Audio tourBoston Green Book Tour

City Mission invites you to join us for The Green Book Tour of Boston. The Green Book was considered to be the AAA guide for Black motorist who took to American roads. First published in 1936, during the period of Jim Crow segregation, it identified establishments that would accept the business of African Americans. This included information about hotels, restaurants, gas stations, barber shops, drug stores, and more. To stay safe Black people never left home without a plan and a copy of the Green Book.

Before completing the tour, participants are encouraged to first watch the documentary film The Green Book: Guide to Freedom written and directed by Yoruba Richen, which is free to watch online through the Smithsonian Channel website.

After completing the audio tour, City Mission invites participants to a virtual panel discussion with Mr. Byron Rushing and Rev. June R. Cooper on November 14, 2020 at 10:00 am to learn more about The Green Book in Boston, share their experiences watching the film and completing the tour, and ask questions. To join the virtual panel discussion please complete City Mission's online registration form and you will be provided a link to join the event in a registration confirmation email. Please submit questions for Rev. June Cooper and Byron Rushing to discuss during the panel discussion using this online form.

Please remember to practice social distancing and wear a face covering as you complete the tour

Audio and written descriptions by:
Mr. Byron Rushing
Public Historian, Community Organizer, and Former State Representative of the Ninth Suffolk District 

Edited by:

Adelina Harvey

Drone footage by:

Peter Whinn

To Learn More About The Green Book:

Read

-Many editions of The Green Books can be found online through The New York Public Library’s Digital Collections
-Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America by Candace Taylor 
-Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism by James W. Loewen
-Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Gwen Strauss

 Listen
"Driving the Green Book" by Macmillan Podcasts

City Mission Boston educates and empowers individuals and communities to expose systemic barriers and act together to advance economic and racial equality for underserved families. You can support our mission here.

To learn more about City Mission and other upcoming opportunities for engagement with the Boston community visit https://citymissionboston.org/.