Throughout July, the Freedom Rides Museum in Montgomery is presenting a special exhibit, “The Green Book: Navigating Jim Crow America.” It explores the history of the annual Green Book travel guide, published from 1936 to 1966, that aided Blacks in finding safe accommodations and other necessities while traveling in the United States during the days of racial segregation.
“As Americans take to the skies and the road to travel with their families this summer, the Green Book exhibit is a reminder that the freedom to travel across the country has not always been easy for Black Americans, especially during the height of segregation,” Dorothy Walker, of the Freedom Rides Museum, said in a news release. “We hope people will visit the museum to learn more about how the Green Book helped play a role in American history and be inspired to help locate Green Book sites in their own community.”
The Green Book listed hotels and boarding houses, restaurants, gas stations and other businesses throughout the country that welcomed and respected Black customers. The exhibit highlights Alabama sites that were listed in the Green Book, such as the A.G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham and the Ben Moore Hotel in Montgomery, and provides insights into how the Freedom Rides of the early 1960s, which took place in Alabama and other Southern states, and passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act changed how Black Americans traveled.
Learn more about the exhibit and the Green Book in this video:
The Green Book guided Black travelers through the segregated South from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.