In Segregation-Era Atlanta, These Places Welcomed Travelers
Many Green Book establishments once existed here at Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr. Drive. Next to the mural of Congressman John Lewis stands the old Butler Street YMCA building.
Ian Palmer / WABE
Traveling while black in America was once a perilous endeavor. Jim Crow and rampant prejudice meant many public accommodations weren’t open for those citizens. The Green Book was a travel guide, published between 1936 and 1966, which listed establishments where black travelers would be welcome.
These directories – which featured hotels, restaurants, bars, and service stations all around the country – were created by Harlem postal worker named Victor Green, in order to provide African-Americans with a tool for safe travel in an era of segregation, sundown towns and lynching.
As an epicenter of the civil rights movement, it only makes sense that Atlanta had many establishments that were listed in the Green Book. From hotels and restaurants to taverns and beauty parlors, several Atlanta neighborhoods – particularly a handful of blocks on Auburn Avenue – served as welcoming hubs to black travelers in the ’40s and ’50s, due in part to the helpful guidance of the Green Book.
While many of Atlanta’s Green Book establishments have disappeared in the midst of an ever-changing city, some are still standing. For the most part, the businesses have long since changed, moved out, or ceased to exist – but the original buildings serve as a significant reminder of Atlanta’s past.
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