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Sunday, September 9, 2018

The "Negro Motorist Green Book" gets the Hollywood treatment

https://blackamericaweb.com/2018/09/07/little-known-black-history-fact-the-real-story-behind-the-green-book-movie/

I'd have no problem with the "Green Book" making a return. If you didn't know, The "Green Book" was a guide named for its originator, Victor Hugo Green, for Black folks only, published by Black folks only, that listed safe places to stop for gas or food or lodging on road trips. It listed "Blacks Only" vacartion spots too. My grandfather used it in planning all our trips here in the States, especially on the ones down South. We were not insulted that the "Green Book" was needed. It helped him make safe choices in lodging and gas stations that were Black owned or would serve us. More importantly, it kept us safe from nutcases who thought harming vacationing Black folks would be a lark.

But the "Green Book" died as did Black establishments that catered to Blacks once the Civil Rights Movement licked in. Shame. Some of those resorts were gorgeous but couldn't survive because former patrons flocked in droves to now permitted but previously forbidden  places. Places that wouldn't have pisssed on them if they'd been on fire previously but now had to grant them access.

I don't recall mt grandfather flocking to those places as he always used to say, "Why would I give my money to people who don't want me in their establishment? Makes no sense. And I surely don't want them fixin' my food."

Wise man.

As for this movie. It should be interesting. Hollywood loves dramas with Black people when they are being treated crappy. Otherwise, it's comedies all the way. In any case,  I do like Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen

The Negro Motorist Green Book - Wikipedia

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