Black Paris Tour or Walking The Spirit Tour

I have not taken either of these tours, but I am aware of Monique Wells' Discover Paris black heritage tours. I attended a talk that she hosted recently and I was impressed. IMO, such a tour would be absolutely fascinating! I suspect that, whichever you choose, it would include an intro to Richard Wright's time in Paris and to the life of the legendary Josephine Baker. BTW, Parisians appreciate Gospel music - there's often a Gospel concert in the Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre Church (near Notre-Dame).

I have used Julia Brown's Walking the Spirit Tours for a couple of years. The tours are great. One of the good things is that we take a private bus from Paris when we visit Josephine Baker's chateau in Sarlat. This is a lot more convenient than taking the train. Along the way we stop in one of the wine regions either Beaune or Bordeaux. By taking the bus and stopping along the way, you also get to experience more of France and see the beautiful French countryside. It is also very helpful having Julia as our guide because she knows the language. We also use private buses for ALL the tours opposed to getting on the metro. This makes the trip a lot less stressful and more relaxing. Hope this info helps in your making a decision.

With the walking tour with Julia you get to know the Latin Quarter and Montmartre neighborhoods. You learn about the everyday experiences of the expatriates who lived there. And learn about how the Blacks and French have influenced each other. You also walk thru lively markets, browse art gallery windows, pass legendary cafes, etc. Lots to see and do - it was a lot of fun.

I took a Walking The Spirit Tour about a year ago because my father had taken one about 10 years ago and really loved seeing where Black Montmartre used to be- he's a huge jazz fan. I'm a writer so I took the literary and artists tour through the Latin Quarter. It was thrilling to stand right outside the former homes of Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Chester Himes. But I also learned so much about artists I didn't really know. The best part was that our guide actually lived in the area and it felt like a private inside tour. I got a whole new look on the French culture, too. I've heard they also do a private bus tour now that includes both the walking tours.

The first time my husband and I visited Paris we attempted several times to contact Ricki Stevenson,The Black Paris Tour to no avail. We tried the telephone number given,we tried via the internet.It was impossible. The next time visited Paris,I contacted Julia Browne of Walking the Spirit. All calls and e-mails were promptly returned. I enjoyed the tour immensely as did my traveling companions. I appreciated the professionalism.

Jewels, Try doing this search on Google: concerts Saint Julien Le Pauvre For example, here is the April schedule:
http://www.infoconcert.com/artiste/gospel-legend-singers-22357/concerts.html The church is easy to find (metro Saint-Michel) and there are flyers for upcoming concerts stuck to the fence, if I recall correctly.