Candacy Taylor, author of a forthcoming book about the Negro Motorist Green Book published from the 1930s to the ’60s, will be the keynote speaker during the fifth annual Route 66 Miles of Possibility Conference in Normal, Illinois, on Oct. 17-20.
Taylor soon will publish “Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the
Roots of Black Travel in America.” She has been researching the former travel guide for African American motorists since 2013.
According to a news release Tuesday by the conference:
“The Green Book” has been called the “Bible of Black Travel” and the AAA guide for black people; its purpose was to assist them in traveling the country with dignity and safety. The book featured barbershops, beauty salons, department stores, restaurants, nightclubs, taverns, gas stations, garages, and other businesses who served or accommodated black people. The book was the inspiration behind the award-winning movie of the same name.
Candacy Taylor’s presentation is not only the keynote for the Route 66 Miles of Possibility Conference, but it is also free and open to the public. The presentation will be held at ISU Alumni Center, 1101 N. Main St., Normal, IL on Friday, Oct. 18, from 7 to 9 p.m. This special presentation is co-sponsored by the Town of Normal and the City of Bloomington.
UPDATE: Taylor’s book will be released Jan. 7.
The annual conference will be themed “Under the Big Top” because of Bloomington-Normal’s history with circuses, dating to the 1870s when a couple of barns and the local YWCA served as practice sites for aerial performers.
As a result, Illinois State University’s Gamma Phi Circus director Marcus Alouan, artistic director Ivan Stoinev and aerial coach Maritza Atayde will discuss its history and share their stories of circus performance and travel. Gamma Phi Circus, founded in 1929, is the oldest collegiate circus in the United States.
Also new to the conference this year is the “Roadie Panel” – a discussion of Route 66 topics with well-known Route 66 enthusiasts. The panel will be moderated by Jim Livingston, a professional photographer known for the “I Am Rt 66” project showcasing people found along Route 66. Jim will be talking with the panel that will include Penny Black, Ron Jones, Rita Kirchoff and Mike Wallace. Livingston’s “I Am Rt 66” photography will also be on display during the conference. (Disclosure: The conference has been an advertiser on Route 66 for several weeks.)
Ryburn Place at Sprague’s Super Service in Normal will host the traditional conference hot dog roast on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 7-9 p.m. The conference will end with a cruise-in at Ryburn Place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. The cruise-in will be hosted by the Mid-State Cruisers with special guests, the Prairie Capital Corvair Association. The Blues Brothers Mobile will be on display, courtesy of Ron Romero of the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66.
On Saturday night at the Eagles Club in Bloomington will be the conference dinner, live circus performance and live music from 3rd Street Down, an up-and-coming band from Bloomington.
The conference sessions will be on Friday and Saturday. Other topics will include history, preservation, economic potential, internet security, social media and more. Conference sessions run throughout Friday and Saturday. The complete conference schedule can be found here.
(Image of Candacy Taylor courtesy of the Route 66 Miles of Possibility Conference)