In 1936 the green book was only a local publication for metropolitan new york, the response for copies was so great it was turned into a national issue in 1937 to cover the united states. The negro motorist green book other title green book summary an annual guidebook for africanamerican roadtrippers founded and published by new york city mailman victor hugo green from 1936 to 1967. The 15page directory covered green s home turf, the new york. The green book was a travel guide just for black motorists. The negro motorist green book covers from 1937, 1945, 1956, and 1961, published by victor h.
Route 66 and the historic negro motorist green book ncptt. In 1936, victor hugo green published the first annual volume of the negro motorist greenbook, later renamed the negro travelers green book. How the green book helped africanamerican tourists navigate a segregated nation. The hugely popular guide book was published from 1936 to 1967, making it safer for blacks to travel in jim crow america. The negro travelers inconveniences, writes wendell p. The negro motorist green book promised safer travel without embarrassment.
The real story behind it has deep jewish roots, not only because of jewish involvement in the us civil rights movement but because u s postal service employee, victor hugo green, who conceived and published the negro motorist green book, later named the negro travelers green book, was influenced. The negro motorist greenbook national museum of african. Sc rare pern negro motorist green book topics discrimination in public. Compiled by victor hugo green 18921960, a black postman who lived in the harlem section of new york city, the. Green started his guide because he had to regularly drive from harlem to richmond, virginia, to visit inlaws, and he was.
The negro motorist green book was one of the best known of the africanamerican travel guides. How the green book saved black lives on the road newsweek. It was intended to provide african american travelers with lodging, dining, and other information necessary to stay safe and comfortable during the era of segregation prior to the civil rights act of 1964. Thenegro motorist green book, assembled by new york city postal worker victor h. Library locations schomburg center for research in black culture, jean blackwell hutson research and reference division. Thf 77185 in 1952, green retired from the postal service and became a fulltime publisher. The negro motorist green book was a guidebook for african american travelers that provided a list of hotels, boarding houses, taverns, restaurants, service. Published annually from the 1936 until two years after the passage of the civil rights act of 1964, it was a guidebook for african american travelers that provided a list of hotels, boarding houses, taverns. The negro motorist green book was a guidebook for african american travelers that provided a list of hotels, boarding houses, taverns, restaurants, service stations and other establishments throughout the country that served african americans patrons. The green book with its list of hotels, boarding houses, restaurants, beauty shops, barber shops and various other services can most certainly help solve your travel problems.
Library locations schomburg center for research in black culture, jean blackwell hutson research and reference division shelf locator. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details such as the timestamp may not fully reflect those of the. It was first published as the negro motorist green book and later as the negro travelers green book. The negro motorist green book smithsonian digital volunteers. Green, a postal worker who lived in harlem with his wife, alma, encountered discrimination during a car trip. How fear led to the negro motorist greenbook washington post. It was called the negro motorist green book, and it helped africanamericans navigate safe passage across america well into the 1960s. The negro motorist green book aided black travelers during. The border encompasses nearly all of the coverpage text.
It was conceived in 1932 and first published in 1936 by victor h. The green book, in full the negro motorist green book, the negro travelers green book, or the travelers green book, travel guide. He renamed the guidebook the negro travelers green book to reflect the increasing popularity of. The title appears at the top center of the page just above an illustration of a scroll reading hotels taverns night clubs. The negro motorist green book university of michigan. The negro motorist green book is a featured article. The negro motorist green book of 1938 is an early example, covering only the states east of the mississippi river, but also presenting articles on the automobile and what it has done for the american negro. In 1949 it expanded its listings to bermuda, mexico and canada. The negro motorist greenbook smithsonian institution. The negro motorist green book was a paperback guide published for black motorists traveling in the united states in an era when they might be denied service or even find themselves threatened in. The green book, also known as the negro motorist green book, later known as the negro travelers green book in 1952, and finally the travelers green book in 1960, was a guide for black travelers journeying within the united states and abroad. That advice came from new york city mailman victor hugo who came up with the idea for the negro motorist green book. This guide while lacking in many respects was accepted by thousands of travelers. Green book helped keep african americans safe on the.
Green book is a reference to the negro motorist green book, a reallife guide for black travelers in the segregationera united states. In 1952 it became known as the negro travelers green book. For nearly 30 years, a guide called the negro motorist green book provided african americans with advice on safe places to eat and sleep when they traveled through the jim crowera united states. The green book guides were published from 1936 to 1966, listing businesses, hotels and tourist homes deemed safe for africanamericans. From a new yorkfocused first edition published in 1936, green expanded the work to cover much of north america. The green book, known variously as the negro motorist green book and the negro travelers green book, was an annual travel guide published from 1936 to 1964 by victor h. The negro motorist green book was a publication released in 1936 that served as a guide to african american travelers. Alston in the negro motorist green book 1949, are many and they are increasing because today so many more are a travelers guide book that includes listings for african americanowned and operated hotels, motels, tourist homes, and.
The green book, in full the negro motorist green book, the negro travelers green book, or the travelers green book, travel guide published 193667 during the segregation era in the united states that identified businesses that would accept african american customers. The cover of the 1940 edition of the negro motorist green book. The title appears at the top center of the page just above an illustration of a. Green book sites national trust for historic preservation. Because of the racist conditions that existed from segregation, blacks needed a reference manual to guide them to integrated or blackfriendly establishments. The front cover features a black border along the outer edge. It was originated and published by african american, new york.
B etween 1936 and 1964, the negro motorist green book was essential for the survival of thousands of black americans in an era of segregation cemented into the american legal system through jim crow laws, sundown towns where african americans were under threat of violence after sunset, and a sharp increase in lynchings and other forms of hate crimes. The negro motorist green book, popularly known as the green book, was a travel guide intended to help african american motorists avoid social obstacles prevalent during the period of racial segregation, commonly referred to as jim crow. How the green book helped africanamerican tourists navigate a. Published in harlem by victor and alma green, it came out annually from 19371964. In 1947 the green book, originally known as the negro motorist green book, a classified motorist and tourist guide, included listings covering the united states and alaska. In 1936, victor hugo green published the first annual volume of the negro motorist green book, later renamed the negro travelers green book. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so. The green book listed businesses that would accept african american customers. In the 1930s, a black postal carrier from harlem named victor green published a book that was part travel guide and part survival guide. An ad for the green book vacation guide in the 1949 green book.
The negro motorist green book was an annual guidebook for africanamerican roadtrippers. This file contains additional information such as exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. It is no surprise that peter farrellys hit movie green book continues to delight israeli audiences. For nearly 30 years, a guide called the negro motorist green book provided african americans with advice on safe places to eat and sleep when they.
This book provided travelers with information on businesses that serviced african american travelers. The negro travelers green book, spring 1956 by wendell p. Alston in the negro motorist green book for 1949, are many and they are increasing because today so many more are traveling, individually and in groups. The negro motorist green book of 1938 is an early example, covering only the states east of the mississippi river, but also presenting articles on the automobile and what it has done for the american negro as well as driving tips. Green, was a landmark resource that made travel much more accessible for african americans. In soul food junkies, filmmaker byron hurt briefly describes what it used to be like for african americans to travel in. In 1956, the year that federal funding made the interstate highway system possible, jim crow was still the law of the land. New york native, world war i veteran, and postal carrier, victor h. Click on any of the images below to view the digitized copies courtesy of the new york public library digital collections. To avoid these dangers, the negro motorists green b ook offered to help black motorists travel safely across a landscape partitioned by segregation and scarred by lynching. For nearly 30 years, a guide called the negro motorist green book provided african americans with advice on safe places to eat and sleep.
The book included everything from gas stations that would serve african americans to. The negro motorist green book, popularly known as the green book, was a travel guide intended to help african american motorists avoid. The negro motorist greenbook 1946 library of congress. The negro motorist greenbook other title green book summary an annual guidebook for africanamerican roadtrippers founded and published by new york city mailman victor hugo green from 1936 to. Listing hotels, restaurants and other businesses open to africanamericans, the guide was invaluable for jimcrow era travelers. Green, a world war i veteran from new york city who worked as a mail carrier and later as a travel agent.
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