"The Negro Motorist Green Book," its pages filled with addresses of businesses friendly to Black travelers, became an invaluable annual guide during its nearly 30 years of publication. The Green Book was not widely known outside of African American communities, and it faded from view after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination in public accommodations.
"In the context of the 20th and 21st century, when we're trying to document more deeply the Black experience, this is really an important document for our library," said Leslie Morris.
The purchase is part of an effort to diversify the library collections, said Morris. When Houghton Library was inaugurated in 1942, a travel guide for Blacks was not considered a collectible item, she said.
"While Harvard may be the largest university in the world, it collected certain things to support teaching and research, but this was not something that anyone thought was important," said Morris.
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