The Green Book: Guide to Freedom

The motion picture film, Green Book, based on the relationship of Doc Shirley and his bodyguard Tony Lip garnered a lot of controversy before and after it’s recent Best Picture win at the Oscars. Titled after the guide book created by Victor Green, critics of the film talked at length about its inaccuracies. Although the film was titled after the infamous guide, the role of the Green Book felt like more of an afterthought. It was mentioned occasionally and only used when Doc Shirley was in the Deep South. However, the guide got its start in Harlem, so the film inadvertently perpetuated the notion that segregation and racism only existed down south.

In a timely, possibly coincidental, manner - the Smithsonian Channel premiered the hour-long documentary, The Green Book: Guide to Freedom. The documentary discusses the role of the Green Book in helping Black Americans navigate the interstate highways of the United States - not just the Deep South. It takes you on a historical road trip through time focusing on the automobile’s impact on Black American independence and upward mobility as well as Black women entrepreneurs who are often overlooked. Thanks to the Green Book, there is record of their successful businesses. Although shorter than I expected, the film touches on a lot. The Green Book: Guide to Freedom will be airing several times throughout the March on the Smithsonian Channel and can be found On Demand.