The 1937 edition was limited to New York City, but by 1938 it was “listing all of the States east of the Mississippi River.” The Green Book became a directory of an different kind of “underground railroad” for the Jim Crow era allowing African Americans to map the most welcoming routes to reach vacation spots, hotels, beauty parlors, service stations, mechanic shops, and more. The Green Book regularly included State specific traffic laws and issues for African American motorists to watch out for.
Detroit first appeared in the 1938 edition of the Green Book with listings for 9 hotels, 2 night clubs, and 1 service station. They are located in a very small area where there was a high density of non-White residents.
