“We used the Green Book to find places to stay and eat,” Shirley Sherrod recalled in an interview. “It was a lifeline for us, a way to avoid the dangers of traveling in a segregated society.”

Today, the Green Book Marriage phenomenon is recognized as an important part of American history. The 2018 film “Green Book,” which tells the story of a white bouncer who drives a black pianist on a concert tour through the Deep South, highlights the significance of the guidebook in facilitating interracial relationships.

During the 1950s and 1960s, interracial marriage was still a taboo and often forbidden in many parts of the United States. The Supreme Court’s 1967 decision in Loving v. Virginia, which struck down laws banning interracial marriage, was a landmark moment in the struggle for civil rights. However, long before that, couples who dared to cross racial lines in love were using the Green Book to find safe havens and avoid the dangers of a segregated society.

The Green Book was first published in 1936 by Victor Green, a postal worker from Harlem. Initially, it was designed to provide African American travelers with information about safe hotels, restaurants, and gas stations where they could stop without fear of harassment or violence. Over the years, the guidebook grew in popularity and became an essential tool for black travelers.

For couples like Lowell and Shirley Sherrod, the Green Book was a godsend. In 1963, the Sherrods, who were African American and white, respectively, embarked on a road trip from New York to Florida. They used the Green Book to plan their route, carefully selecting hotels and restaurants that would welcome them. The guidebook became their bible, helping them navigate the complexities of a segregated society.