Key West Activist Fights Licensing Hurdles to Offer Black History Tours
Arida Wright has run off-the-books Black history tours in Key West for three years, but local regulations and a single company's control of tour vehicle licenses block her from obtaining proper permits. Wright, recently named the city's poet laureate, operates her one-woman Island Cultural Tours as part of a broader social mission. Historic Tours of America currently holds all such licenses in the area, according to the report.
Wright, a Long Island native who settled in Key West, launched her one-woman Island Cultural Tours three years ago as an extension of her activism. Her route begins in Bahama Village, a historically Black neighborhood of roughly 1,800 residents whose Bahamian ancestors arrived in the 1800s to work as boat builders and spongers. She highlights local figures like musician Coffee Butler, whose mural commemorates his contributions to the community.
The licensing barrier stems from Key West regulations that have allowed Historic Tours of America to acquire every available tourist-vehicle permit in the city. HTA, which operates more than 36 brands across nine cities and welcomes about 3 million guests annually, thus holds a de facto monopoly on guided vehicular tours. Wright, named poet laureate earlier this year, continues operating discreetly, unable to advertise openly for fear of regulatory consequences.
This story could highlight how municipal licensing systems can inadvertently suppress diverse historical narratives, particularly in tourism-dependent communities. If Wright remains unable to secure a permit, visitors may continue receiving a one-dimensional view of Key West's past, while local Black residents lose an opportunity to see their heritage represented authentically. The situation may also prompt broader scrutiny of how single-company dominance shapes public memory and cultural education in other historic cities.