“The first Palm Springs Black History Tour, in 2021, was a 100-car caravan that nearly shut down the city.
In a clever attempt to deal with COVID-19 restrictions, participants lined up in their own cars, and the tour commenced with narration broadcast via FM radio. What could go wrong?
Deiter Crawford laughed as he recounts the epic traffic jam. A police escort provided by the city was outnumbered from the start. There was lots of honking from gridlocked motorists, along with some angry gestures. It was chaos, but it taught organizers a lesson: They had a hit on their hands.
Today’s version of the tour happens in a charter bus, or in SUVs and off-road vehicles for smaller groups. The narration is provided in person. However, the mission is the same: to present the greater Palm Springs area through the lens of Black residents whose contributions are an enduring part of the culture.
The tour runs under the banner of Urban Palm Springs. Founder and CEO Deiter Crawford and his cousin, Jarvis Crawford, are fourth-generation Palm Springs residents. They’ve amassed a catalog of information about the Black community here. Their volunteer-based nonprofit, the Palm Springs Black History Committee, partners with the city to provide programming for Black History Month and throughout the year….”
[Read the full article at cvindependent.com]