Separate and Unequal

“To give the Negro traveler information that will keep him from running into difficulties, embarrassments and to make his trips more enjoyable.” 

Such was the stated intent of The Negro Travelers’ Green Book. The “difficulties” and “embarrassments” mentioned needed no further elaboration to the readers of this travel guide. Being African-American during the era of segregation meant although you could travel around the country, finding a place to eat, sleep or be entertained was difficult and sometimes dangerous.

Victor Hugo Green created The Negro Motorists’ Green Book in 1936, but changed its title in 1952. The booklet listed restaurants, tailors, beauty and barber shops, night clubs and sleeping accommodations. In the era of “separate but equal,” lodging was particularly limited for African-American travelers. Most places where black people could stay were “tourist homes,” which, at a minimum, meant a room in a private residence or an establishment similar to a bed-and-breakfast. Though tourist homes were common for both white and black travelers early on during the automobile age, they were eventually supplanted by motor courts or motels, which were often reserved for Caucasian clientele. 

According to the Green Book pictured here, there were three businesses in Frederick that were African-American traveler-friendly in 1959. Listings in a guide can be misleading since inclusion often had a lot to do with how well the compilers canvassed a particular area and how responsive business owners were to answering mailed questionnaires that requested information on their services. Interestingly, the same three businesses are mentioned in the 1949 edition of the Green Book and today remain located in historic African-American neighborhoods in Frederick. 

This booklet was owned by William O. Lee, a local educator and former Frederick City alderman. It is not clear whether he used it during his life or collected it for his personal archive of black history memorabilia. In his introduction, author Green wrote, “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 rights and privileges in the United States.” Publication of The Negro Travelers’ Green Book ceased with the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.