OAK PARK, Calif. —

Oak Park is one of Sacramento’s most historic neighborhoods, and this Black History Month, a special walking tour is bringing its stories to life.

The tour of the 40 Acres Art and Cultural Complex takes participants through the legacy of Oak Park. Leading the tour is Sacramento comedian Dru Burks, who shares the history behind this cultural hub. The hour-long tour kicks off at the historic Guild Theater. 

“The Guild Theater’s been here since 1915. So, you have had all walks of life come through that entertainment complex,” Burks said. “And when you look at it now, a lot of people didn’t even know about the Guild Theater until we started doing these tours.” 

Stops along the tour include Underground Books, a beloved community bookstore; Old Soul Co., a café located within the 40 Acres complex; Fixins Soul Kitchen, a popular spot for classic soul food; and World Class Faders, a barbershop. Visitors will also learn about Oak Park’s role in the Civil Rights Movement and ongoing revitalization efforts.

While Burks is the tour guide, the experience is personal for him. 

“I’m from the Oak Park, South Sacramento community,” Burks said.

He says doing something for the community is the best part of being a tour guide. He’s also learning about Oak Park from those participating.  

“And even doing these tours, you find people who grew up here or knew about something, then they’ll tell me, [and] ‘I didn’t know that.’ Then I’ll add it to [my tour],” Burks said.  

St. HOPE leads the tours. They’re a nonprofit that began as an after-school program and has expanded to a system of charter schools and a development company focusing on the revitalization of Oak Park.

Burk says the transformation of Oak Park and the efforts to revitalize it are part of the tour.  

“Two or three decades ago, people didn’t feel comfortable coming to Oak Park,” Burks said. 

They would go downtown or to other areas, but with revitalization, Burks says people feel good coming back.  

“Now you have the ice cream shop here, the new condos, the new buildings, the bakery and things across the street,” Burks said. “It makes people feel comfortable to build back into the community, to revitalize it.” 

For Burks, the ultimate goal of the tour is to encourage people to visit Oak Park, a community with a rich history and a bright future.  

“I hope they take away and go tell their friends, tell their family about it,” said Burks. “They’ll come and not even come to just take the tour. They’ll just come to the community to see for themselves.” 

The next tour is scheduled for Feb. 26.