Navigating Jim Crow: The Green Book and Oasis Spaces in North Carolina
The exhibit highlights a complex statewide network of business owners and Green Book sites that allowed African American communities to thrive and that created “oasis spaces” for a variety of African American travelers. Eight vibrant panels form the traveling exhibit, showcasing images of business owners, travelers, and historic and present-day images of North Carolina Green Book sites. The words of African American travelers and descendants of Green Book site owners are featured prominently in the exhibit. Each of these stories are from oral histories collected by the AAHC in 2018 and 2019.
In conjunction with the exhibit, the Forsyth County Historic Resources Commission has launched a story map that shares the history of the 18 businesses in Winston-Salem that were listed in the Green Book between 1938 and 1967. None of the buildings that housed these businesses remain standing, but the story map includes historic photos, maps, and newspaper clippings that illustrate the sites and people who owned and managed the businesses. It is available to explore at bit.ly/WSGreenBook.