Talk Description
Champagne flowed! Lower Montmartre frolicked to jazz! Josephine was the Queen of Parisian Nights! Paris in the Roaring 20s attracted African Americans by the hundreds. Musicians, dancers, entertainers, writers, artists and intellectuals fled segregation and racism in the U.S.; in the City of Light they found unheard-of opportunity. The talents they nurtured on this international stage helped forge an enduring cultural exchange between French and Black American culture. In this presentation, we will travel back and explore the ups and downs of their experiences and legacies.
Resources
Blacks in Paris Resource Page (Walking the Spirit Tours)
About the Speaker
Julia Browne pioneered Black heritage tourism in France in 1994. She was born in Britain, raised in Canada, and resided in France for fifteen years. In Paris, she founded the heritage tour and education company Walking The Spirit Tours-Black Paris & Beyond while a student at the Sorbonne’s Center for African American Studies. Her Afrocentric tours and customized itineraries have introduced countless travelers, students, and educators to the rich but lesser-known influence of Black history and culture in Europe, the UK, Washington DC, and Canada.
A seasoned travel professional, Julia and her team truly enjoy helping travelers get an authentic connection to wish-list delights and off-the-beaten track experiences. Julia is the associate producer of Blue Lions Films’ documentary Paris Noir – African Americans in the City of Light. Since 2016 she has been invited to speak on France’s Black history at cultural organizations, film festivals, educational institutions and special screenings in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
