The Negro Motorist Green Book: My BLACK HISTORY MONTH MOMENT.

Here is Your Black History Month moment:

********************************* Little-Known Black History Fact:  The Negro Motorist Green Book    The Negro Motorist Green Book is the subject  of today's "Little-Known Black History Fact."  The Negro Motorist Green Book was a publication  released in 1936 that served as a guide for African- American travelers. Because of the racist conditions  that existed from segregation, blacks needed a  reference manual to guide them to integrated or  black-friendly establishments. That’s when they  turned to "The Negro Motorist Green Book: An  International Travel Guide” by activist Victor  Green and presented by the Esso Standard Oil  Company.  Originally provided to serve Metropolitan  New York, the book received such an alarming  response, it was spread throughout the country  within one year.  The catch phrase was “Now we  can travel without embarassment.”   The Green Book often provided information on  local “tourist homes,” which were private residences  owned by blacks and open to travelers.  It was  especially helpful to blacks that traveled through  “sunset towns” or towns that publicly stated that  blacks had to leave the town by sundown or it would  be cause for arrest.  Also listed were hotels, barbershops,  beauty salons, restaurants, garages, liquor stores,  ball parks and taverns.  It also provided a listing of  the white-owned, black-friendly locations for  accommodations and food. The publication was free, with a 10-cent cost of shipping.  As interest grew, the Green Book solicited salespersons  nationwide to build its ad sales. Inside the pages of the Green Book were action photos of the various locations, along with historical and background information for the readers' review.  Within the pages of the introduction, the guide states, “There will be a day sometime in the near future when this guide will not have to be published. That is when we as a race will have equal opportunities and privileges in the United States ." The Green Book printed its last copy  in 1964 after the passing of the Civil Rights Act. The Negro Motorist Green Book - Click Here to view