Green Book

The exhibition reveals how the handbook provided African American travelers with information on restaurants, gas stations, department stores and other...

It will also feature audio from local singers and bands that recorded at some of the local “Green Book” recording studios as well as a map of Chicago’s streets to show “Green Book” amenities. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is one of the largest refiners and marketers of petroleum products and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world. The Negro Motorist Green Book offers viewers an opportunity to travel back in time through the perspective of the traveler, with an immersive and participatory exhibit. Through world-class exhibitions and programs, the Museum inspires individuals and organizations and provides a universal wake-up call to action: Take history to heart. Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center honors the survivors and victims of the Holocaust and transforms history into current, relevant, and universal lessons in humanity. Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, predecessor of the exhibition’s national sponsor ExxonMobil, played a significant role in the distribution of “The Green Book” through its U.S. The Museum will highlight local connections to the Chicago area in the exhibition with a looping projection of over 55 images of local “Green Book” sites mixed with contemporary images of some locations. In Chicago, “The Green Book” mostly directed travelers to listings located in the South Side community of Bronzeville, which was built by the Black migrants who transformed the Chicago area during the Great Migration. The exhibition, through artifacts, historic footage, and firsthand accounts, expresses not only the apprehension felt by African American travelers, but also the resilience, innovation and elegance of people choosing to live a full American existence. “This exhibition tells a story of resilience during the Jim Crow era when Black travelers faced often insurmountable discrimination. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Negro Motorist Green Book, an exhibition developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in collaboration with award-winning author, photographer, and cultural documentarian Candacy Taylor, is coming to the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, just in time for Black History Month. Social and legal constraints, including unwelcoming hotels, restaurants, and gas stations along with Jim Crow era laws and “sundown towns” – communities where African Americans were legally barred from spending the night – were very prevalent in many places across America.