The automobile represented the ability to take charge
of one’s own destiny, to secure an aspect of life over
which one had seemingly total control. Cars also
offered a measure of safety to the driver and passen-
gers. Parents traveling with children in a car could
more adequately protect their offspring from the verbal
and psychological battering that could accompany a
ride on a public conveyance. It was a racial shield.
Owning a car also demonstrated Black success in a
nation where such aspirations were often thwarted.
With a growing Black middle class, more and more
Black Americans could purchase automobiles, and
they used their cars and their consumer dollars not
merely to vacation—though they did do that—but also
as weapons against segregation.
Even many who were not in the middle class found
ways to buy higher-quality cars, since they were often
barred, by law and custom, from securing mortgages
and buying houses. But even as upwardly mobile
Black Americans embraced the automobile, the fear of
unpleasant or even violent encounters left many Black
drivers continuously on edge.
This situation was not relegated to the Deep South,
either. Dixie border states like Virginia and Indiana,
as well as seemingly progressive states, including New
Jersey, Connecticut, and Ohio, still harbored pockets
of racism toward Black people. The Rocky Mountain
states and the Southwest were often desolate to Black
travelers seeking food and accommodations.
To navigate safely, Black families devised many
strategies, both individually and through group
action. They carried detailed maps and itineraries.
They carefully watched the faces of the people they
encountered, looking for any indication of hostility.
They bypassed specific communities reputed to be
“sundown towns” (communities that insisted Black
people leave before sunset) and places that had repu-
tations for being particularly hostile.Above: Black
families often
traveled with
all the supplies
they might need
because hotels,
markets, and
restaurants
would not serve
them. Below:
Musicians often
traveled through
the night after
gigs for lack of
lodging.FEATURE I Driving While Black