“The Negro Motorist Green Book” is an exhibition developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service with the help of award-winning author, photographer and cultural documentarian, Candacy Taylor. The exhibit will offer a visually immersive look at the reality of travel for African Americans in mid-1900s.
Harlem postman Victor Green started the book in 1936 to help African Americans travel the country safely, and with dignity, during a time of Jim Crow laws and segregation. “The Green Book” was also an indispensable resource for Black-owned businesses and the rising African American middle class during the three decades in which it was published.
“‘The Negro Motorist Green Book’ was more than a travel guide,” according to the Smithsonian’s website. “It was a shield, empowering Black people to explore their world with more dignity than fear, more elegance than embarrassment.”
The exhibit launched its three-year national tour in Memphis in October of 2020. The tour will reach Little Rock on May 8 and be on display until Aug. 1 at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.
More information on “The Green Book” and its cultural impact can be found on the Smithsonian Channel.