THE NEGRO MOTORIST GREEN BOOK

Stories of bravery, innovation and creative self-determination

The Negro Motorist Green Book offers an immersive look at the reality of travel for African Americans in mid-century America, and how the annual guide served as an indispensable resource for many African Americans in the United States. The exhibition includes artifacts such as historic footage, images and firsthand accounts to convey not only the apprehension felt by African American travelers, but also the resilience and innovation of people fighting to live a full American existence. It will bring focus to a vibrant parallel world of African American businesses, the rise of the Black leisure class in the United States and the important role The Green Book played in facilitating the second wave of the Great Migration.

The Green Book was published and distributed nationwide from 1936 until 1967, providing African American travelers with information on restaurants, gas stations, department stores and other businesses that welcomed Black travelers. In an era of Jim Crow laws and “sundown towns,” The Green Book offered critical, life-saving information and sanctuary.

The Negro Motorist Green Book was created by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with award-winning author, photographer and cultural documentarian Candacy Taylor, and made possible through the generous support of Exxon Mobil Corp.