July 2–September 25, 2022
Two Mississippi Museums

Stories of community, business innovation, and creative self-determination
Started in 1936 by Harlem postman Victor Green, The Negro Motorist Green Book was an annual guide that helped African Americans travel the country safely, and with dignity, during a time of Jim Crow laws and segregation. The Green Book was also an indispensable resource for the era’s successful Black-owned businesses and rising African American middle class.
The Negro Motorist Green Book exhibition will offer an immersive look at the reality of travel for African Americans in mid-century America and how the guide, first published in 1936, served as an indispensable resource for the nation’s rising African American middle class. It includes a variety of objects ranging from business signs and postcards to an original “Green Book.” Historical footage, images, and firsthand accounts convey not only the apprehension felt by African American travelers, but also the resilience, innovation, and elegance of people choosing to live a full American existence. The exhibition will also highlight the success of many African American-owned businesses that made these journeys possible.
The Negro Motorist Green Book was created by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with Candacy Taylor and made possible through the generous support of Exxon Mobil Corporation.
Hours and Admission
Opening July 2, 2022
Tuesday–Saturday, 9AM–5 PM
Sunday, 11 AM–5 PM
Closed Mondays
GENERAL ADMISSION—includes the Museum of Mississippi History, Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, and all special exhibits
Adult: $15
Youth (ages 4–22): $8
Senior (ages 60+) or military: $13
Children under 3 years: FREE
FREE SUNDAYS
Admission to the Museum of Mississippi History, Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, and special exhibitions is free every Sunday.
Upcoming Events
Saturday, July 9 10 a.m.–2 p.m. |
Entrepreneur Fair co-sponsored by Higher Purpose Co. |
Sunday, July 10 Noon–4 p.m. |
Summer Music Series |
Sunday, July 10 2–3 p.m. |
Screening of documentary The Green Book: Guide to Freedom |
Tuesday, July 19 5–7 p.m. |
History Happy Hour: On the Road |
Wednesday, July 20 Noon–1 p.m. |
History Is Lunch with Eve Ewing |
Thursday, July 21 11 a.m.–Noon |
Gallery Talk: The Negro Motorist Green Book |
Saturday, July 23 10 a.m. |
Genealogy Workshop: Advanced African American Research |
Friday, July 29 11 a.m.–Noon |
R.E.A.D. Ruth and The Green Book |
Wednesday, August 3 Noon–1 p.m. |
History Is Lunch with Candacy Taylor |
Sunday, August 14 2–3 p.m. |
Screening of documentary The Green Book: Guide to Freedom |
Tuesday, August 16 6–7 p.m. |
Mississippi Meals: Then and Now with Chef Nick Wallace |
Thursday, August 18 11 a.m.–Noon |
Gallery Talk: The Negro Motorist Green Book |
Thursday, September 8 6:30 p.m. |
Medgar Wiley Evers Lecture with Isabel Wilkerson |
Sunday, September 11 2–3p.m. |
Screening of documentary The Green Book: Guide to Freedom |
[Outdoor photo of a Mother, Father, and child Standing by a Car], 1948-1970s. Rev. Henry Clay Anderson, Collection of the Smithsonia National Museum of African American History and Culture.
© Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
For media and marketing inquiries please contact:
Laurin Paris
Public Relations Director, Mississippi Department of Archives and History
601-576-6834
lparis@mdah.ms.gov