Victor Hugo Green (November 9, 1892 – October 16, 1960) was an American postal employee and travel writer from

Harlem, New York City Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

, best known for developing and writing what became known as ''The Green Book,'' a

travel guide A guide book or travel guide is "a book of information about a place designed for the use of visitors or tourists". It will usually include information about sights, accommodation, restaurants, transportation, and activities. Maps of varying det ...

for

African Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...

in the United States. During the time the book was published, choices of lodging, restaurants and even gas stations were limited for black people in many places, both in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

and outside this region. The book was first published as ''

The Negro Motorist Green Book ''The Negro Motorist Green Book'' (also, ''The Negro Travelers' Green Book'', or ''Green-Book'') was a guidebook for African American roadtrippers. It was founded by Victor Hugo Green, an African American postal worker from New York City, and ...

'' and later as ''The Negro Travelers' Green Book''. The books were published from 1936 to 1966. He printed 15,000 copies each year. In the 1930s, Green began his work by compiling data on stores and motels and gas stations in New York City area that welcomed black travelers, and published his first guide in 1936. Green's guide was so popular that he immediately began to expand its coverage the next year to other US destinations, adding hotels and restaurants as well. After retiring from the Postal Service, Green continued to work on updating issues of ''The Green Book.'' In addition, he developed the related travel agency business he had established in 1947.

Biography

Victor Hugo Green, named after the noted French author, was born on November 9, 1892, in

Manhattan, New York City Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the smallest county by area in the U.S. state of New York. Located almost entire ...

. He was the eldest of three children of Alice A. (Holmes) and William H. Green. His family moved and he grew up in

Hackensack, New Jersey Hackensack is the most populous municipality in and the county seat of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

. Starting in 1913 he worked in

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.postal carrier for the US Postal Service. On September 8, 1917, in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

License no. 15995 for Kings County for 1917. Municipal Archives of the City of New York, New York Green married Alma S. Duke (1889–1978) of

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

. She came to New York as part of the Great Migration from the South to northern cities in the early twentieth century. After their marriage, the couple moved to

Harlem, New York Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan ...

, which was attracting blacks from across the country. It developed as a center of black arts and culture in the period of the

Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African-American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics, and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the ti ...

. They lived in an apartment at 580 St. Nicholas Avenue. Green was employed by the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

as a letter carrier. He was subsequently drafted into the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

to serve in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, even though he had requested exemption from the draft due to his "employment in the transmission of mail." He served as a member of the Supply Company of the 350th

Field Artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support army, armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the ear ...

, 92nd Division, rising to the rank of Regimental Supply Sergeant. He sailed for France with his unit on June 30, 1918, from

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the ...

on the troop carrier SS ''President Grant''. He returned to the United States from

Brest, France Brest (; ) is a port, port city in the Finistère department, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of a peninsula and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an impor ...

on the troop carrier SS ''Maui'' on February 16, 1919, landing in Hoboken on the 28th.

Publishing and travel career

''The Green Book'' publications (1936–1966): In 1936, Green published the first iteration of ''

'' (1936). These editions were a publication series for the intended purpose of helping

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

roadtrippers travel across America safely. The guidebook featured thousands of businesses, either black-owned or that catered to African Americans during the Jim Crow era. The ''Guide'' also allowed African American travelers to safely venture through discriminatory and segregated areas of the United States by avoiding potential harassment and violence from racist business owners.; thereby, enabling ''

'' to become a tool for African Americans to subvert

white supremacy White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White supremacy has roots in the now-discredited doctrine ...

. The many editions of the ''Green Book'' established a general roadmap that shows distinct black geographies across America–those of which were generally unknown to white institutions. Black Americans began to join in the popular activity of travel by car. During these years, they were restricted to segregated accommodations by state laws in

the South The United Kingdom has a well developed and extensive network of roads totalling about . Road distances are shown in miles or yards and UK speed limits are indicated in miles per hour (mph) or by the use of the national speed limit (NSL) symbol ...

, and often discriminated against in other areas of the United States.Alfredo Graham, "Travel Whirl," (New York) ''Age,'' August 23, 1958, 32 In 1936, Green "thought of doing something about this. He thought of a listing, as comprehensive as possible, of all first-class hotels throughout the United States that catered to Negroes." He collected information on hotels, restaurants and

gas stations A filling station (also known as a gas station [] or petrol station []) is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold are gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Fuel dispensers are used to ...

that served African Americans for his first edition of ''The Negro Motorist Green Book''. Since some towns did not have any hotels or

motel A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the Parking lot, parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central Lobby (room), lo ...

s that would accept African American guests, he listed "

tourist home A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby. Entering dictionarie ...

s," where owners would rent rooms to travelers. His first edition had data for facilities only in the New York metropolitan area. In his introduction, Green wrote:

There will be a day sometime in the near future when this guide will not have to be published. That is when we as a race will have equal rights and privileges in the United States.

Green created a publishing office in Harlem to support his guide. In 1947, he established a Vacation Reservation Service, a travel agency to book reservations at black-owned establishments. By 1949, the guide included international destinations in

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

and

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

; it listed places for food, lodging, and

. In 1952, Green changed the name to ''The Negro Travelers' Green Book''. His travel agency office was located at 200 West 135th Street in

. ''The Green Book'' was printed by Gibraltar Printing and Publishing Co. at 800 Sixth Avenue (at West 27th Street) in New York City. The owner of Gibraltar Printing was Samuel Jacob Glener (1904–1961). Similar guides had been published for Jewish travelers in some areas. Victor Hugo Green printed 15,000 copies each year of ''The Green Book'', marketing them to white as well as black-owned businesses to demonstrate "the growing affluence of African Americans." At the time,

Esso Esso () is a trading name for ExxonMobil. Originally, the name was primarily used by its predecessor Standard Oil of New Jersey after the breakup of the original Standard Oil company in 1911. The company adopted the name "Esso" (from the phon ...

franchised gas stations to African Americans, when some other companies did not. The Esso stations became popular sales outlets for the book. During the Jim Crow era, the book garnered a large appeal within the African American community as many began to popularize the phrase "carry your Green Book with you" when traveling. It outlined establishments where African Americans would be free from discrimination. Through its series of publications, Green's ''

'' appealed to a large majority of the African American population, as such, during the civil rights movement it was credited as one of the forerunners in American literature that championed the cause.

Personal life

Following Victor's marriage with Alma Duke Green (June 9, 1889 – March 1978) in 1918, the two would go on to create the first editions of the Green Book. Alma was the book's editor for several years and made other significant contributions. Alma died in March 1978. According to the 1956 edition, "several friends and acquaintances complained of the difficulties encountered; oftentimes painful embarrassments suffered which ruined a vacation or business trip." ''The Green Book Chronicles'' (2020), a film by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Becky Wible Searles, have noted that Alma "appears to have actively supported and been involved in this venture from the start, eventually taking over as editor when Victor stepped away from that role." Green died on October 16, 1960, in

at age 67. After his death, publication continued, with his widow Alma serving as editor, until 1966. Passage of the

Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and United States labor law, labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race, Person of color, color, religion, sex, and nationa ...

and legal end to racial segregation in public facilities marked the beginning of the guide's obsolescence; the goal that Green had described in his introduction to the first edition of his work.

In popular culture

* Calvin Alexander Ramsey,
The Green Book Chronicles
', a play that had a staged reading on September 15, 2010, at the Lincoln Theatre in

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

;J. Freedom du Lac, "Guidebook that aided black travelers during segregation reveals vastly different D.C."
''Washington Post'', 11 September 2010. It premiered in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, in 2011. * ''The Dresser Trunk Project'' (2007), traveling exhibit about black travel during segregation, organized by William Daryl Williams, director of School of Architecture and Interior Design,

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...

. * '' Green Book'' (2018), dir.

Peter Farrelly Peter John Farrelly (born December 17, 1956) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and novelist. Along with his brother Bobby Farrelly, Bobby, the Farrelly brothers are mostly famous for directing and producing quirky comedy and r ...

, a biographical drama influenced by African American pianist

Don Shirley Donald Walbridge Shirley (January 29, 1927 – April 6, 2013) was an American classical and jazz pianist and composer. He recorded many albums for Cadence Records during the 1950s and 1960s, experimenting with jazz with a classical influen ...

, and actor Frank Vallelonga, who traveled through the

Deep South The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion of the Southern United States. The term is used to describe the states which were most economically dependent on Plantation complexes in the Southern United States, plant ...

during 1962. Green Book premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival where it won the Oscar for best picture, best supporting actor and best original screenplay in 2018.

Biography

Publishing and travel career

Personal life

In popular culture

References

Further reading