Michael Burns remembers his parents using a booklet with a green cover to help direct their road trips from St. Louis to Chicago in the late 1950s and early ’60s.
At the time, he did not understand why they had to depart before dawn, but he did know the black-owned businesses listed in the booklet would keep African Americans free from harm while traveling.
The booklet his family relied on was “The Negro Motorist Green Book” — more commonly known as the Green Book.
Burns’ childhood memories led back to growing up in north St. Louis’ the Ville neighborhood. He said the community was vibrant, and celebrity sightings were common in those days. And that was partially because of the Green Book. Check out the full story.
By Andrea Henderson, St. Louis Public Radio
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