaden our perspectives, but it's also a way to reconnect with the cultures and histories that shape us across the Diaspora," said Noel. "Destination Diaspora showcases connections I've been documenting across more than 35 countries. Our shared histories live in our food, music, language, dance, and tradition. Audiences want authentic stories that reflect them, and this series will deliver exactly that."
A celebrated Guyanese-American journalist and summa cum laude graduate of Howard University, Noel also holds a master's degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Over the past decade, she has been at the forefront of expanding equitable media coverage of Caribbean and African Diaspora communities.
She has reported and produced for NBC News, HuffPost, National Geographic, One Caribbean TV and ESSENCE Magazine, where she most recently served as senior news and travel editor. Her work has earned recognition as a two-time Diaspora Journalist of the Year by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, two Salute to Excellence Awards for international reporting from the National Association of Black Journalists, as well as reporting grants from the Pulitzer Center, the International Center for Journalists and the Ethel Payne Fellowship for International Reporting on Africa.
Noel founded Mel&N Media Group in 2021 to meet the growing demand for authentic, culturally grounded storytelling and strategy. The company integrates journalism-level rigor with creative production and deep cultural fluency to produce campaigns and multimedia content for major brands, media outlets, tourism boards and cultural institutions.
"Destination Diaspora" has drawn early praise from travel industry leaders. "When I saw the trailer for Destination Diaspora, it stopped me in my tracks," said Martinique Lewis, chief partnerships officer of the Black Travel Summit. "Not only is it visually stunning and masterfully produced, it instantly reveals the cultural similarities we share across borders in places Black travelers already love. In a moment when our stories matter more than ever, we need this visibility. I'm deeply proud of what Melissa has created, and I know its impact will resonate across the entire Diaspora."
As the competition winner, Noel will meet with BET+'s unscripted development team for guidance on bringing "Destination Diaspora" to the screen. For Noel, the win is both a validation and a new beginning. "Every experience I've had prepared me for this moment," she said. "Winning this competition is just the beginning. The opportunity to meet with the development team at BET+ and with the guidance ahead, I am so excited to bring this to life in a big way."
With its tagline, "One World. Infinite Roots. Let's Go Home.," "Destination Diaspora" arrives at a pivotal moment for the travel industry. The U.S. Black travel market accounts for $145 billion in annual spending and over 184 million trips, according to 2024 data from MMGY Travel Intelligence. Audiences want more identity-driven storytelling, and Noel has spent more than a decade proving she knows how to deliver it. Her win demonstrates that these stories aren't just culturally significant — they are commercially viable and ready for the spotlight.
About Destination Diaspora
“Destination Diaspora" uncovers the living connections between Africa and its global descendants through food, music, language and traditions. Each episode reveals how culture survives, adapts and thrives across borders — showing that for the African Diaspora, travel isn't just about discovery, it's about reconnection.
Jordan Cross
Mel&N Media
jordan@melandnmedia.com
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