MORE THAN 80 YEARS AGO, VICTOR HUGO GREEN PUBLISHED A BOOK AIMED AT PROTECTING BLACK TRAVELERS AS THEY VISITED THE JIM CROW SOUTH. THE GREEN BOOK HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT ARTIFACT IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND WVTM13’S ERIN LEWELLEN WAS THERE WHERE THE HISTORIC BOOK WAS THE FOCUS IN WOODLAWN TONIGHT. ERIN. YEAH, GOSH, SHERRI MODERN DAY GREEN BOOK IS A NONPROFIT BASED RIGHT HERE IN BIRMINGHAM. AND TONIGHT IT HOSTED A STAGE PLAY READING OF THE GREEN BOOK. AND THAT IS ALL PART OF A WEEK LONG CELEBRATION OF SUPPORTING BLACK BUSINESSES, BUSINESSES THAT ARE CREATING SAFE SPACES FOR BLACK PEOPLE, JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL BOOK DID BACK IN THE DAY. BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE PAST ARE. WE WERE GRATEFUL TO FIND A FRIENDLY RESTAURANT, NOT ONE THAT WILL SERVE US IN THE FUTURE. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A COFFEE AND THE STORY UNFOLDED ON STAGE WEDNESDAY NIGHT DURING A READING OF THE GREEN BOOK STAGE PLAY. GREEN BOOK IS A LIFE SAVER IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE, AND IT’S ALL PART OF A WEEK OF EVENTS TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE MODERN GREEN BOOK, TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. A LOT OF TIMES WE SEE BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES OPEN AND CLOSE THEIR DOORS LIKE VERY, VERY QUICKLY. SO HOPEFULLY THESE GRANTS PROVIDE A SENSE OF RELIEF FOR THEM THAT THEY CAN HELP WITH RENT. THEY CAN HELP WITH BUYING INTO A NEW PRODUCT OR THING THAT THEY NEED TO HELP CREATE THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE. OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS ARE HAPPY TO SEE THE NONPROFIT RECREATING THE HISTORIC RESOURCE THE MODERN GREEN BOOK NOW HAS TAKEN ON THE MANTLE OF GIVING US LIKE THIS ROLODEX AND THIS NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY FOR BLACK BUSINESSES TO BE RECOGNIZED AS PENIX WORKS WITH THE BIRMINGHAM BLACK REPERTORY THEATER COLLECTIVE AS A FELLOW NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION LEADER, SHE HOPES TO APPLY FOR A ROAD TO SUCCESS SMALL BUSINESS GRANT. ALL OF OUR ARTIST SALARIES, ALL OF OUR PRACTITIONERS THAT TEACH CLASSES AND DIRECT SHOWS, PRODUCE SHOWS, SET DESIGN, SHOWS, WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE’RE DOING, WE ARE COMPLETELY FUNDED BY GRANTS SUPPORTING THE WORK CREATIVES AND ENTREPRENEURS DO TO GIVE BLACK PEOPLE SAFE SPACES, THINGS DON’T JUST HAPPEN. THINGS HAPPEN. JUST I HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE GREEN BOOK BEFORE KEITH SHOWED US A COPY. IT WAS OFTENTIMES EMBARRASSING TO WALK INTO A PLACE AND BE TURNED AWAY OR, YOU KNOW, HAVE FOOD THROWN AT YOU. I THINK IT’S SO IMPORTANT THAT THE SAFE SPACES THAT WE CREATE TODAY ARE PLACES WHERE WE CAN JUST BE BE CREATIVE, BE FREE, LIKE CONNECT AND NETWORK. AND THAT’S WHAT THESE BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE ARE PROVIDING TODAY. NOW, THE MODERN GREEN BOOK DOES PLAN TO RAISE THEIR THEY HOPE TO RAISE $25,000 THIS YEAR BY THE END OF THE YEAR. AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR YOUR HELP TO DO THAT. AND THEY PROMISE TO DO THAT WITH A GOOD TIME. THEY ARE HAVING A FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY FROM NOON TO EIGHT AT SLOSS FURNACE. THERE. THAT’S WHERE YOU CAN SUPPORT THEM. BUT FOR RIGH
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Modern Green Book raising grant money for Black-owned businesses
Updated: 11:33 PM CDT Aug 23, 2023
More than 80 years ago, Victor Hugo Green published a book to protect Black travelers as they navigated the Jim Crow South. The Green Book has become an important artifact in the Civil Rights Movement.The Modern Green Book is a nonprofit based right here in Birmingham. It hosted a reading of the stage play, “The Green Book,” as part of a week-long celebration to support Black businesses across the country—businesses that are providing safe spaces for Black people just like the original guidebook did.The Modern Green Book Culture & Community Fest Week is a cultural experience hoping to raise money to give grants to Black-owned businesses across the country.“A lot of times we see Black-owned businesses open and close their doors like very, very quickly,” Modern Green Book Founder Theo Edwards Butler said. “Hopefully these grants provide a sense of relief for them. They can help with rent, they can help with buying into a new product or thing that they need to help create the product or service.”Other business owners are happy to see the nonprofit recreating the historic resource.“The Modern Green Book now has taken on the mantle of giving us like this Rolodex and this networking opportunity for Black businesses to be recognized,” Aja Penix, founder of the Birmingham Black Repertory Theater Collective.As a fellow nonprofit organization owner, she knows the impact a Road to Success Small Business Grant can have.“All of our artists’ salaries, all of our practitioners that teach classes and direct shows, produce shows, set design shows—whatever it is that we’re doing—we are completely funded by grants,” Penix said.Supporting the work creatives and entrepreneurs do to give Black people safe spaces.“It was oftentimes embarrassing to walk into a place and be turned away or, you know, have food thrown at you,” Edwards Butler said. “I think it’s so important that the safe spaces that we create today are places where we can just be—be creative, be free, like connect and network—and that’s what these businesses and people are providing today.”Modern Green Book hopes to raise $25,000 by the end of the year. There are plenty of other events throughout the weekend. The proceeds will go towards grants for Black-owned businesses. A list of those events is below. Black Business Networking Game Night Aug. 24, 7 p.m. Polaris Co-Working & Event Space Casual, Networking, Giveaways, Game Night Tickets: FREE – RSVP REQUIRED The MGB Culture & Community Fest Aug. 26, 12-8 p.m. Sloss Furnaces Casual, Festival, Live Music, Vendors, Black-owned beer and wine garden Tickets: $5 Student, $10 General, $100 VIP
More than 80 years ago, Victor Hugo Green published a book to protect Black travelers as they navigated the Jim Crow South. The Green Book has become an important artifact in the Civil Rights Movement.
The Modern Green Book is a nonprofit based right here in Birmingham. It hosted a reading of the stage play, “The Green Book,” as part of a week-long celebration to support Black businesses across the country—businesses that are providing safe spaces for Black people just like the original guidebook did.
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The Modern Green Book Culture & Community Fest Week is a cultural experience hoping to raise money to give grants to Black-owned businesses across the country.
“A lot of times we see Black-owned businesses open and close their doors like very, very quickly,” Modern Green Book Founder Theo Edwards Butler said. “Hopefully these grants provide a sense of relief for them. They can help with rent, they can help with buying into a new product or thing that they need to help create the product or service.”
Other business owners are happy to see the nonprofit recreating the historic resource.
“The Modern Green Book now has taken on the mantle of giving us like this Rolodex and this networking opportunity for Black businesses to be recognized,” Aja Penix, founder of the Birmingham Black Repertory Theater Collective.
As a fellow nonprofit organization owner, she knows the impact a Road to Success Small Business Grant can have.
“All of our artists’ salaries, all of our practitioners that teach classes and direct shows, produce shows, set design shows—whatever it is that we’re doing—we are completely funded by grants,” Penix said.
Supporting the work creatives and entrepreneurs do to give Black people safe spaces.
“It was oftentimes embarrassing to walk into a place and be turned away or, you know, have food thrown at you,” Edwards Butler said. “I think it’s so important that the safe spaces that we create today are places where we can just be—be creative, be free, like connect and network—and that’s what these businesses and people are providing today.”
Modern Green Book hopes to raise $25,000 by the end of the year. There are plenty of other events throughout the weekend. The proceeds will go towards grants for Black-owned businesses. A list of those events is below.
- Black Business Networking Game Night
- Aug. 24, 7 p.m.
- Polaris Co-Working & Event Space
- Casual, Networking, Giveaways, Game Night
- Tickets: FREE – RSVP REQUIRED
- The MGB Culture & Community Fest
- Aug. 26, 12-8 p.m.
- Sloss Furnaces
- Casual, Festival, Live Music, Vendors, Black-owned beer and wine garden
- Tickets: $5 Student, $10 General, $100 VIP