Paris is known as the City of Lights and is the perfect setting for romantic rendez-vous', high fashion, and gourmet cooking. However, few people know that as early as the end of the 18th century, during the tumultuous period following the French Revolution up to today, many African-Americans came to France for more than fine cuisine and haute couture dresses; they came seeking the one thing denied to them in the United States: liberty, equality and brotherhood.

While many famous Black Americans such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Toni Morrison, among others, visited Paris, some of them took up exile during the 20th century. Josephine Baker, Sidney Bechet, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Chester Himes, to name a few, have graced the city and the world with their talents and have left an indelible mark that attracts lovers and freedom-seekers alike. Over the course of our journey, we will talk to African-American writers and artists still living in Paris. We will dine and delight in enlightening discussions with people who knew some of these famous people in order to get an authentic taste of the African-American experience in Paris. Following that, we will visit charming cities and quaint villages in Provence where the likes of James Baldwin and Nina Simone lived and died, and Monaco, where Josephine Baker lived for many years during times of hardship thanks to her friend and admirer, Grace Kelly.

After visiting the areas where these men and women lived and frequenting the cafes where they congregated, you will be changed forever. You will never forget your visit as France has not forgotten those who chose her as a home and safe haven.