A traveling exhibit and virtual program that commemorate the 90th anniversary of the publication of the “Negro Motorist Green Book” are being showcased at a local museum.
The Tobacco Farm Life Museum, part of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, will welcome the N.C. African American Heritage Commission’s traveling exhibit “Navigating Jim Crow: The Green Book and Oasis Spaces in North Carolina.” It will remain on display through July 31. A virtual program that coincides with this exhibit will be held on July 23 at noon.
“Embarking on a road trip is a common experience for most Americans, but it holds different memories for many travelers,” Museum Site Manager Sarah Morrell said. “It’s important to share those stories, and this exhibit and program help us do that.”
The North Carolina African American Heritage Commission (NCAAHC) created the traveling exhibit, which features sites important to, and personal memories about, American travel during the “Jim Crow” era of legal segregation. “The Negro Motorist Green Book,” published between 1936 and 1966, was both a guide and a tool of resistance designed to confront the realities of racial discrimination in the United States and beyond.
The book listed more than 300 North Carolina businesses—from restaurants and hotels to tourist homes, nightclubs and beauty salons—during the three decades it was published. The exhibit highlights the complex statewide network of business owners and Green Book sites that allowed African American communities to thrive and that created “oasis spaces” for a variety of African American travelers.
Eight vibrant panels form the traveling exhibit, showcasing images of business owners, travelers, and historic and present-day images of North Carolina Green Book sites. The words of African American travelers and descendants of Green Book site owners are featured prominently in the exhibit. Each of these stories is from oral histories collected by the NCAAHC in 2018 and 2019.
The July 23 virtual program features a conversation with Dr. Gretchin Sorrin, author of “Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights” (2020) and co-writer of the documentary “Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility” (2020). The program, moderated by NCAAHC Associate Director Natalie Rodriguez, will be held July 23 at noon. The program is free, but advance registration is requested. A registration link will be posted online at the museum’s website, tobaccofarmlifemuseum.nc.gov.
“I am deeply honored to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the first publication of the Green Book by helping keep this vital history alive, especially as it pertains to North Carolina,” Rodriguez said. “Preserving and sharing North Carolina’s African American stories ensures that the legacy of resilience and community endures for generations to come for all people.”
Following its display at the Tobacco Farm Life Museum in Kenly, the exhibit will continue to tour the state’s cultural centers, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, history museums, historic sites and libraries. To learn more about the The Green Book and Oasis Spaces in North Carolina visit aahc.nc.gov/green-book-project. This exhibit was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MH-00-17-0027-17.
For more information about the museum, programs or exhibits, visit tobaccofarmlifemuseum.nc.gov or call 919-588-6061.
About the Tobacco Farm Life Museum
The museum is located at 709 North Church St, Kenly. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free. For more information about the museum, visit tobaccofarmlifemuseum.nc.gov or call 919-588-6061.
About the N.C. African American Heritage Commission
Created in 2008, the African American Heritage Commission is a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The commission works across the department to preserve, protect, and promote the state’s African American history, art, and culture for all people. Its endeavors include the identification of heritage sites, compiling resources for educators, extending the work of national programs such as the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom Underground Railroad, and independent initiatives, including the N.C. Civil Rights Trail and North Carolina Freedom Park in the state’s capital. To learn more, visit aahc.nc.gov.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. At more than 100 sites across the state, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.