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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Friday, March 29, 2024

Podcast '99% Invisible' explores design-focused stories with episode on "The Green Book"

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In the most recent episode of "99% Invisible," producer and host Roman Mars investigates "The Green Book," a travel guide for black Americans visiting the Jim Crow South.

Have you ever thought about how the building in which you live was designed? Or how things you use and encounter every day came to be? Who thought of using ice to cool down drinks? Once a week, producer and host of the podcast "99% Invisible" (2010-present), Roman Mars, answers these questions. His podcast is all about design, which is by no means limited to the design of physical objects like houses and iPhones. Mars traces objects, ideas and customs from their origins to the present day, and no design is too big or too small for "99% Invisible" to take on. Mars started the podcast from his house in 2010in collaboration with the public radio station KALW and the American Institute of Architects in San Francisco. "99% Invisible" is also one of the shows that makes up the independent podcast network Radiotopia, which Mars himself foundedThe host has a remarkable ability to make his podcasts relevant, even though he often explores historically-focused topics, and the most recent installment of "99% Invisible" is no exception.

In this episode, released on Feb. 23, "99% Invisible" dives into the design of "The Green Book," a travel guide used by African Americans who ventured on road trips during the Jim Crow eraWhile whites could travel the country freely and easily, black Americans were limited in the places they could stop to refuel their cars or grab a bite to eat, turning a road trip from a freeing adventure to a restricting and humiliating prospect. Mars plays several historical audio clips from the time throughout the show, successfully transporting his audience back to the early to mid-20th century and allowing his listeners a glimpse into the past. In one of the clips, we hear from a black man, Curtis, who was traveling with several white, female friends. They had trouble finding places to eat if he did not pretend to be their driver. In his own words, “If I were equal to them, I could not [eat with them].” Later in the show, after Mars walks us through the birth and circulation of the Green Books, we learn that the NAACP used stories just like this one to push President Lyndon Johnson and Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act. Mars cleverly includes Curtis' story at the beginning of the podcast to get listeners hooked, but only later on do its implications become clear.

After taking his listeners to the Jim Crow south, Mars brings them north to New York City, where Victor Green comes up with the idea for "The Negro Motorist Green Book," better known as "The Green Book," in 1936. Calvin Alexander Ramsey, playwright, author and filmmaker, believes that Green got the idea from Jewish travelers who, like black Americans, experienced discrimination while traveling on American highways. Next, Mars delves into the design of "The Green Book" — how Green transformed his idea of providing black Americans with a resource that would allow them to turn their road trip plans into a reality. Interestingly, Green’s job as a mailman made the book possible. Green reached out to the network of black mailmen around the country, and they wrote to him with addresses of families, restaurants, hotels and businesses in their respective neighborhoods that would welcome black travelers. It is this unlikely connection between the mail service and a travel guide for black road-trippers that’s at the heart of the design-centric story. Next, Mars takes us through the evolution of "The Green Book." You’ll have to listen to the episode to figure out how Green was able to sell the book, to whom he sold it and why the guide eventually declined in popularity. "99% Invisible" has covered the birth of drinking fountains, basketball, the ice trade, credit cards and expiration dates. No episode fails to engage the listener, to bring them to another period in time and to share something new with them. The podcast makes sure to stay relevant, connecting an object’s past to the present. This episode ends with photographer and cultural documentarian Candacy Taylor browsing a stack of various editions of "The Green Book" in the basement of the Los Angeles Public Library’s main branch. Not only does she study the books in the library, but also travels the country to visit the places mentioned in Green’s guide. Although "The Green Book" has been out of print for decades and is now a valuable cultural artifact (the Smithsonian recently bought a copy for $22,500), Mars masterfully teaches us about its historical importance, while Taylor reminds of us of its place in the present.

Summary The most recent episode of "99% Invisible" sees host Roman Mars investigate "The Green Book," a travel guide for black Americans visiting the Jim Crow South.
4 Stars