Establishments

In the mid-twentieth century, African American travelers required the same types of services as their white counterparts. The Green Book’s listings were varied enough to enable young people coming to a strange city to arrive at the local YMCAs and YWCAs after finding a friendly taxi cab driver at the train station while also helping families find their way to a tourist home or musicians to a suitable hotel.

For African Americans traveling between the relative freedom of a hometown to less familiar places, the listings for gas stations, motels, and pharmacies ensured safe passage in distant towns. For guests traveling to large cities for social events, the publication helped travelers find dance halls and restaurants in a timely manner. As time passed, The Green Book grew to include a very wide range of establishment types that answered every possible traveling need.