The Green-Book How one New Yorker helped guide travelers to safe harbors - She Said, He Said - New York State Archives Partnership Trust
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Volume 18 • Number 3
WINTER 2019
$9. 95
The Green-Book
How one New Yorker helped
guide travelers to safe harbors
ALSO INSIDE:
She Said, He Said
Mill Tale
Vets Helping Vets
Street Story
12
SAFE
TRAVELS B Y D A V I D L AY N E
The Negro Motorist Green-Book
kept travelers out of harm’s way.
I
n 1936, Donhaven’s in Pleasantville, New York, offered “dining,
dancing, and rendezvous” and Gene’s Auto Repairs on West
155th Street in New York City promised, “We can fix em.” Ace
Auto Supply, located about thirty-five blocks north of Gene’s, in
a bit of one-upmanship, bragged that “We Can Fix ‘em Right.”
Then there was Heckscher State Park on Long Island, “where
camping could be had for 50 cents a day or two dollars a week.”
These locales were featured in the Negro Motorist Green-Book, a
16-page booklet focused on tourist information and services in the
New York City area for African Americans.
It was a time when African Americans worried about the availability
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRA
of food, lodging, and other services when traveling. In the South, Jim
Crow laws divided society into “Whites Only” and “Colored” in nearly
every aspect of people’s lives. New York City was experiencing the effects
of the previous year’s Harlem Race Riot, a protest sparked partially by
racial injustice and the disproportionate adverse economic impacts
RY
N EW YORK archives • W INT E R 2019
13
experienced by blacks after applied only to the metropoli- for their livelihood,the Green-
the 1929 financial crash. In tan New York area. At the Book, as it came to be known,
this context, African Americans time of the Green-Book’s first helped African Americans
worried about the threatening edition, Green was a 44-year- achieve greater freedom on
travel dangers associated with old mail carrier in Bergen the road pursuing leisure
institutionalized racism. They County, New Jersey. In 1918, activities or economic oppor-
worried about the whites-only he had married Alma Duke, tunities. The Green-Book
“sundown towns” across the one of the thousands of peo- provided a means to locate
United States that mandated ple who arrived in New York travel services, but became
people of color leave the city from the South during the even more important as a
limits by dusk or risk arrest or Great Migration. After marry-
worse. ing, Victor and Alma moved
to Harlem, which was about
First Edition to experience the Harlem
It was in this environment that Renaissance in the 1920s. In
Victor Hugo Green and George 1938, Green became the sole
Smith published the first publisher of the guide, which
edition of the Negro Motorist later expanded to include the
Green-Book. Modeled after rest of the US.
Jewish travel publications that With an emerging black
helped their readers avoid middle class and to meet the
restricted services and places, needs of traveling profession-
the first edition of the Green- als, job seekers, and others
Book, which cost a quarter, dependent on the automobile
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRA
RY
The Green-Book
helped African
Americans
achieve greater
freedom on the
road and helped
them avoid
discrimination.
SCURLOCK STUDIO RECORDS, ARCHIVES CENTER, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
www.nysarchivestrust.org
14
described itself as “a Guide New York State.
not only of the Hotels and Initially, the business listings
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Tourist Homes in all of the were developed through
large cities, but other classifi- Green’s experiences, on rec-
way to avoid refusal of ser- cations that will be found ommendations from others,
vice, harassment, discrimina- useful wherever he may be. users of the Green-Book,
tion, and threats. The cover Also facts and information word-of-mouth, paid
of the 1949 edition advised that the Negro Motorist can endorsements, and entrepre-
the black traveler to “Carry use and depend upon.” neurial business owners, both
your ‘Green-Book’ with you— black and white. An important
You may need it” along with Welcoming to Blacks source of listings for Green,
the somewhat cryptic partial The Green-Book included list- himself a letter carrier and
quote from Mark Twain’s ings of services black travelers National Association of Letter
travel book, The Innocents might require, including Carriers member, were his
Abroad, “Travel Is Fatal To hotels and tourist homes, black carriers’ union colleagues.
Prejudice.” taverns and restaurants, night- The carriers’ union’s mission
For 30 years, the Green- clubs, garages and service included advancing its own
Book helped guide African stations, beauty parlors and interests, but also maintaining
Americans to safe harbors barber shops, and trailer parks allegiance to public service.
as they traveled around the and camps. The guide was The author and playwright
country. The 1940 Edition “arranged under the different Calvin Ramsey described the
cities and towns, so that one activity this way: “The mailmen
won’t have any trouble find- would ask around on their
ing what they want.” As one routes to find black and white
might expect, the most listings business owners amenable
were in the population centers: to being listed in the Green-
Chicago, Detroit, New York, Book.” With the establish-
and Washington, DC. However, ment of President Franklin
the guide was most valuable Roosevelt’s New Deal Travel
for its listings outside these Bureau and with the help of
metropolitan areas, where black Post Office Department
welcoming service providers co-workers from around the
were rarer. The listed businesses country, who probably knew
were either black-owned or best which properties were
verified to be non-discrimina- available to meet travelers’
tory and welcoming to blacks. needs, the Green-Book
Many of the listings were still became a national source of
focused on Green’s home travel information. Standard
state of New York. The 1940 Oil (Esso) was a loyal and
edition had five pages dedi- continuing sponsor, buying
cated to New York State advertising in the guide and
travel services for the African selling copies of it at its
American traveler, from stations. It wasn’t long before
Buffalo to Jamestown to New black travelers themselves
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
York City and, finally, to were assisting Green with
Freeport on Long Island. The suggested additions to the
1963-1964 edition devoted guide. With only a hint of
sixteen pages to services in hyperbole, the guide offered
N EW YORK archives • W INT E R 2019
15
women struggled to receive
higher educations. Even if an For 30 years, the Green-
African American received
tuition money, school choices Book helped guide
were limited because many
African Americans
colleges were segregated. In
this context, Green’s editorial- to safe harbors as
izing was notable.
In another example, recog- they traveled around
nizing the perils many of its
the country.
readers faced during the early
1960s civil rights movement,
and possibly as a harbinger of
the approaching enactment
of the Civil Rights Act, the
1963-1964 edition included Esso was a loyal sponsor of
an article “Your Rights— the Green-Book and sold
Briefly Speaking.” The article copies of it at stations.
offered a summary of various
ALAMY.COM
state statutes on discrimination
that applied to accommoda-
tions and recreation. For New
The Green-Book included listings of services African American travelers York State, the 1963-1964
might require, including hotels like this one in Memphis, TN. Green-Book simply stated
that discrimination could
result in court imposed civil
advertisers the opportunity to articles, “Money For Negro damages and criminal punish-
get their names before the Colleges” and “Negro Schools ments.
public, “Not For A Day Or and Colleges in the United The Green-Book was the
Week But A Year.” The Green- States” and a listing of schools most popular guide created
Book became indispensable the black veteran would especially for the African
not only to travelers but to “have a splendid opportunity American traveling public.
the entrepreneurial business of visiting.” These articles At its peak, the guide sold
owners (a significant number were in response to the 15,000-20,000 copies annually
of whom were black women) passage of the Serviceman's and included every state, as
whose listings and advertise- Readjustment Act in 1944, well as Bermuda, Canada,
ments appeared in the guide. which provided a range of the Caribbean, and Mexico in
benefits for World War II its coverage area. The 1949
Splendid Opportunity veterans. Although the GI Bill, edition predicted that “There
In addition to the annually as the act was called, extended will be a day sometime in the
verified business listings, benefits to all veterans near future when this guide
many of which Green person- regardless of gender or race, will not have to be published.
ally inspected, the Green- it was easier for some return- That is when we as a race will
Book included travel articles, ing soldiers than others to have equal opportunities and
driving tips, and occasional collect benefits. Racial and privileges in the United States.
ALAMY.COM
social commentary or assis- gender discrimination was It will be a great day for us to
tance. For example, the 1947 high in post-WW II America suspend this publication for
Green-Book included two and African Americans and then we can go wherever we
www.nysarchivestrust.org
16
of 34 years, assumed the THE ARCHIVES
publishing duties. Green died C O N N E C T I O N
in 1960, and while he had
not lived long enough to see
the passage of the Civil Rights
Act, he did see the beginning
T he New York Public
Library (NYPL) Digital
Collections provides access
of the demise of Jim Crow
to over 700,000 images
laws and the attainment of his
digitized from primary
aspiration: “to give the Negro
sources and printed rarities
traveler information that will
in the library’s collections,
keep him from running into
including illuminated manu-
difficulties, embarrassments,
scripts, historical maps,
and to make his trips more
vintage posters, rare prints
enjoyable.”
and photographs, illustrated
Green did much more than
books, printed ephemera,
that; he provided the African
and more. The NYPL’s
American traveler the freedom
Schomburg Center for
to experience America more
Research in Black Culture,
safely. Undoubtedly, he died
Manuscripts, Archives and
with the knowledge that the
Rare Books Division has the
information in the Green-
largest collection of Green-
Book had also saved lives.
Books in the country with
The Negro Motorist Green-
digitized versions of 21 issues
Book ended publication in
(1937-1941, 1947-1957,
1966. It was ten years after
1959 -1964) of the Negro
highways started to by-pass
Motorist Green-Book. See
local communities with open-
http://digitalcollections.nypl.
ing of the first section of the
org/items/88223f10-8936-
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
interstate highway system,
0132-0483-58d385a7b928.
which reduced the chance of
For an interactive experience,
discrimination. It was two
see https://publicdomain.
years after the passage of the
nypl.org/greenbook-map/
Civil Rights Act that legally
Green published a standalone
Green-Book Vacation Guide in prohibited segregation in
1949 and offered reservation public places and banned
services for a small fee. employment discrimination
based on race, color, religion,
sex, or national origin. While
please, and without embar- the Green-Book had promoted
rassment. But until that time a “go along and get along”
comes, we shall continue to approach that was in many
publish this information for cases criticized by activists in
your convenience each year.” the Civil Rights Era, the book For classroom activities
was an important resource related to this article,
Saving Lives that helped black travelers see our Educator Guide at
Green remained an advisor safely navigate the discrimina- www.nysarchivestrust.org/
when he retired as publisher tion they were subject to in a education/educator-guide-
in 1952, and Alma, his wife time when there were few new-york-archives-magazine
such resources available. n
N EW YORK archives • W INT E R 2019
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