Kathleen O’Brien rightly notes the limitations of the Oscar-nominated movie Green Book, which tells the story of the friendship between pianist Dr. Don Shirley and his chauffeur Tony Lip and depicts segregation in accommodations in the South in the 1950s. (The Green Book refers to the guidebook compiled by Victor Green for African American travelers, listing lodgings and restaurants that were safe for them to patronize.) “. . . for northern states like New Jersey. . . [t]he movie gives no hint of the racist practices that were prevalent, if sometimes seemingly invisible, from Atlantic City to Paterson.” O’Brien’s article gives examples of places throughout New Jersey that were restricted. Read the article by clicking here.
See copies of the real Green Book that have been digitized by the New York Public Library by clicking here.