I decided to take a break from social media (I’ve been on the break for almost a month) because it was spending way too much time on there + the class at the time had me feeling some type of way emotionally + the daily bombardment of tragic event within our country and other countries (via the news media) was just too much for me; especially as someone who is an empath. You would think the book I chose to read, would be the last thing I’d want to read but I’m glad that I did.

Reading the book has given me a different perspective from my father’s point of view and now I understand why he felt the way that he did.

Why was the Negro Motorist Green – Book so important? “They provided a rundown of hotels, guest houses, service stations, drug stores, taverns, barber shops and restaurants that were known to be safe ports of call for African American travelers.” (Andrew) Excerpt taken from History.com

So much is left out of history and books. Reading this book is a perfect example as to why some would like to forget this time in history. What’s even more disturbing is that a few years ago while researching Black history, I came across so many articles that slavery was still happening in the 1950’s and well into the 1960’s. This is just one example. How Slavery Survived in the South Long After The Civil War.

I a deeper sense of appreciation for my parents, my grandparents, my ancestors after reading this book. I understand even more why an educated Black person was something to fear; which is why slaves were prohibited by law to read or write. Now I understand just as much why my father was so hard on us about getting an education. When I was younger, I loved to read (I still do) and the worse thing my father could do, in terms of punishment, was taking my books away.

I don’t know much about my family’s history; both my parents are deceased as well as my grandparents on both sides. I do plan on extending my break from social media and maybe during this time, I can learn more with the bits and pieces of information that I do have. One barrier that I may encounter is the mixed-up information such as the actual birth dates (my mother was either born in 1933 or 1934) and the actual spellings of the last names. My mother’s parents has two different spellings.

I absolutely recommend reading the book I’m currently reading which can be bought via Amazon. Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America