Explore Black Paris of Yesterday & Today
St. Eustache Church at Les Halles
"It is the city which saved my life ... by allowing me to find out who I am."
James Baldwin.
"Our guide made the tour exciting and engaging with all his 'inside' information...even in the rain. He really added to my understanding of Paris and maybe even inspired a new documentary. (I am a producer and writer)."
M.Gahee.
Walking the Spirit Tours
About Us
“To my surprise, much was covered over a two hour period. We were not tired,
nor overwhelmed by the information. Mr. Mays had a great deal to share regarding
Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Dexter Gordon, Ira Aldridge, Gertrude Stein, Picasso, James Joyce all in the context of the African-American experience in Paris."
V. Cook
“Ealy is great and knows how to keep one wanting to know more."
A. Tribue
“We certainly wouldn't have been able to see all that we did on our own.
I was especially grateful that (our guide) didn't leave us to find our way back to the hotel, but rode the metro back with us. It was well worth the cost, thank you!"
J.Jackson
"The children were engaged and the booklets were helpful. It was a great introduction to a history most of us did not know. Thank you for providing this opportunity for the children.”
Maya Mosley
Parent accompanying The Children’s Choir of Roots of Unique Awareness
Oakland CA
“Let me say straight away that I certainly enjoyed the experience and am certain my students will as well. Robin did a terrific and thorough job of bringing this critical history to life, which she nicely complements with relevant aspects of French history itself.”
Trica Keaton
Asst. Professor, Dept of African-American and African Diaspora Studies,
University of Indiana
Non-Resident Fellow,
W.E.B Dubois Institute,
Harvard University.
Inspired by the work and teachings of the late Sorbonne University Professor Michel Fabre, Julia Browne created in 1994 this fascinating series of Black history walking tours.
Tying together a love of history, literature, and Paris, she turned Walking The Spirit Tours into a mission.
Today, all Walking The Spririt Tour guides are African-American Parisians selected for their expertise, their great storytelling skills, and their intimate knowlege of the neighborhoods they tour in.
.Julia is also a prize-winning writer and journalist, and a speaker on the Black presence in Paris. Guide Ealy Mays is a renowned visual artist.
