We know that automobiles revolutionized life for the average white American in the early and mid-20th century, but for the Black American population, cars brought freedoms, yes, but freedoms packed with complications.
In her book Driving While Black, Gretchen Sorin charts the history of Black Americans and cars, telling the stories of Black-only businesses and publications like The Green Book (the first of many such guides) that helped make travel for African Americans safer, and how cars assisted with the Civil Rights Movement – with an emphasis on “movement.” (Rebroadcast)
You can watch Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America on PBS Utah on Friday, Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. MST and Monday, Feb. 22 at 11 p.m. MST. For more information, go to PBSUtah.org.
Dr. Gretchen Sorin’s book is Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights. [IndieBound| Bookshop |Amazon | Audible ].
