What is the Negro Travelers Green Book?

The Negro Travelers Green Book was a guidebook published annually from 1936 to 1966 that provided African American travelers with information on safe places to stay and eat while on the road.

Checkout this video:

The Negro Travelers Green Book: what it is and what it offers

The Negro Travelers Green Book, more commonly known as the Green Book, was published by Victor H. Green from 1936 to 1966. It was a guidebook that listed businesses that would welcome Black travelers in the United States. The book was created because black travelers were often treated poorly or turned away altogether at hotels, restaurants, and other businesses.

The book was divided into sections by state and city, and it listed businesses such as hotels, restaurants, gas stations, beauty salons, nightclubs, and more. It also included information on black-owned businesses, as well as black-friendly doctors and hospitals. The Green Book was an important resource for black travelers during a time when segregation was still prevalent in the United States.

The history of the Negro Travelers Green Book

The Negro Travelers Green Book was published by Victor Hugo Green from 1936 to 1966. It was a travel guide for African-American motorists traveling in the United States. The Green Book listed hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and other businesses that were friendly to African-American travelers.

The publication of the Green Book was prompted by the needs of African-American motorists during the Jim Crow era. Jim Crow laws were state and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the United States. These laws made it very difficult for African Americans to find accommodations and services while traveling.

The Green Book helped African Americans to find places where they could eat, sleep, and get gas during their travels. It was an important resource for black travelers during a time when they were systematically excluded from white-owned businesses.

The Green Book was published for 30 years, until 1966 when the Civil Rights Act was passed. This law made racial discrimination illegal in the United States. After the Civil Rights Act was passed, there was no longer a need for the Negro Travelers Green Book.

The benefits of using the Negro Travelers Green Book

The ‘Negro Travelers Green Book’ was a guide published annually from 1936 to 1966 that listed hotels, restaurants, beauty salons, service stations, and other places that were safe and welcoming for African American travelers during the era of segregation in the United States.

The Negro Travelers Green Book was created by Victor H. Green, a postal worker from Harlem, New York. Green wanted to help African American travelers feel safe and welcome while on the road. His guide listed businesses that were African American-owned or -operated and would not subject guests to discrimination or harassment.

The Negro Travelers Green Book was an essential tool for African American travelers during the Jim Crow era. It helped them avoid places where they would not be welcome and find businesses that would serve them with dignity and respect.

How the Negro Travelers Green Book can help you plan your travels

The Negro Travelers Green Book was a guidebook published for African American motorists that provided advice on safe places to eat and sleep, as well as other services, during the era of Jim Crow laws. The Book was first published in 1936 by Victor H. Green, a New York City porter who saw a need for such a guide while traveling himself.

The Green Book listed hotels, restaurants, filling stations, garages, Beauty Parlors, night clubs and different attractions that were safe for African Americans to patronize. It also included maps with safe routes to take when driving through states where Jim Crow laws were in effect. The book was published until 1964, when the Civil Rights Act made such a guide no longer necessary.

If you are planning to travel through the United States, especially in the South, the Negro Travelers Green Book can be a valuable resource in finding places that are welcoming to African American travelers.

The top destinations for Negro travelers, according to the Green Book

The Green Book, also known as “The Negro Travelers’ Green Book,” was an annual guidebook published from 1936 to 1966 that listed safe places for African Americans to stay and visit during the Jim Crow era. The book was created by Victor Hugo Green, a black postman from the Bronx, who wanted to make travel safer and easier for African Americans.

The book became especially popular during the years of the civil rights movement, when blacks were boycotting segregated establishments. In addition to listing hotels, restaurants, gas stations and other businesses that welcomed blacks, the Green Book also provided information on African American-owned businesses, which were often not listed in other guidebooks.

Below are some of the top destinations for Negro travelers, according to the Green Book:

Atlanta, GA:
· Turner’s Restaurant (now called Mary Mac’s Tea Room)
· hotel chain staffed by blacks: Robert W. Woodruff Hotel ( now called the Ritz-Carlton)
· Atlanta University Center – a group of historically black colleges and universities
· Morehouse College – one of the oldest historically black colleges in the United States

Birmingham, AL:
· 16th Street Baptist Church – church where four girls were killed in a 1963 bombing by white supremacists
· Kelly Ingram Park – site of civil rights protests in Birmingham during the 1960s
· Birmingham Civil Rights Institute – museum dedicated to telling the story of the civil rights movement in Birmingham

Nashville, TN:
· Fisk University – one of the oldest historically black colleges and universities in the United States
· Mezzanine Restaurant – popular restaurant among Nashville’s African American elite
· The Hermitage Hotel – hotel that was desegregated in 1954 after a six-year legal battle

How to use the Negro Travelers Green Book to find accommodations and attractions

The Negro Travelers Green Book, also known as the Green Book, was a guidebook published from 1936 to 1967 that listed businesses that were safe and welcoming to African American travelers. The book was created by New York City postal worker Victor Hugo Green.

The Green Book was originally published as a two-page pamphlet in 1936 and then expanded into a full-fledged guidebook. It was published annually until 1967. The book listed safe places for African American travelers to stay, eat, and visit. It also provided advice on how to avoid trouble while on the road.

The Negro Travelers Green Book was an invaluable resource for African American travelers during the Jim Crow era. It allowed them to find places where they would be treated with respect and dignity. The book also helped them to avoid dangerous situations.

The importance of supporting businesses that are listed in the Negro Travelers Green Book

The Negro Travelers Green Book was a guidebook published annually from 1936 to 1966 that listed businesses that would welcome African American travelers. The book was created by Victor H. Green, a postal worker from Harlem.

The Green Book was an important resource for African American travelers during the era of segregation. It allowed them to find businesses that would accept them, which was especially important given the Jim Crow laws that were in place in many states.

Today, there are a number of websites and apps that are inspired by the Green Book, including the Negro Motorist Green Book and the Green Book of South Carolina. These resources continue to be important for African American travelers, as they help them find businesses that are inclusive and welcoming.

When choosing a business to patronize while traveling, consider whether or not they are listed in one of these directories. By supporting these businesses, you can help ensure that they remain welcoming places for African American travelers.

What to do if you can’t find a listing for your destination in the Negro Travelers Green Book

If you can’t find a listing for your destination in the Negro Travelers Green Book, you should try to contact the local NAACP or Urban League office. These organizations may have information about businesses that serve black customers. You can also try to find out if there is a black-owned hotel or boarding house in the area.

The legacy of the Negro Travelers Green Book

The Negro Travelers Green Book, also known as the Green Book, was a travel guide published from 1936 to 1966 that listed hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and other businesses that were safe for African American travelers. The book was created by Victor Hugo Green, an African American postman, to help fellow black travelers avoid the dangers of Jim Crow America.

The Green Book became an essential tool for black travelers during the Civil Rights era, when segregation was still legally enforced in many parts of the country. Despite its usefulness, the Green Book was never updated to reflect the changing times, and it ceased publication in 1966.

Today, the legacy of the Negro Travelers Green Book is remembered through a number of initiatives, including a 2018 film adaptation starring Mahershala Ali and a 2019 National Monument dedicated to its creator, Victor Hugo Green.

The future of the Negro Travelers Green Book

The future of the Negro Travelers Green Book is unknown. The book was created in the 1930s to help Black Americans travel safely during the time of segregation. Although the book was last published in 1964, its impact is still felt today.

There is now a renewed interest in the book, and some people are calling for its reprinting. However, it is unclear if this will happen. The future of the Negro Travelers Green Book depends on the decisions of those who control its copyright.