Ricki Stevenson, founder of Black Paris Tours, has served as lead guide since its inception in 1998.  Stevenson, a native of Oakland, California, is a former TV news anchor/reporter and talk show host. She holds an MA in History, with an emphasis on African, Caribbean and African American history. Stevenson says the idea for Black Paris Tours grew out of her lifelong dream of living in Paris and six years experience as an international travel reporter for a San Francisco-based television network.  Black Paris Tours is listed in Fodor's Guide to Paris and Access Guide to Paris.