Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America

I am so grateful this book was put on my radar because it was a five star read and it definitely is one my favorite books of the year so far. It is no news that during Jim Crow era and beyond, travel for African Americans was a problematic and dangerous experience. A simple road trip required planning and part of that included “The Negro Travelers’ Green Book,” a travel guide first published in 1936.In this book, Candacy Taylor shows the stories behind the Green Book, which was a list of black-owned or black-friendly establishments that served a wide range of functions. Relying on interviews, newspapers, photographs and documents, the author examines the legacy of institutional racism, disserts about how black bodies have been segregated, chastised, and violated, while also providing lessons in history on segregation.Overground Railroad is a well-researched book - Taylor went on a nearly 40,000-mile road trip to visit 5,000 Green Book sites - wonderfully thorough, that shows what it meant and what it means to be black in the United States. If you liked the movie Green Book, or the limited series Lovecraft Country from HBO Max, or the Prime Video series Them, you will like this book as well. I highly recommend it.

I think I was expecting more of a history of African American travel and how the Green Book was used. I got a history of the book's publication and then a rant at the end about mass incarceration. Valid topic, but only vaguely related to the actual subject. Nevertheless, still.interesting enough to finish.

This is an amazing book. This should be required reading starting in grade school. White people, like me, need to read this to really understand the injustices and prejudices while living being black in America. I also purchased the 1959 Green Book reprint at the same time I bought this. Together they tell quite a story of black history unknown to most white folks. Thank you this is a great piece of historical research

This is a captivating read. The artwork and pictures are beautiful and interesting. The attention to detail in the physical presentation is truly masterful - it's a well designed book. I'm glad to own it, because I know I'll want to revisit this history and these images.

I found this book to be a history lesson through the Green Book. The author did extensive research and offers resources for further exploration and self reflection. This would be a great book to add to a high school English class.

A beautiful road map of African-American’s (and America’s) history through intriguing first-hand testimonies including vintage photos and map illustrations. Beautiful hardback!Buy the physical copy for your coffee table.

A million stars! It’s thorough with detailed history and pictures. It’s priceless. It’s a piece of art and history that should be used in schools. It’s a Black American treasure that I will keep in our family to remember. Bless you for your blood sweat and tears! 😍

This was a very informative book. Had a lot of history of a trying time in America.