The creator of The Negro Motorist Green Book, Victor Hugo Green, ran an advertising office and travel agency in room 215A of this building before it was converted into a school. Originally, Green ran his office from his Sugar Hill apartment, but in 1942, with the 6th edition of the guide, he moved into this office space. Today, the building houses the Thurgood Marshall Academy School for Learning and Social Change.

Formerly known as Hotel Theresa this building was one of the only luxury New York City hotels to welcome African American entertainers and was known as the “Waldorf of Harlem.” Built between 1912-1913, it began to hire and host African Americans in 1940, attracting legendary singers like Pearl Bailey, Lena Horne, and Eartha Kitt, who could perform at the Waldorf Astoria, but were not allowed to stay there nor enter through the main entrance. Today, the hotel serves as an office building.

This popular Harlem bar was a performance hub for jazz artists and significant African American figures. It hosted some of the greatest jazz artists like Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis, and attracted famous patrons who would frequently stop by the bar, including Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, and Malcolm X. The lounge closed in 2012 and the building was demolished in 2017.

The creator of The Negro Motorist Green Book, Victor Hugo Green, originally ran the advertising office for his famous guide out of this apartment. At the time, Green worked as a postman in New Jersey while living in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of Harlem with his wife and collaborator, Alma Green. The Greens ran their business out of this apartment until 1942, when they moved into an office on 135th Street.

In the 1940s, this venue was named The Paradise Theater and was a top venue for African American performers. Originally built in 1919 to house the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, when the hall was turned into the Paradise it attracted jazz greats Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday, as well as comedians like Moms Mabley and Redd Foxx. Today, the building is called the Detroit Orchestra Hall, but the Paradise Theater legacy is preserved through the “Paradise Jazz Series."

Known for its high-end accommodations, the Carlton catered to a well-off African American clientele, particularly those in the music industry. Singer and actress Della Reese worked as a telephone operator here when she was discovered by an associate of famed music executive Berry Gordy. In the 1970s, the city of Detroit took ownership of the building and sold it to a developer who turned this important piece of Black history into loft-style condominiums in 2005.

A powerful reminder of segregation, this wall literally divided Black and white residents in the same neighborhood. Located on the west side of Detroit, it was built in 1941 by developers who were discouraged by the banks to integrate housing in neighborhoods across the U.S., a practice known as “redlining.” The wall created limited access between the two neighborhoods. Today, a short stretch of the wall is decorated with murals and can be seen in the Alfonso Wells Memorial Playground.

Under Jim Crow laws, Centennial Park and its public pool were closed off to Black Americans, making it an important site of confrontation during the civil rights era. It wasn’t until the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 that African Americans were permitted to use it. Today, the 132-acre park is well known for the full-size replica of the Greek Parthenon that was built on the grounds in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.

This is a popular traditional soul food restaurant that serves delicious food for a good cause. Opened in 2016 by the Fairfield Missionary Baptist Church, the café provides job training and employs formerly incarcerated men and women, offering them work experiences and helping them create second chances and improved lives.