Victor Hugo Green

Victor Hugo Green was an American postal worker from Harlem, New York City, who compiled and published The Green Book from 1936 to 1967. This travel guide was essential for African Americans during the era of segregation in the United States.1

The Green Book listed businesses such as restaurants, hotels, beauty salons, and drugstores that welcomed Black customers. This was crucial because African American travelers faced humiliation and the threat of violence, and many businesses and "sundown towns" denied them service. The guide helped make travel safer and more comfortable for Black Americans before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The publication eventually expanded to include listings across all 50 states and even in other countries.1