Victor Green, a Black mail carrier who lived in Harlem , was frustrated when he continually faced racism while traveling around the country in the 1930s. Hoping to protect himself and other Black travelers, Green came up with a guide that would make it easier to find safe places around the U.S. This guide, known as The Negro Motorist Green Book , became widely popular after it was published in 1936, according to a report from Madeline Hellmich , a graduate student at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. .