calvin ramsey is an author, photographer and playwright whose works have been shown all around the country the objective of shedding light on the overlooked and sometimes missing pages of african manner history, ramsey's plays stimulate, educate and bring the audience closer to truth in american history. his first play, "the green book" had its premiere at atlanta's theatrical outfit. it won recognition as a finalist in the twelfth annual last frontier theater conference held in valdez, alaska, where it was positively critiqued by prominent playwrights, actors and directors including edward albee and patricia neal. this success was followed by other critically acclaimed looks, including ramsey's exploration of the complex career of the gifted african-american actor and civil rights activist. he has also served on the advisory board of special collections at emory university's woodruff library in atlanta and he is a proud recipient of the dr. martin luther king jr. drum major for justice award. please help me in welcoming calvin ramsey to the stage. [ applause ] >> well, good afternoon. gla

please help me welcome calvin ramsey to the stage. [applause] mr. ramsey: good afternoon.d to see you all out tonight. i am a new transplant in new york city. i have been here 2.5% and -- 2.5 years and i really love new york. part of my reason for coming to new york was because of victor green. victor hugo green, the man who started the green book. how many of you have great parents born in another country -- in another country? you started the immigration story as well. african-american community, got on the road, to look for a better life for themselves and their families and they called it the great migration. victor lawrence than a whole 60 panel exhibit on this that was here last summer. i had the fortune of being able to go and film all panels. but what the green book is about is about traveling with dignity. being on the road, being a -- able to stop, eat, use the restroom. you just feel safe. without humiliation, without threats of violence or death. victor green, who had a seventh grade education, lived in harlem, he worked and happens like new jersey as a letter

help me in welcoming calvin ramsey to the stage. [applause] mr. ramsey: good afternoon.'m glad to see you all out tonight. person, a transplant, in new york city. i've been here 2.5 years. i live across from yankee stadium. i love being in new york. part of my reason for coming to new york was the cousin of victor green. victor hugo green. the mailman who started the green book. how many of you have relatives or grandparents that were born in another country? .k you have a migration story as well. in the african-american community, we had over 6 million 1970 that got to on the road to look for a better life for themselves and their family. they call it the great migration. lawrence did a whole panel exhibit on this that was here last summer. i had the good fortune of being able to go in there and film all the panels. with the green book was about, is about, is about traveling with dignity. eating on the road, being able to stop, eat, use the restroom. it feels safe. without threats of violence or death. victor green, who had a seventh grade education, who lived in harlem

please help me in welcoming calvin ramsey to the stage. [ applause ] >> well, good afternoon.to see you're all out tonight. i'm a new person, new transplant here in new york city. i have been here two and a half years and live right across yankee stadium. i really love being in new york. part of my reason for coming to new york was because of victor green. victor hugo green, the mailman who started the green book. how many of you have relatives, grandparents that were born in another country? okay. well, you kind of have a migration story as well. in the african-american community we had over six million people from 1915 to 1970 that sort of got on the road to look for a better life for themselves and their families and they called it the great migration. jacob lawrence did a whole 60-panel exhibit on this that was here last summer at moma and i had the good fortune of being able to go in there and film all 60 panels. but what the green back was about, is about, is about traveling with dignity, being on the road, being able to stop, eat, use the restroom and just feel safe wit

. >> up next on american history tv, author and playwright calvin ramsey talks about the historical significanceican-americans to find places to eat, sleep and visit between 1936 and 1967. this is the topic of mr. ramsey's upcoming documentary, "the green book chronicles." the brooklyn historical society hosted this event. it's about an hour and 15 minutes. >> we are thrilled to present a program dedicated on the green book which if you don't know anything about it, you probably do if you're here but in case you don't, it was conceived and published by a postal worker victor h. green starting in the mid 1930s to help african-american travelers travel safely during a time when segregation and jim crow laws were in effect. awareness of the guide faded until tonight's amazing speaker, award winning author and playwright calvin alexander ramsey started working on a documentary chronicling the rise and fall of the green book as told by those who were around to use it. it was co-produced by becky sears who was unable to be here tonight but another co-producer graciously agreed to share raw footage and

[laughter] a guy walks up behind me and said you look like calvin ramsey. i turned around, and it was tony, one of the guys from l.a.. he's had come by the house, i married patricia and we have 8 children. they have a son named little tony. a year later, he was killed in a car accident. he had a flat tire and stopped inside the road. the police stopped to help him, and someone run over the police officer and little tony. the police officer's legs are broken, and little tony is killed. we have a funeral, and the grandfather comes down from new york, patricia's father. it was his first time in the deep south, 2001. he looks right at me and says, i was looking for a green book. he thought he still needed one in 2001. i said, what is the green book? he started explaining to me what it was, and i had not heard of it. so i went over to emory university, they do not have any copies. they did not know what i was talking about. i went over to the morehouse, and they had two copies. so i made copies of copies. that is how the green book fell on me. i wrote a play, an

today's speaker is calvin alexander ramsey.e green book chronicles chronicles the rise and fall of the green book. it was directed and coproduced by becky, who was unable to be here tonight. agreed to share raw footage of the film and to talk about the history of the publication, as well as how it was when the film project began. i am happy to start with the trailer for the film. take a moment, and enjoy. whether you are traveling on business or pleasure, the chances are that you'll travel by motor car. it has been the key to opening new horizons. not for the few, but for all. we drove constantly, we didn't stop. >> segregation and separation was not only in the south. >> travel was very difficult. >> they had colored restrooms and they were filthy. that would you do if that is all you've got? or any type of commotion to attract attention. it was dangerous. history thatot a was told in school books. it was not a history that you could find. ♪ >> they were surprised there was something as a a black marine. >> he will tell you. m