In 2016, the BBC commissioned photographer Jonathan Calm to capture images of sites featured in the Negro Motorists’ Green Book, a guide published from 1937 to 1966 that listed safe places for Black Americans to stay while traveling. Inspired by this trip, Calm, a professor of Art & Art History at Stanford University, dove into the history of African American automobility, an oft-overlooked aspect of race relations in America. Using photographs and words, Calm conveys the meaning of automobility for Black Americans, from the freedom gained through car ownership to the ongoing risks incurred when “driving while Black.” Calm comes to CHF to show his photos, and discuss how the ability to choose where, when, and how we travel has influenced American history.

This program is generously underwritten in part by the David C. and Sarajean Ruttenberg Arts Foundation and is presented in partnership with the Stanford Humanities Center.

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