Cruising the Unknown: How Cars Rocked Black America

It is well known that cars changed America. But what about Black America? With America's long history of controlling Black mobility, cars meant many new freedoms for Black people. Yet, as they hit the roads through new places, new dangers lurked in the unknown. Both the dangers and the opportunities are the topic of this episode. My guest is Dr. Gretchen Sorin, author of Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights.

On one hand, cars allowed Black people to avoid segregated buses and trains. And, large cars allowed them to pack enough supplies not to risk stopping in areas they didn't know. Yet, segregation and prejudice followed them on the road. Many White towns did not welcome Black travelers, even those who needed medical attention because of an accident. Out of this came The Negro Motorist Green Book and the wide variety of Black businesses for Black travelers that filled its pages.

Let's take a drive!

Check out Driving While Black. it is both a book and a PBS documentary!

Music Credit

PeaceLoveSoul by Jeris (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/35859 Ft: KungFu (KungFuFrijters)