FORT WORTH, Texas — Entertainment Tonight host Kevin Frazier has been bringing Hollywood to North Texans for awhile. And now he’s taking one North Texas city to the world as he connects travelers to culture in Cowtown – and beyond.
“One of the things that frustrated me as I traveled the world is there were these little things, these cultural experiences and vendors and places that I never knew about,” Frazier says. “I had to find a way to share it with the world.”
That’s how Frazier came up with the idea for Sepi, a travel site featuring a curated list of Black-owned businesses, experiences and cultural opportunities. The seasoned broadcaster is best known for his decades spent on camera, covering the worlds of entertainment and sports, but he’s an entrepreneur as well whose career has taken him around the world.
When it came time to line up Sepi’s first city partnership, he says Fort Worth was a natural fit.
“They really opened their arms. I had a chance to come down and visit and visit and meet all the folks with visit Fort Worth,” Frazier says. “And it's the unexpected city. There’s so much history and it's been hidden away. We love that they opened their arms to us and we opened our arms to them.”
The website SepiTravel.com serves as a direct connection between travelers and Black attractions, history and culture. Frazier says far too often those opportunities go unnoticed. His goal with Sepi is to help travelers of all backgrounds learn about a city’s history in new ways. For Fort Worth, that ranges from showcasing how the Stockyards celebrates Black cowboys like Bill Picket, or how the city serves as the home of the Grandmother of Juneteenth Opal Lee.
Travelers can connect directly with Black-owned businesses like Hotel Dryce or learn more about the city serving as the backdrop for Kendrick Lamar’s N95 music video.
The site’s name – Sepi – is inspired by Frazier’s great aunt, Septima Poinsette Clark. She was an educator and civil rights activist who worked alongside Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“You know, she is one of those hidden figures from history,” Frazier says. “It kind of felt like the perfect name because so many of these vendors in these places, in these experiences, are hidden from mainstream tourism.”
Frazier thinks this platform is a great way for him to share the insight and experience he’s enjoyed after decades of storytelling. And for Fort Worth, it’s a chance for the city to embrace it’s rich cultural heritage.
“Fort Worth was our first. And it always will have a special place in our hearts,” Frazier says. "We appreciate you, Fort Worth. We love you.”