Candacy Ann Taylor Unaffiliated Independent Scholar (New York, NY 10027-6497)
FZ-250483-17
Public Scholars
Research Programs
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[Grant products][Media coverage]
Totals:
$50,400 (approved) $50,400 (awarded)
Grant period:
4/1/2017 – 3/31/2018
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Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America
A book about race in America focused on the
Negro Motorist Green Book, a
fascinating artifact of the Jim Crow era published by Harlem postal worker
Victor Green between 1936 and 1966 and called the bible of African American
automobile travel.
I am seeking support to fund the research and write a book based on the Negro Motorist Green Book. This was a travel guide that listed restaurants, hotels, barbershops, beauty parlors, taverns and service stations that were willing to serve black people during the Jim Crow era. It not only offered safety and convenience, it was a powerful tool for African Americans to persevere and literally move forward in the face of racism. The fact that we have Green Book buildings as physical evidence of racial discrimination is a rich opportunity to re-examine America’s troubled history of integration, black migration and the rise of the black leisure class. This book will enhance our understanding of American history, African American travel and African American business owners. This will be a ground-breaking book about race in America that will inspire and educate the masses about the struggle and triumph of literally and figuratively moving forward in America.
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