The Negro Motorist Green Book

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The Negro Motorist Green Book, 1940 edition

The Negro Motorist Green-Book ( The Green Book for Black Drivers , named after editor Victor Hugo Green) was an annual travel guide for African American drivers published in the United States from 1936 to 1966 . Victor Hugo Green was responsible for the publication until his death in 1960 .

history

The guidebook was used during the era of the Jim Crow Laws when planning a road trip through the United States. The Jim Crow Acts described a comprehensive system for maintaining racial hierarchy in all areas of the southern states . The racial discrimination and financial less favorable treatment of the black population meant that initially has little to Schwarze could afford a car. Nonetheless, members of the up-and-coming Afro-American middle class bought cars - presumably also to avoid the ever-present discrimination on public transport.

"We only serve white guests." Many hotels and restaurants were closed to blacks, like this one in Lancaster, Ohio in 1938.

However, black motorists faced various inconveniences during their travels. Gas stations, auto repair shops, doctors and hotels refused to offer their services. Blacks could even be expelled from town or county after sunset . Victor Hugo Green, a New York postal worker, published the names and addresses of institutions ready to serve blacks in his book. The range of the Führer was initially limited to the vicinity of New York. Little by little, the entire United States, Canada , the Caribbean and Bermuda were added.

The publication of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination against African Americans in the United States and made the travel guide, at least formally, redundant. It was published for the last time in 1966 and has since been forgotten. It was not until the beginning of the 21st century that four editions (1940, 1947, 1954, 1963) appeared as facsimile prints . In the meantime, exhibitions, films - such as Green Book - A Special Friendship - and literature that appeared after the travel guide was discontinued have dealt with the travel guide.

facsimile

  • Victor Hugo Green: Travelers' green book: international edition 1963–1964: for vacation without aggravation: Hotels, vacation resorts, restaurants, tourist homes , About Comics, Camarillo, California [2017] (Original: 1963), ISBN 978-1- 936404-70-4

Web links

Commons : The Negro Motorist Green Book  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ americanhistory: An atlas of self-reliance: The Negro Motorist's Green Book (1937–1964) of July 30, 2015, accessed June 7, 2018.
  2. ↑ limited preview in the Google book search