Opening the Road

Written by Keila V. Dawson · Illustrated by Alleanna Harris

A guide transforms travel for Black Americans during segregation, ensuring safety and freedom on the road.

4.5/5 Goodreads · 378 ratings

40 pages

$19.99Save 7%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In the 1930s, Victor Hugo Green, a New Yorker, saw the dangers Black Americans faced while traveling. He created a guide listing safe places, revolutionizing travel during segregation. With help from mail carriers and the Black business community, Green's guide empowered millions to journey safely across the nation. Discover how one man's vision opened roads to freedom and equality in this inspiring tale of resilience and change.

From the publisher

Hungry? Check the Green Book. Tired? Check the Green Book. Sick? Check the Green Book. In the late 1930s when segregation was legal and Black Americans couldn’t visit every establishment or travel everywhere they wanted to safely, a New Yorker named Victor Hugo Green decided to do something about it. Green wrote and published a guide that listed places where his fellow Black Americans could be safe in New York City. The guide sold like hot cakes! Soon customers started asking Green to make a guide to help them travel and vacation safely across the nation too. With the help of his mail carrier co-workers and the African American business community, Green’s guide allowed millions of African Americans to travel safely and enjoy traveling across the nation. In the first picture book about the creation and distribution of The Green Book, author Keila Dawson and illustrator Alleanna Harris tell the story of the man behind it and how this travel guide opened the road for a safer, more equitable America.

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