The Illinois Holocaust Museum Presents Expansive Exhibit "The Negro Motorist Green Book"

The Illinois Holocaust Museum presents an expansive exhibit that delves into groundbreaking travel resource The Negro Motorist Green Book.

“Negro boys on Easter morning. Southside, Chicago, Illinois” (1941)

In 1936, during the time of the Jim Crow laws and legal segregation against African Americans, New York City postal carrier and entrepreneur Victor Hugo Green released the first edition of The Negro Motorist Green Book—a road tripper’s annual guide to hotels, restaurants, gas stations and more across the country that welcomed African Americans. Now, the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center honors this influential guide in an exhibition titled The Negro Motorist Green Book through film, photographs, original objects from travelers, Green Book business owners and more.

Viewers will explore the crucial role the book (which was published for more than three decades) played for those on the road, which was often African Americans’ preferred avenue of transportation to avoid segregation. “When visitors come to the exhibition, we want them to leave understanding how the Green Book was an indispensable resource for Black Americans and a weapon in the fight for equal rights,” says Arielle Weininger, the museum’s chief curator of collections and exhibitions. “While there is still much to do in achieving equal rights for all Americans, the images of pride, joy, innovation and Black entrepreneurship show the courage and resiliency of Black citizens during this era. We hope visitors leave the exhibition understanding that the simplest of ideas, like a travel guide, can enact substantial social change.” Through April 23, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie