Driving While Black tells the history of harassment and discrimination that black drivers have experienced going back to the early days of the automobile. From not being able to find a clean restroom they will be permitted to use on a road trip up through the present day reality of black drivers being disproportionately stopped. Sorin traces a genealogy of hostility toward black drivers during the Jim Crow era up to police brutality in the present day. Using extensive documentation, she also tells the story of how black travelers have navigated (through travel guides like the Green Book) and pushed back against (through the NAACP and other activist groups) a form of discrimination that literally limits their movement. This is an eye-opening read.

Excellent book.Driving While Black goes into detail on how African Americans had to learn to read the unposted signs that restricted travel in areas where their lives would be in danger simply because they were black. Interesting insights into the origins of systemic racism in policing. Highly recommended.

Some of these stories could be taken from the present day, which scares me. I have to remind myself often that this too shall pass. Thank you to the author for casting a light onto an important area of discourse.

I read yet another timely Civil Rights era book on a topic I again knew nothing about, despite living in the south for most of my life. The adaptability of African Americans in this country is admirable. They kept going, carving out their liberties a bit at a time in the face of opposition and racism. The significance of the automobile to POC seems so obvious yet can be taken for granted by those who have never experienced prejudice. This is an excellent study of a little-known aspect in history and I will thoroughly be endorsing it as a must-read for everyone.

This book was an eye-opening history about driving and the discrimination that follows African American drivers. The author uses interviews and illustrations to document this disturbing piece of history highlighting racism in America.

A well documented and thought-provoking read.

This would be an excellent addition to any discussions about American History especially Black History particularly the treatment of Black people in the United States. This is a good text for anyone to have as a reference of this important information. There are so many facts in this book about the difficulty of owning a car or traveling as a Black person.

I have to admit I did not finish this book. I think I was hoping to learn something new. This is still a book I would share with my students or set on my classroom bookshelf, but I didn’t feel like I needed to take my own time to read it, because this is a topic I know enough about to teach.

Read if you: Want a sharp and moving account of the hardships, struggles, and danger African-American travelers faced (and continue to face) while traveling, as well as the importance of the automobile and The Green Book during the Jim Crow era.

With Driving While Black being published in the same publishing period as The Overground Railroad, comparisons will inevitably be made. If you are wondering if you should order one or both for your library/bookstore/personal collection: order and read both. While they do both cover the history of African-American travel and The Green Book, both approach this history in personal yet distinct ways. Driving While Black is more focused on the importance of the rise of car ownership among African-Americans as well as the various predecessors of The Green Book (The Overground Railroad focuses more on the actual guide and on the businesses included in The Green Book, as well as current crisis). This is a fascinating and eye-opening look at a part of history that should be more widely known.

Many thanks to W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.