(Montgomery, AL) The Freedom Rides Museum presents “The Green Book: Navigating Jim Crow America” Exhibit during the month of July. The museum also returns to pre-pandemic Saturday hours beginning July 2, 2022.
The Freedom Rides Museum, a historic property operated by the Alabama Historical Commission, will host The Green Book: Navigating Jim Crow America, during the month of July. The exhibit focuses on the annual Green Book travel guide that catered to Black travelers during the twentieth century.
The Green Book listed accommodations and businesses throughout the country that welcomed and respected Black customers. The exhibit also highlights Alabama businesses and homes listed in the Green Book and emphasizes how the Freedom Rides and Civil Rights Act changed how Black Americans traveled. The Ben Moore Hotel in Montgomery and the Gaston Motel in Birmingham are two remaining Green Book sites in Alabama. The exhibit is free with paid admission to the museum.
“As Americans take to the skies and the road to travel with their families this summer, the Green Book Exhibit is a reminder that the freedom to travel across the country has not always been easy for Black Americans especially during the height of segregation”, said Dorothy Walker, Site Director, Freedom Rides Museum. Walker continued, “We hope people will visit the museum to learn more about how the Green Book helped play a role in American history and be inspired to help locate Green Book sites in their own community.”
Also, join the Freedom Rides Museum for a virtual program via Zoom on Friday, July 8 at 12:00pmwith Freedom Rider Dave Dennis, Sr. and his son, Dave Dennis, Jr. as they discuss their recently released book, The Movement Made Us: A Father, a Son, and the Legacy of a Freedom Ride. Dave Dennis, Sr. was one of more than four hundred Freedom Riders in 1961 who risked their lives and spent time in prison to challenge segregated practices in interstate travel. The zoom link is on our webpage at https://ahc.alabama.gov/properties/freedomrides/freedomrides.aspx
Beginning July 2, 2022, The Freedom Rides Museum will return to regular hours on Saturdays from 10am – 4 pm. For more information or to schedule a group tour, contact the Freedom Rides Museum at freedomrides.museum@ahc.alabama.gov or 334-414-8647. Follow the museum on Facebook for all the latest updates. The museum has discounted tours for groups of 10 or more.
