The experiences of Black American workers as expatriates have been largely absent from scholarly conversations, resulting in a limited understanding of this growing population and modern-day Black American international migration. Through a qualitative analysis of 10 in-depth interviews with Black American self-initiated expatriates in Mexico, this study uncovers that anti-Black racism serves as a central thread linking various factors that motivated their departure from the United States. Their reasons for expatriation align closely with Richardson and McKenna’s (2002) "Refugee" metaphor, challenging previous assumptions about self-initiated expatriate motivations and prompting the need for further investigation. This paper contributes to the international management and migration literature by providing insights into the experiences of minoritized working professionals who left a highly developed nation for an emerging country. The potential role of employing organizations and directions for future research are discussed.