WORDS GRETCHEN SORIN PHOTOGRAPHS PETERSEN ARCHIVE, GETTY IMAGES, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, AUTHOR’S COLLECTIONG
reen Book—the Oscar-winning Hollywood movie
loosely based on the life of African American
virtuoso pianist Don Shirley and his white driver
and bodyguard, Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga—
introduced white filmgoers to The Negro Motorist
Green Book, one of several travel guides used by Black
families and business travelers in the Jim Crow era.
Many white audiences were startled by the idea
that Black Americans driving a car in the supposedlycivilized postwar United States could be fraught
with racial hazards, from dealing with surly gas
station attendants and cruel restaurant hostesses
to encountering angry mobs and hostile law officers.
To help Black motorists navigate these potential
dangers, The Green Book provided a state-by-state
listing of restaurants, tourist homes, hotels and
motels, night clubs, and other businesses and
attractions that welcomed Black patronage.Chuck Berry
and his beloved
Cadillac. Despite
stereotypes,
Black consumers
bought Cadillacs
at the same rate
as whites.DANNY CLINCH PHOTOGRAPHED FOR ESQUIRE/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES
62 MOTORTREND.COM SEPTEMBER 2020DRIVING
WHILE BLACK
CHRONICLING A CHAPTER IN
ROAD, AND HOW SUCH DISCRIFEATURE I Driving While Black