The Green Book exhibit at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Harriet Beecher Stowe House offers a profound glimpse into the history of African American travel during the Jim Crow era. The Green Book, officially known as "The Negro Motorist Green Book," was a guide published annually from 1936 to 1966, designed to help Black travelers find safe and welcoming accommodations, restaurants, and services across the United States during a time when segregation and racial discrimination were rampant.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center: The Negro Motorist Green Book Exhibition
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (NURFC) is hosting an exhibition on
The Negro Motorist Green Book from July 13 to October 13, 2024, that explores the significance of the Green Book, which was an essential travel guide for African Americans during the Jim Crow era. The important exhibit, developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), features artifacts, historic images, and personal accounts that highlight both the challenges and resilience of Black travelers in mid-20th-century America.
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Kareem A. Simpson
The exhibition delves into the history and significance of the Green Book with an immersive experience, allowing visitors to understand the challenges faced by Black travelers during the Jim Crow era. The exhibit showcases original Green Book editions, photographs, and personal stories that bring to life the realities of travel for African Americans in a segregated society.
It also highlights the importance of the Green Book in providing a sense of security and community for Black families on the road, connecting them to a network of businesses and individuals committed to their safety and well-being.
"The Green Book was more than just a travel guide;.” said Trudy Gaba, Social Justice Curator at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. “The Green Book was a symbol of survival and resistance for Black travelers during Jim Crow," she explained. "The exhibition doesn’t just preserve history but extends the conversation through presentation. By showcasing the places listed in the Green Book and the stories behind them, we encourage visitors to reflect on the parallels between then and now."
The Freedom Center's exhibit also draws connections between the Green Book and the broader struggle for civil rights, emphasizing how the guide served as a tool of resistance against racial oppression. Interactive displays and multimedia presentations help visitors grasp the broader social context of the era and the enduring legacy of the Green Book in American history.
Trudy continued, "What’s powerful about this exhibition is how it connects the past to ongoing struggles for freedom and safety. It’s not just about where we’ve been but how the lessons from that era still resonate today."
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Courtesy New York Public Library
The
Negro Motorist Green Book exhibition is a powerful collaboration between SITES and the brilliant
Candacy Taylor, an award-winning author, photographer, and cultural documentarian. It’s made possible thanks to support from Exxon Mobil Corporation. Back in the day, their predecessor, Standard Oil of New Jersey, played a key role in distributing
The Green Book through its Esso stations and is featured in the Freedom Center’s exhibition. These respite spots provided Black motorists and their families with safer, more comfortable travel options when hitting the road. Esso wasn’t only just a major retailer of
The Green Book; they also hired African American engineers, scientists, and marketing executives, and were dedicated to making sure Black travelers were welcome at their stations.
Restored Harriet Beecher Stowe House reimagines Green Book stop
At the
Harriet Beecher Stowe House, their homage to the legacy of the Green Book is manifested in a newly remodeled section of the historic home that recreates The Edgemont Inn, which the Stowe House operated as for a time and was listed in the Green Book. This addition complements the site's focus on abolitionism and the fight against slavery, as Stowe’s work, “Uncle Tom's Cabin” played a pivotal role in shaping public opinion against the institution of slavery. The Green Book exhibit explores the intersection of race, travel, and freedom, linking the historic fight for freedom during Stowe's time to the continued struggle for civil rights in the 20th century.
With the recreated Edgemont Inn, the exhibit offers a more intimate and immersive experience, showcasing how African Americans used the Green Book to safely navigate travel in a racially divided America. It also delves into Cincinnati’s local history as a border city, where both pro-slavery and abolitionist sentiments coexisted, shaping the experiences of Black travelers seeking safety and freedom in an uncertain world.
“The restoration process has included the removal of 20th-century additions, such as the large front porch,” said Christina Hartlieb, Executive Director of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, who has been deeply involved in the recent renovations aimed at restoring the house to its original 1840s appearance.
“These elements are being preserved for future exhibits. Additionally, up to 17 layers of paint are being carefully removed to reveal the house's original color scheme, which will be restored based on historical research. During the recent renovations, the historical significance of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House as a boarding house and its role as a tavern listed in the Green Book were acknowledged and preserved. The inclusion of these aspects in the renovation highlights the broader cultural and social history of the property, which extends beyond its association with Harriet Beecher Stowe.”
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Kareem A. SimpsonRecreation of the Edgemont Inn boarding room at the Harriett Beecher Stowe House.“The renovations aim to honor the house's diverse history,” said Hartlieb, “including its role as a safe haven for African American travelers during segregation, thereby providing a more comprehensive understanding of the site's importance to the community and to American history. The preservation of elements from the Edgemont Inn era, such as artifacts and stories from the time it served as a Green Book location, will be featured in future exhibits at the house.
Together, these exhibits at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Harriet Beecher Stowe House provide a comprehensive and moving exploration of the Green Book's role in African American history, especially the role that Cincinnati played in this movement. They serve as a reminder of the resilience and resourcefulness of Black Americans in the face of systemic racism, and as a tribute to the power of community in the ongoing pursuit of freedom and equality.
If you haven’t visited already, the next three weeks are an ideal time to tour both the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. These two institutions hold the key to understanding America’s past, present, and future through the lens of freedom, justice, and equality. At the Freedom Center, you’ll be moved by the powerful stories of those who fought for liberation, while the Harriet Beecher Stowe House offers a glimpse into the mind of the woman whose words sparked a revolution. Together, they create a journey of inspiration and reflection. A visit during this traveling Smithsonian Institution exhibition along with the Stowe House preservation of elements of the Edgemont Inn era are key experiences to deepen appreciation of the Cincinnati region’s influential legacy.