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 BY DAVID LAYNE

The Negro Motorist Green-Book kept travelers out of harm’s way.

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 campingI 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 .

It was a time when African Americans worried about the availability NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY PUBLIC YORK NEW of food, lodging, and other services when traveling. In the South, 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 Race Riot, a protest sparked partially by racial injustice and the disproportionate adverse economic impacts

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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 LIBRARY

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 () 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 NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY PUBLIC YORK NEW Buffalo to Jamestown to New black travelers themselves 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

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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 state statutes on discrimination that applied to accommoda- ALAMY.COM 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 , 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

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of 34 years, assumed the THE ARCHIVES publishing duties. Green died CONNECTION in 1960, and while he had not lived long enough to see he New York Public the passage of the Civil Rights Library (NYPL) Digital Act, he did see the beginning T 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.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ing of the first section of the org/items/88223f10-8936- 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 prohibited segregation in Green-Book Vacation Guide 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

­NEW YORK archives • WINTER 2019