>> FROM 1936 TO 1966, AN ANNUAL
GUIDE WAS PUBLISHED DESIGNED TO
HELP AFRICAN-AMERICANS TRAVELING
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES
CALLED THE GREEN BOOK.
BY NOW YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THE
NAME THANKS TO THIS YEAR'S OSCAR
WINNER FOR BEST PICTURE WITH THE
SAME TITLE.
BUT WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW IS DID
GREEN BOOK'S IMPORTANCE EXTENDS
BEYOND THE SOUTH INTO OTHER
AREAS INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN
WESTERN NEW ENGLAND.
"CONNECTING POINT"'S ROSS TAKES
US ON A GUIDE OF THE GREEN BOOK
IN BERKSHIRE COUNTY AND IT'S
COMPLICATED PLACE IN CIVIL
RIGHTS HISTORY.
>> DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE WERE
SOME PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN
PITTSFIELD THAT PROBABLY WERE A
PART OF THE GREEN BOOK?
THAT DISPLAY WAS PUT TOGETHER IN
A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND WE FOUND
THERE WERE SOME EXCITING THINGS
IN PITTSFIELD ABOUT THE GREEN
BOOK THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE.
>> IN THE YEARS OF THE NEGRO
GREEN BOOK YOU'RE LOOKING AT A
TIME IN WHICH JIM CROW -- THE
JIM CREOSOTE THAT EMERGES AFTER
THE CIVIL WAR IS COMING UNDER
SERIOUS ASSAULT.
THIS GUIDE IS TRYING TO MAKE
LIFE EASIER UNDER JIM CROW
OPPRESSION, BUT AT THE SAME
TIME, JIM CROW OPPRESSION IS
BECOMING READILY APPARENT, THAT
IT CAN NO LONGER WORK.
♪
>> THE GREEN BOOK HOUSES WERE
ALL IN A CERTAIN AREA OF
PITTSFIELD WHICH WE CALL THE
WEST SIDE.
WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF CENSUS
RECORDS BECAUSE WE TRIED TO GET
THOSE CENSUS RECORDS TO SHOW US
THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE LIVING AS
A ROOMER OR A BORDER OR AS
SOMEBODY VISITING THE AREA, IN A
HOME, AND WE FOUND ONE IN
PITTSFIELD ON KING STREET AND
THAT HAD THE GRANT FAMILY LIVING
THERE.
>> FOR SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW
THE COMMUNITY, HOW CAN YOU GET
AT LEAST A THUMBNAIL, WHAT
STREET, WHAT AREA DO I HIT?
THAT'S WHAT THE GUIDE IS
OFFERING, IS THIS KIND OF ROAD
MAP THAT YOU CAN SURVIVE AND
ENJOY YOURSELF ON THE ROAD,
BECAUSE WHAT'S THE USE OF HAVING
A CAR, HAVING THIS MOBILITY, IF,
IN TRAVELING, YOU'VE GOT TO BE
AFRAID AND YOU'VE GOT TO BE
MISTREATED ALL ALONG THE WAY ON
THE ROAD?
SO SOMETHING LIKE THE GREEN BOOK
IS IN KIND OF A TROUBLING PLACE
WITHIN THAT PROCESS BECAUSE ON
THE ONE HAND, IT IS A SURVIVAL
MECHANISM.
IT IS A WAY OF HOW YOU NAVIGATE
WHAT THE STATUS QUO OF THE
SOCIETY, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND,
IT IS ALSO IN MANY WAYS
ACCOMMODATING A VERY UNJUST
REALITY.
>> THIS SECTION COMES UNDER
MASSACHUSETTS.
IT GOES BY TOWN AFTER THAT SO
YOU'LL SEE DIFFERENT TOWNS IN
MASSACHUSETTS THAT'S LISTED IN.
BERKSHIRE COUNTY HERE THERE,
WERE THREE TOWNS.
THERE WAS GREAT BARRINGTON FOR
THE SOUTH.
THERE WAS PITTSFIELD FOR CENTRAL
BURKE SMIR COUNTY AND THEN THERE
WAS NORTH ADAMS.
IT WOULD GIVE YOU THE NAME OF
THE PERSON LIVING THERE THAT YOU
SHOULD BE CONTACTING AND THE
ADDRESS OF THAT PERSON.
NO PHONE NUMBER.
YOU WOULD JUST HAVE TO DRIVE TO
THAT ADDRESS AND KNOCK ON THEIR
DOOR AND SAY, "HERE I AM.
DO YOU HAVE A ROOM FOR ME?"
THEY NEEDED TO FEEL SAFE, SO
THESE RESTAURANTS AND THESE GAS
STATIONS AND EVEN TEL AVIV
VERNES AND EVEN NIGHTCLUBS THAT
THEY WANTED TO ENJOY HAD TO BE
SAFE FOR THEM.
>> AMERICA'S VERY SOUL, ITS
MORAL COMPASS, IF YOU WILL, ITS
INTEGRITY AS A PLACE OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND OF ALL THE GREAT
THINGS GOING BACK TO THE
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, OF
LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF
HAPPINESS, FOR ALL, AND THAT ALL
ARE CREATED EQUAL, YOU'RE NOT
LIVING UP TO THAT WHEN YOU
PRACTICE THIS KIND OF JIM CROW
WORLD.
THAT'S A STATEMENT OF, YOU
AREN'T LIKE US.
>> WE HAD A GENTLEMAN COME IN
YESTERDAY THAT JUST WANTED TO
TOUCH THE BOOK.
AND I SAID, IT'S NOT AN ACTUAL
GREEN BOOK.
IT'S A FACSIMILE OF A GREEN
BOOK.
HE SAID THAT'S OKAY.
I JUST WANT TO TOUCH IT.
I SAID, IF YOU'RE THAT
INTERESTED IN IT, I'LL LET YOU
TOUCH IT.
[LAUGHTER]
