Jazz, Art and History: A Black American Legacy Private Tour

5.0 (12 reviews) 3 hours Free cancellation Private tour

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12 reviews

5.0

William Garner Smith's Book at Le Tournon — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Café de Flore at Saint Germain des Prés — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

This walking tour traces the footsteps of Black American artists, writers, and musicians in Paris, visiting cafés, jazz clubs, and landmarks where they created, resisted, and redefined culture.

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At a glance

Duration: 3 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English, French, Spanish
Operated by: Toorers

Ages: Children (0–17 years) · Adults (18–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Tea and coffee: Coffee and/or Tea

Not included

Not included: Gratuities

Itinerary

Saint Germain des Pres Quarter

25 min

Begin your tour in this historic neighborhood, the center of Paris’s bohemian life and intellectual exchange, where many Black American artists found community.
Stop 2

25 min

Stop by select galleries that highlight the influence of African art on French avant-garde movements and open dialogue about colonial history.
Stop 3

25 min

Discover the legendary jazz scene where Black American musicians such as Sidney Bechet and Josephine Baker performed and transformed Parisian nightlife.
Shakespeare and Company

5 min

Learn about the American literary hub that welcomed Black American writers, fostering creative exchange between Paris and Harlem Renaissance figures.
Cour du Commerce Saint Andre

5 min

A year before the Revolution (1788) was founded the Society of the Friends of the Blacks, by two future Revolutionaries, Brissot and Clavière. You can learn about this at the Procope Café, epicenter of the French Revolution.
La Sorbonne

25 min

Delve into the role of the Sorbonne as a key site of the Negritude and pan-African movements. Learn about the First Congress of Black Writers and Artists (1955) and how Paris both empowered and complicated Black identity for Africans and African Americans alike.
Stop 7

5 min

Explore the café where James Baldwin lived and wrote, influencing conversations on race and literature in both Europe and America.
6th Arr. - Luxembourg

25 min

Pause in this historic haven for artists and writers. Visit the contemporary slavery memorial sculpture and hear about France’s complex relationship with its colonial past and the long struggle toward abolition and recognition.
Theatre Bobino

25 min

Conclude at the historic venue where Josephine Baker captivated audiences and performed her final show. Reflect on her enduring cultural influence and legacy as a symbol of resistance, glamour, and empowerment.
Pantheon De Paris

5 min Admission not included

Reflect on the lives of Black figures honored in this national monument, including Josephine Baker, Félix Éboué, and Alexandre Dumas.
Stop 11

Passing by

Less known artist Beaford Delaney, who largely inspired Baldwin, lived in the Bobino area.

A few steps away, Josephine Bakers Square honors her life in Paris.