Behind the scenes of the Green Book exhibit: Washington State Historical Society

Trae Holiday spoke with Jennifer Kilmer, the director of the Washington State History Museum, and Gwen Whiting, the lead curator of the museum. Whiting and Kilmer explained the details behind the Green Book exhibit’s conception. 

According to Kilmer, exhibits like the Green Book are often planned nearly three years in advance, so this display has been a long time coming. Kilmer knew that the exhibit would be impactful, so when they got word that it was available, they responded almost instantly. "Our mission here is to partner with our communities to explore how history connects us all," said Kilmer. 

As the lead curator, Whiting had the job of actually putting the exhibit together. She worked with former Green Book exhibit holders and local Black heritage societies because she wanted to tell the story of the Green Book as it was in Washington State. According to Whiting, the Green Book was used in more than just the southern United States; it was used to help guide Black people who wanted to start new lives in the Pacific Northwest. 

Kilmer also made sure to comment on what exhibits like this mean to her, "we want to make sure that everyone who walks through this door feels like they belong and they are included… folks need to see faces like theirs, their stories reflected back to them, so they understand they play an important role in Washington State history," said Kilmer. To her, history is the way we move forward in society by reflecting on the past so that we can pivot towards a better future.

When Whiting was creating the exhibit, she really wanted to make sure that she did not tell the story from the point of victimization. She wanted to tell it from the point of view of triumph, power, and rising above. To Whiting, the Green Book is an act of resilience during the Jim Crow era of the U.S. 

If you want to check out the Green Book exhibit, make sure to learn more about it at https://www.washingtonhistory.org/ 

Also, make sure to watch the full interview on Youtube above.