>> 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]