Step into a world of wonder, race, and resilience at Center for Puppetry Arts’ “Ruth and the Green Book”

By Mackenzie N. Morgan

ATLANTA—Talking about race and the inequalities Black and other marginalized people have faced over the centuries never gets easy, but it is important and art hubs like the Center for Puppetry Arts makes it a little easier.

For Black History Month, I took my 8-year-old daughter, Luna, to see the puppet show adaptation of the children’s book, Ruth and the Green Book at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Midtown Atlanta.

Ruth and the Green Book is the story of a young black girl and her family’s trip from Chicago to Alabama in the early 1950s and the challenges they and other African Americans faced during the Jim Crow era.

Along the way, they encounter prejudice, inhospitable gas stations and have to sleep in their car when a motel attendant refuses to allow the family to stay the night. However, they also discover The Green Book – a guide created by a New York City postal worker named Victor Hugo Green to help African-American travelers locate restaurants, gas stations, and lodging and avoid places that were not safe for Blacks.

Initially, I wondered if the subject matter would be too heavy for my young, inquisitive scholar, but towards the end, I found myself imagining the conversations on the ride home for the non-black families.

My daughter, who loves to travel, said, “I’m glad they had The Green Book since they didn’t have Google Maps back then — and I’m glad everybody gets to stay at nice hotels now.”

Her grandmother, Valerie Morgan, said growing up in an all Black neighborhood in Atlanta shielded her from many of the atrocities Blacks faced during Jim Crow.

“Everything was happening around me, but I didn’t understand what was happening on the TV because we never left our neighborhood. We were surrounded by Black neighborhoods, black barbers, black businesses, black teachers — black everything. We have to talk about it. You can’t erase history and it is important that our children and future generations understand the road we’ve traveled,” said Morgan.

Through song, dance and captivating special effects and props, this production expertly navigated the complexities of Jim Crow laws while maintaining age-appropriate sensitivity to young hearts and minds. Through the endearing characters and captivating story line, children are gently introduced to the harsh realities of segregation and discrimination faced by African Americans in the not-so-distant past. Yet, amidst the challenges, the show illuminates themes of resilience, resourcefulness, and the power of community.

I think plays such as “Ruth and the Green Book” need to be supported to introduce critical race theory to children sorely lacking in public education – especially in social justice hotbeds like the South. Art allows us to confront difficult topics while instilling a sense of compassion and justice in future generations to stand against inequality.

Photo above (far right): Luna poses with cast members Judah Norman and Tara Lake after the show.

Follow me on Substack and Instagram @mindfullymack for all things mindfulness, motherhood and more.  You can find Luna on YouTube, TikTok and Istagram @bestlifeluna.