In March of this year, my family and I embarked on a road trip to Maryland for a cousin’s baby shower. On Interstate 95, we made a couple of expected stops for hungry stomachs and full bladders. The rest stops were filled with people from all backgrounds, stopping briefly before continuing to destinations across America. Sadly, there was a time when rest stops looked completely different, and for non-white travelers, the interstate highway system was frightening and dangerous. Jim Crow was alive and strong, and across the nation, change was coming but at a slow pace. However, that did not stop millions of people from driving across America, and to aid black Americans, a useful tool called the “Green Book” provided information which could save one’s life. Author Candacy Taylor looks at the Green Book and how it aided black people brave enough to set out on a classic American road trip. 

I was familiar with the Green Book but admittedly, there was much I did not know. So, I made the purchase and started reading instantly. Before I continue, I should point out that this book may cause you to feel angry and feel a sense of outrage. I say this because today it is unconceivable to think that a person of Indian or Chinese descent cannot use a rest stop on an interstate highway because of how they look. But, several decades ago they would have been forced to suffer indignity and humiliation due to restrictive laws which enforce segregation, and the threat of violence from people determined to maintain a social order they saw as being right for everyone. However, the United States was changing, and the movement for civil rights continued to grow. But until legislation guaranteed equal rights, creative tools were needed to navigate society. 

The Green Book was the creation of Victor Hugo Green (1892-1960), a gentleman I knew little about before reading the book. Taylor focuses on his life which begins in New York City. Green had realized that the automobile was going to change America, and black motorists needed both help and protection on the road. In 1936, the first Green Book was born but that was only the beginning. In fact, the author takes us a long journey which focuses not only on the book for travelers, but America’s past and how discrimination affected its citizens. And what she discusses enhances the importance of the book.

Undoubtedly, there are dark moments in the story, but there are bright spots as well. In fact, both white and black Americans played a role in affecting change, and the importance of Esso (ExxonMobil) gas stations and the foresight of the Chrysler Motor Company should not be overlooked. The Green Book is paramount in the account, and the information it provided was invaluable. Imagine wanting to take a road trip but having no idea whether an area is safe because of your ethnicity or needing a restroom and having to use the woods or drive an extra one hundred miles miles because every sign you see says, “no colored allowed”. It seems surreal today, but it should be a reminder of the freedoms we take for granted.

The automobile changed life for millions of Americans, but it also introduced new challenges and dangers which took time to resolve and answer. However, as the author tells the story of the lifesaving book, there is another element to the picture that should not be overlooked. Black Americans began to purchase automobiles, and it was a step up in class. But it did not go unnoticed and the reaction to upward mobility of blacks is a crucial aspect of the Green Book story and shows that America was not only confronting the issue of race but also the issue of class. Further, World War II had opened a door for blacks which they were determined to walk through. It should be noted that there were black people who did not want integration, but not for reasons one may suspect. 

Today, most of the locations in the Green Book are gone, and the book itself has been long out of publication. Its demise is due to several factors, and one adds a twist of irony to the initial need for it. Although the book is now gone, its role and importance in the lives of black people traveling America’s roads will never be forgotten. And if we continue to move forward, we will never need the Green Book again. But to do that, we must always remember where we came from and how far we have progressed. This book fills in the gaps that may be missing for some. 

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07QDK1MFD
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Holiday House, January 28, 2020