a page-turning exhibit

Stirring exhibition spotlighting life-saving travel book for Black Americans motors into Houston

'Four young women standing beside a convertible automobile, ca. 1958' from “The Negro Motorist Green Book.”

Courtesy WANN Radio Station Records,Archives Center, National Museum ofAmerican History, Smithsonian Institution

Created in 1936 by Harlem postman Victor Hugo Green and published until 1967, The Negro Motorist Green Book provided critical, life-saving information on restaurants, gas stations, department stores and other businesses that welcomed African American travelers during an era of segregation and Jim Crow laws.

Now, it’s mostly known as the book that inspired that cute racism movie that bafflingly won the Best Picture Oscar over Black Panther and BlacKkKlansman. But, in September, a new exhibition at Holocaust Museum Houston will remind people just how important this annual guide was back in the day.

“The Negro Motorist Green Book,” developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in collaboration with award-winning author, photographer and cultural documentarian Candacy Taylor, opens at Holocaust Museum Houston’s Josef and Edith Mincberg Gallery beginning Friday, September 1.

This exhibition, made possible through the support of ExxonMobil (which played a significant role in the book’s distribution through its U.S. network of Esso stations), will offer an immersive look at the reality of safe travel for African Americans during the mid-century.

$Victor hugo green The NegroTravelers\u2019 Green Book$ Victor Hugo Green from “The NegroTravelers’ Green Book,” Fall Edition,1956.Courtesy Schomburg Center for Research inBlack Culture, Manuscripts, Archives, andRare BooksDivision, The New York PublicLibrary

'First day of Memphis integration, TN, 1961,'\u00a0from \u201cThe Negro Motorist Green Book.\u201d

Dr. Ernest C. Withers. Collection of theSmithsonian National Museum of AfricanAmerican History and Culture. (C) Ernest C.Withers Trust

'First day of Memphis integration, TN, 1961,' from "The Negro Motorist Green Book."

During the exhibit, which runs through Sunday, November 26, ExxonMobil will host Free Family Sundays on the first and third Sundays.

Viewers can gaze upon artifacts such as business signs and postcards to historic footage, images and firsthand accounts to convey the apprehension felt by Black travelers. The exhibit will also illustrate the resilience, innovation and elegance of families striving to live a full life in America.

'The Negro Motorist Green Book' 1940 edition.Courtesy Schomburg Center for Research inBlack Culture, Jean BlackwellHutsonResearch and Reference Division, New YorkPublic Library

It's also meant to bring focus to a vibrant parallel world of African American businesses, the rise of Black leisure class and the important role the guide played in facilitating the second wave of the Great Migration.

Some 115 former, Black travel sites have been identified in Houston, with 13 sites “still standing” and eight of those noted in the book, according to research by the Texas Historical Commission.

One of the most iconic sites on the list is the historic Eldorado Ballroom at Project Row Houses in the Third Ward, which recently reopened after a $9.7 million renovation, as CultureMap reported. A fitting closing chapter to a pivotal book, indeed.

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“The Negro Motorist Green Book” runs Friday, September 1 through Sunday, November 26 at Holocaust Museum Houston (5401 Caroline St.). For tickets, hours, and more information, visit hmh.org/GreenBook.

Get inspired

Noted Houston street artist paints vibrant new mural at downtown venue

Photo courtesy of Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

GONZO247 poses in front of his new mural, "Houston is Inspired" inside Hobby Center

Visitors to the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts can now see an incredible new mural by one of Houston's most iconic street artists.Mario Enrique Figueroa, Jr., known as Gonzo247, debuted his piece, "Houston is Inspired" on Friday, December 12.

“This piece is all about capturing the energy that makes Houston, Houston," said the artist in a statement. "It’s that raw, vibrant hustle — the music, the culture, the stories we’ve been telling for generations. I wanted to create something that pulls people in, gets them hyped for what they’re about to experience. Every color, every shape, every detail is telling a story, a vibe. This ain’t just a mural or a piece of art — it’s a journey. It's about the grind, the growth, and the inspiration we pass on to each other, on and off the stage.”

The piece is called "Houston is Inspired," after the program at Hobby meant to showcase local performers by offering them week-long residencies on a prestigious stage. This season includes CJ Emmons's one-man comedy musical show I'm Freaking Talented; a rhythmic interactive storytelling experience called Our Road Home by Jakari Sherman; and Lavanya Rajagopalan's combination of music, dance and verse, Kāvya: Poetry in Motion. Information about all three shows, including ticket prices and availability, can be found at TheHobbyCenter.org.

The last show (debuting May 1) was a particular inspiration to Gonzo247. Viewers may notice a pair of hands in a traditional Indian dance pose, a direct reference to Rajagopalan's show.

The Houston is Inspired program was launched launched in the 2023-2024 season. In addition to the residency in Zilkha Hall, artists are given a $20,000 stipend for production and marketing costs. It is now a permanent fixture of the Hobby season. Applicants for future seasons can submit here.

Known for his original "Houston is Inspired" mural in downtown's Market Square, Gonzo247 has been an active force in Houston art for 30 years, including producing the video series Aerosol Warfare about the street art scene in the 1990s and 2000s as well as founding the Graffiti and Street Art Museum. He also served as the artist liaison for Meow Wolf's Houston installation. If anyone's visual vision is perfect to welcome audience members to shows highlighting homegrown talent, it's him.

“Art’s all about telling stories, but it ain’t just what you see — it’s what you feel," he said. "This piece speaks to the heart of everything we’re about: culture, rhythm, struggle, and triumph. When you walk into the space, you gotta feel the anticipation, the energy building up. That’s what I wanted to capture — the vibe of the whole city, the passion in the work, and that next-level hunger to rise up and create something fresh. It’s like the beat drops, and everything just connects.”

visual-art downtown mural gonzo247