Discover Paris! Invites Travelers to Say "Bonjour" to Black Paris!

Sept. 10, 2010 - PRLog -- Discover Paris!™, a travel planning service that provides self-guided itineraries and private, guided tours in the City of Light, has expanded its ”Discover African-American History in Paris!™” itineraries and activities to incorporate contemporary Black Paris in its heritage travel services.  Additionally, the company is extending outreach for the program to  mainstream English-speaking travelers so that its entire client base can enjoy a view of Black Paris today.  In celebration of these new services, Discover Paris!™ recently rechristened its Afrocentric program "Entrée to Black Paris™."

While visiting historic sites and exploring museums on a Discover Paris! itinerary or tour, travelers will also discover the culture and heritage of today’s Paris.  As an example, travelers interested in the post-World War II era of expatriate writers such as Richard Wright and Chester Himes visit the Café Tournon, where these and other African-American expats socialized during the 1950s.  Entrée to Black Paris™ also provides information about contemporary African-American writer Jake Lamar, emphasizing the parallels between his career and that of Himes, and sharing details of Lamar’s participation in a literary festival held by the French Senate just across the street from the Tournon.

To share information about Black Paris with Francophiles everywhere, Discover Paris!™, has launched a new blog.  Called Entrée to Black Paris™, it presents the history, culture, and contemporary life of all Black peoples in Paris.  The blog can be accessed at http://entreetoblackparis.blogspot.com.  

Discover Paris!™ co-founder Monique Y. Wells says, “The emphasis of our blog is on contemporary life.  Our goal is to remove the perceived barriers that keep mainstream travelers from experiencing this vibrant aspect of Parisian life.  We believe that awareness of Black contemporary life arouses the inquisitive nature and passions of readers and travelers of all generations, races, and cultures.”

The Entrée to Black Paris™ blog is a fascinating and informative account of modern-day Black Paris.  The first posting covered the Jamaica Party held at City Hall on July 15th in celebration of the participation of Jamaican track star Usain Bolt at a meet sponsored by a major French energy company.

Subsequent blog postings have featured an art exposition of Mona Lisa-inspired art at the bookstore Mona Lisait; summer activities at a major park that featured African food, folklore, and music; and a San Francisco-born bass player who has made Paris his home.  The official launch posting (September 8, 2010) features an exclusive, personal interview with Rougui Dia. a Paris-born Senegalese chef who is one of the few women in France’s culinary world to run the kitchen of a fine-dining establishment.

Wells is the creator of the blog and the principal blogger.  She believes that mainstream readers will be interested in the blog because her presentation of Black heritage topics at several recent events attracted large, non-Black audiences.  The blog also complements a new training course that Discover Paris! has launched with the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) for agents who sell Paris to their clients and want to enhance their clients’ travel experience with Afrocentric itineraries.

Social media users who are on Facebook can join Entrée to Black Paris' Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/EntreetoBlackParis) as well as enjoy the blog.

Wells has been writing about Black Paris for several years.  She is co-author of Paris Reflections: Walks through African-American Paris (co-author Christiann Anderson; McDonald & Woodward, 2002), and has an essay on Black Paris in France, A Love Story (Camille Cusamano; Seal Press, 2004).  She has contributed numerous articles on the subject to print and Web publications.

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Discover Paris! (http://www.discoverparis.net) has provided personalized itinerary planning and private, guided tours--including Afrocentric walking tours and activities--since 1999.

Discover Paris! published Paris Insights - An Anthology: a collection of lively anecdotes that is the written culmination of one American’s passion for Paris. It also publishes the Paris Insights newsletter and the Paris Insights restaurant review.