Green Book - Oakland

1940 edition ²

The Green Book (The Negro Motorist Green Book) was a guide for Black travelers across the U.S. and later other parts of North America listing hotels and other businesses that were known to be safe for Blacks. It was created and published beginning in 1936 by New York postman Victor Hugo Green. Green died in 1960, and his wife Alma Green took over publication. Publication ceased after the 1966-1967 edition. ¹

From the introduction of the 1948 book:

With the introduction of this travel guide in 1936, it has been our idea to give the Negro traveler information that will keep him from running into difficulties, embarrassments and to make his trips more enjoyable.

It will be a great day for us to suspend this publication for then we can go wherever we please, and without embarrassment. But until that time comes we shall continue to publish this information for your convenience each year. ²

They later published railroad and airline editions. The business listings were largely the same, but the articles focused more on those modes of travel.

In 1963, the Green Book started briefly listing laws against discrimination. California's summary was "Anti-jimcro law in recreation facilities. Violators are subject to civil suits for damages plus $250."

Below is a list of businesses in Oakland, compiled from the years available online; Oakland listings don't appear until the 1939 edition. ² Not all the businesses appeared every year; the California Hotel, for example, didn't allow Blacks to stay there until an ownership change in 1953, and doesn't appear in the Green Book until the 1955 edition. The Green Book relied heavily on word of mouth to learn which businesses were safe, and so the listings change slowly over the years.

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