The Enlightening Green Book Exhibit at Omaha’s Durham Museum
When I visit a museum, I often learn something new. That was certainly the case with the new exhibit at the Omaha Durham Museum. I walked in the museum not entirely knowing what a Green Book was and walked out with a new appreciation of their role in America’s history.
What is a Green Book? It was simply a travel book advising Black Americans of Black-owned businesses, or safe and friendly places to stop while traveling and vacationing by car. These books, started by postman Victor Green, were used primarily by Black Americans from 1936 to 1967 as a way to travel safely. The books contained Black-owned restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, and a variety of other businesses in their pages.
Why were the books used? During this time in our country’s history, racial segregation made it a challenge for Black American travelers to know where to stop, travel, vacation, and even purchase gas - particularly in some parts of the country. While many Black Americans owned a vehicle, it was still not entirely safe for them to travel through segregated areas of our country where the Ku Klux Klan was prevalent and Jim Crow laws were in effect. Black-owned businesses would advertise in The Green Book and travelers could be reassured that they would be both welcome and safe. It functioned in many ways like today’s travel guidebooks.
The exhibit first explained why The Green Book was used by many Black Americans and then went on to showcase some businesses listed in The Green Book. A final segment of the exhibit touched on the Civil Rights movement in the U.S. Overall, it was a very informative exhibit. I walked in knowing virtually nothing about what a Green Book was to knowing why, when, and how they were used in an historical context.
There were several Omaha and Nebraska businesses mentioned in The Green Book. Here are some listings below.
The Durham Museum has several special events in conjunction with the exhibit, including a movie screening of “Driving While Black” with a speaker and also a concert and speaker. More information about the museum, the exhibit, and these special events can be found on the Durham Museum website below. The exhibit is available until May 3, 2026.
The exhibit was made more fascinating by the use of many images and even some video. Select images from exhibit are shown below.
When we entered the museum we were given a postcard that might have been sent during The Green Book’s time period. It made the exhibit more real and personal. One of the postcards is below.
For more information about the museum and the exhibit visit: