State Black Chamber Launches Directory

The Alabama State Black Chamber of Commerce (ASBCC), of which the Mobile Area Black Chamber of Commerce is a member, has launched Alabama Green Book, a statewide directory of black-owned businesses. According to Alabama Political Reporter, the directory is modeled after the “Negro Motorist Green Book,” a Jim Crow-era travel guide compiled by Black postman Victor Hugo Green that helped Black travelers find businesses that would serve them. More than 60 industry categories are featured in the Alabama Green Book. ASBCC President and CEO Jerry Mitchell said, “We invite public and private agencies to use the Alabama Green Book to diversify their database of potential contractors and vendors. It also will be a valuable resource for consumers who want to patronize Black-owned businesses in our state.”