Tara Roberts is being celebrated worldwide for reshaping exploration, storytelling, and historical discovery after becoming the first Black woman explorer and storyteller to appear on the cover of National Geographic magazine in 2022.
That milestone that has inspired millions and expanded whose stories are told on the global stage.
Roberts’ historic cover marked more than a personal achievement. It symbolized a breakthrough for representation in exploration and underwater archaeology, fields where Black voices and faces have long been absent.
Reflecting on her journey, Roberts once said, “I didn’t see anyone who looked like me doing this work, so I didn’t know it was possible.” Today, her work is proving otherwise.
Uncovering Hidden History Beneath the Sea
At the heart of Roberts’ work is a powerful mission: to uncover and document shipwrecks connected to the transatlantic slave trade, bringing submerged and often overlooked histories into public view.
Working alongside Diving With a Purpose, a team of Black scuba divers dedicated to preserving African diaspora heritage, Roberts spent several years searching for wrecks that once carried captive Africans across the Atlantic.
Her storytelling extends beyond the wreck sites themselves. Through careful documentation, she highlights the lives of divers, historians, archaeologists and descendant communities, ensuring the work is handled with dignity, empathy and cultural respect.
Global Reach and Critical Acclaim
Roberts’ work culminated in the National Geographic Society–funded podcast Into the Depths, a critically acclaimed series exploring the legacy of the slave trade through underwater archaeology and personal narrative. The podcast drew nearly half a million downloads and earned spots on “Best of” lists from Essence magazine and Spotify.
Her National Geographic feature reached more than 26 million people worldwide, amplifying conversations about history, memory and representation on a global scale.
A Trailblazer in Storytelling and Exploration
Beyond exploration, Roberts is an accomplished writer and editor with a distinguished media career. She has worked with major publications including CosmoGirl, Essence, EBONY, AOL, and Heart & Soul, and was a fellow at MIT’s Open Documentary Lab, where she further honed her innovative storytelling approach.
In recognition of her impact, Roberts was named Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year in 2022, becoming the first Black American to receive the prestigious honor.
Inspiring a New Generation
By breaking barriers in exploration, media, and historical research, Tara Roberts is redefining who gets to tell history — and how it is told. Her journey is inspiring a new generation of explorers, writers and scholars to see themselves in spaces once closed to them.
As her work continues to illuminate the depths of the past, Roberts stands as a powerful reminder that representation matters — and that history, when told fully, belongs to everyone.
