The Full Story
The founder, Charletta Johnson spent 30 years across three school districts: LAUSD, Inglewood and Compton. She became the Director of an elite private school, and then founded two charter schools. Shortly after retirement, she was inspired to create Urban Odyssey Tours after her daughters were in Hollywood shopping and saw Chinese tourists, flicking selfies while wearing Compton hats with the Hollywood sign in the background. Amused, they came home and told their mom about how excited people were to learn about Compton. “Ha ha," she thought. "If they want to learn about Compton, I will show them Compton, but also tell them about the history!"
That was the beginning of a five-year deep exploration. The research started in Compton but morphed into a deep historical delve into our past, which inspired the other tours. The classroom on wheels is an interactive experience, which embodies the passion and pride she tried to instill in her students, daughters, and community alike. Her mission is to tell the story of the original founders of Los Angeles and examine untold stories and expose the true origins of our great city.
Meet The Family
Charletta Johnson
Founder & Chief Tour Operator
Havonnah Johnson
HR Operations Manager
Rukiya Umoja
Technology Curator
Kweli Umoja
Tour Operator
Zion Taylor
Production Intern
Arlo Taylor
Production Intern
Rebecca Jones
Media