Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights, Sorin - B

                      The title refers to the challenge of "encountering danger, harassment, and even violence while operating a car on the road in the United States. This is a reality...every African American family still lives with each and every day." 

                        Mobility for slaves was virtually non-existent, and was only marginally better during the Jim Crow era. The Great Migration which began in 1916 saw millions of Blacks leave the south by train and bus to head north and west. Returning to visit family in the south became part of the Black experience. In the first half of the 20th century, separate and clearly unequal conditions were prevalent on the trains and buses of the south. For Black Americans, obtaining a car was a means to "take charge of one's own destiny." Cars offered freedom, privacy and the added benefit of depriving Jim Crow transportation systems of ongoing funding. Automobiles were also used to help transport   Blacks boycotting segregated bus systems. "Black buying power, vehicle selection, and even driving practices were all sharply determined by discrimination." Blacks preferred large powerful cars and Buicks were their favorites. The bigger the car, the more space to carry things on long trips in order to avoid interacting with whites. The"racialized roadside" was a constant threat. Disappointment, embarrassment and rejection were around every turn. Even the purchase of gas could be a distressing experience and use of a station's rest rooms was seldom an option. The only company to solicit Black business, and even have almost two-hundred Black owned stations, was Esso. 

                     White dissatisfaction as the Blacks sought equality led to increases in violence by random individuals against Blacks in cars. Ever present were two other risks. Any interaction with the police in the north and south was always potentially dangerous situation for Black drivers. Also, when there was an auto accident, Blacks, particularly in the south, were not afforded emergency medical assistance. Finding a decent place to stay was almost impossible for Black motorists. The saving grace for many was a travel guide, "The Negro Motorist Green Book." Modeled on travel guides for Jews, it was published by Victor Green from offices in Harlem.  It provided Blacks with information about how to safely navigate the roads throughout the country.  Green had predicted that his guide would eventually go out of business when it was no longer needed and that was the case by the late 1960's.  Businesses that catered only to Blacks faded away as traveling Blacks had the opportunity to stay at the national chains. 

                    The phrase that is the title of this book wasn't coined until the 1990's, long after Jim Crow had passed. But the concept in terms of potential issues with police, is very much alive and well. In 2017, the NAACP issued a warning about people of color driving in Missouri. This is interesting, well-written and quite informative.