The Modern Green Book: Carrying a Legacy Forward Through Black Business

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

When Theo Edwards-Butler began compiling a list of Black-owned businesses in 2020, she was thinking about where she could eat, shop and spend her money.

She was not thinking about building a movement.

She was not thinking about creating a digital platform that would eventually connect thousands of people with Black-owned businesses across the country.

And she certainly was not thinking about reviving the spirit of one of the most important travel guides in Black history.

“I kind of started it for selfish reasons because I enjoy shopping and eating and I definitely enjoy buying Black and shopping Black-owned and supporting our people,” Edwards-Butler said.

But sometimes, the most impactful ideas begin with a personal need.

In Edwards-Butler’s case, that need was simple: She wanted to know where she could intentionally spend her money.

The answer became The Modern Green Book.

Created on June 5, 2020, The Modern Green Book is a contemporary spin on the original Negro Motorist Green Book. This historic guide helped Black travelers navigate a segregated America by identifying businesses and spaces where they could find food, lodging, gas and safety.

More than six decades after the final edition of the original Green Book was published, Edwards-Butler is carrying its legacy into a new era.

Instead of helping Black travelers find safe places to stop along the road, The Modern Green Book helps consumers find Black-owned businesses to support intentionally.

The mission, however, remains rooted in the power of community.

“Where the original Green Book featured both Black-owned and allied-owned businesses, the Modern Green Book features Black-owned businesses so that everybody can go and intentionally support them, because we still need the support,” Edwards-Butler said.

A Different Kind of Protest

The idea for the Modern Green Book was born during one of the most turbulent periods in recent American history.

Edwards-Butler had graduated from Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, just months earlier with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, she had come to Birmingham for college, drawn by Samford’s scholarship offer and the opportunity to experience a city with a rich history unlike anything she had known.

She had also developed a personal list of Black-owned businesses in Birmingham.

At the time, she was preparing to tour with a children’s theater company and had begun compiling Black-owned restaurants, shops and businesses along her anticipated travel route.

Then the world shut down. The COVID-19 pandemic brought everyday life to a halt. Businesses closed. People stayed home.  The murder of George Floyd sparked protests across the country. At the same time, the death of Breonna Taylor — who was from Edwards-Butler’s hometown of Louisville — brought the national conversation even closer to home.

As people wrestled with how to respond, some reached out to Edwards-Butler.

They knew her as someone active in the community and passionate about social causes. They wanted to know what she was doing to help.

But Edwards-Butler was also afraid.

As a singer and theater performer, she worried about what contracting COVID-19 could mean for her voice.

“As a singer, I was so scared that if I would get it, that I wouldn’t be able to sing again,” she said. “I was so scared that if I got it, I wouldn’t be able to see family members and friends.”

She also understood that activism did not have to look the same for everyone.

“There are other ways than being out protesting that are still protests,” she said.

So Edwards-Butler sent her list of Black-owned businesses to friends and family.

At the time, it was nothing more than a basic Google document.

She had not intended to create a national database. She had not anticipated thousands of people contributing to the list. She simply wanted to give people another way to support Black communities during a period of profound uncertainty.

When she returned to the document several weeks later, she discovered that other people had added hundreds of businesses.

“There were probably about 300 or 400 businesses that other people had added to this list,” she said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, so there’s a real need for this.’”

That realization changed everything.

Edwards-Butler began researching how to organize the information better. She learned how to use Google Sheets more effectively and started sharing the list with a wider audience.

She also began contacting the businesses listed.

“Hey, you got put on this list, and I just want to double-check with you. Is that okay?” she recalled telling them. “Here’s what I’m trying to do.”

At first, Edwards-Butler described the project as a “virtual Green Book” or “new Green Book.”

The name The Modern Green Book eventually stuck.

The response was immediate. Within a short period of time, the list grew to include thousands of businesses.

Edwards-Butler built a website with the help of a friend, and what began as a personal shopping guide evolved into a growing platform centered on Black entrepreneurship, community and economic empowerment.

Modern Green Book Market

Six years later, The Modern Green Book is still growing.

The platform’s database remains an important part of the organization’s work, although its website is currently being rebuilt. Edwards-Butler said the new website will offer more opportunities for the organization to expand its database and services.

But the organization has also grown beyond the internet.

One of the most visible examples is the Modern Green Book Market, a recurring marketplace that gives Black-owned businesses an opportunity to sell their products and connect with customers in person.

The market is hosted in partnership with CityWalk Birmingham, which Edwards-Butler describes as an invaluable partner.

The partnership began in 2023.

What initially began as a quarterly series of events has grown into a regular market with eight events scheduled during this season.

Each market allows entrepreneurs to operate their businesses in person for several hours, something that can be difficult for small business owners who may not have access to a storefront or traditional retail space.

“I think it’s a very unique opportunity for a lot of people because they just wouldn’t otherwise have the space to do that,” Edwards-Butler said.

A Marketplace and a Meeting Place

Among those vendors is Sheymirra Lawson, founder of AfroLit Alcove, a mobile and pop-up bookstore that has participated in The Modern Green Book Market since 2024.

Lawson said the market has become much more than a place to sell books.

“Just the fact that those types of people come out to these markets and put me in circles with individuals who can help me take my business to the next level has been a great advantage to me,” Lawson said.

Lawson recalled being approached by a representative from REV Birmingham who admired her work and encouraged her entrepreneurial goals.

Although she wasn’t yet in a position to open a brick-and-mortar bookstore, she said those conversations reminded her that opportunities often begin with relationships.

Lawson said one of the market’s greatest strengths is the community it creates among Black entrepreneurs.

“Participating in the Modern Green Book Market is an excellent way to network with other small business owners and Black business owners,” she said.

She believes the market’s connection to the historic Green Book gives the event even greater meaning.

“To see that history being revamped in this way as an actual pop-up market event in Birmingham, Alabama — which is so rich in Black history — is very good for small businesses like myself,” Lawson said. “We can collaborate and partner with one another.”

For Lawson, the market serves as both a marketplace and a meeting place, allowing entrepreneurs to exchange ideas, build partnerships and strengthen Birmingham’s growing ecosystem of Black-owned businesses.

Lawson launched AfroLit Alcove in July 2024 as a response to what she saw as growing attacks on Black history and education.

The mobile bookstore specializes in books by Black authors and works centered on Black history and culture.

“This is my way of fighting back,” Lawson said. “Making sure Black stories — fiction and nonfiction — remain available to our community.”

Ironically, Lawson said many of her most emotional encounters have come from customers she never expected.

“I’ve even had non-Black customers approach me in tears, thanking me for what I’m trying to do,” she said. “That’s when I know I’m making a difference.”

Those moments, she said, reinforce why spaces like The Modern Green Book Market continue to matter.

Teamwork

The markets have also evolved. The Modern Green Book’s events have included different activations designed to make the experience more than a traditional shopping event. A recent market featured a flower market with Black florists. Other events have included unique experiences designed to bring shoppers into the space and encourage them to connect with vendors.

The final market of the year is scheduled for November and will have a holiday theme, complete with pictures with Santa and the possibility of a Black holiday movie screening.

The evolution of the market reflects the evolution of the Modern Green Book itself.

Edwards-Butler began the project alone, but over the years she has built a network of volunteers, contributors and supporters.

Dana Hicks, who originally began as a volunteer, now helps Edwards-Butler with the market.

“She’s really great,” Edwards-Butler said. “She helps me bounce ideas off of, and she comes to the market to either help set up or she’s there, and that just kind of gives me a little bit of a break, mentally and physically.”

Other contributors help identify and write stories about businesses that are featured on the platform.

Artist. Entrepreneur. Community Advocate.

Even with a team, the work of maintaining the Modern Green Book can be demanding,

particularly as Edwards-Butler balances it all with her career in theater and economic development.

Edwards-Butler has spent much of her life singing and performing. She graduated from Samford with a degree in musical theater and has continued to work in the Birmingham theater community.

She currently works with Red Mountain Theatre and is involved in productions such as “Come from Away.”

She also works with REV Birmingham, an economic development nonprofit focused primarily on downtown Birmingham and Woodlawn. The combination of her passions has helped shape her approach to The Modern Green Book.

She is an artist. She is an entrepreneur. She is a community advocate. And she understands that each role can contribute to the other.

“I’ll probably never quit theater,” Edwards-Butler said. Her passion for performing began long before she arrived in Birmingham. Growing up in Louisville, Edwards-Butler studied voice and attended a theater conservatory. Her training included Shakespeare, improvisation and the classics.

“I’ve literally been in pretty much anything you’ve read in English class,” she said.

Her decision to attend Samford was influenced by the scholarship she received, but being in Birmingham also appealed to her.

“I think I was just drawn to the simple fact that there’s so much history,” she said. “Louisville is very different from Birmingham. It is not a very Southern city. And I hadn’t experienced that before.”

Birmingham offered her the opportunity to study theater while also exploring a minor in social entrepreneurship. Although she ultimately did not complete the minor because of the demands of the musical theater program, the concept stayed with her.

“Social entrepreneurship kind of opened up a lot for me in regards to how I could care for my community through a business,” Edwards-Butler said.

That idea is at the heart of The Modern Green Book. For Edwards-Butler, supporting Black-owned businesses is not simply about shopping. It is about building power. It is about creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to grow. It is about recognizing that where people spend their money can influence the kind of communities they want to see.

“I feel like this is one of the strongest things to do to help create change is through economic change,” Edwards-Butler said. “You really won’t see change unless your dollars are in it.”

She is quick to acknowledge the importance of protests, marches and other forms of activism. But she believes economic activism is another way for people to make their voices heard.

“You don’t see the change until you put your money where your mouth is,” she said. “And this is the perfect mix between that, and it’s a positive way to protest.”

Connected to Birmingham

The Modern Green Book’s mission is also deeply connected to Birmingham.

For Edwards-Butler, working in a city with such a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement carries a particular responsibility.

“I feel like there’s a lot of weight on my shoulders being in a city like this because there has been so much history that has been birthed in this area,” she said.

Birmingham has long been home to Black entrepreneurs, business owners and community leaders who built institutions during a time when segregation and discrimination restricted opportunities. Edwards-Butler points to historic figures such as A.G. Gaston and contemporary entrepreneurs who are breathing new life into spaces that once served as centers of Black commerce and culture. She also points to people like Naimah Elmore and Rashad “Roc” Harrell who own Alicia’s Coffee, as examples of entrepreneurs helping to continue Birmingham’s legacy of Black excellence.

“I think for me, to be here in Birmingham has been a blessing for me too,” Edwards-Butler said.

Part of what she loves about Birmingham is the city’s ability to feel both intimate and significant.

“Everybody says it’s very much small town, big city,” she said. “You know a lot of people. It’s easy to meet people in the city. You go to events and you see some of the same people.”

That familiarity has helped Edwards-Butler build relationships with business owners throughout Birmingham and beyond.

Proof That the Work Matters

Through The Modern Green Book, she has connected with entrepreneurs across Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. She has also had the opportunity to speak at events and conferences, including a hospitality conference in Miami, where she connected with industry leaders and representatives from hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, including Black-owned establishments. She has received recognition for her work, including a young entrepreneurship award through the Southeastern Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

But Edwards-Butler does not measure the success of The Modern Green Book by the number of awards she has received. For her, the greatest recognition comes from the people who continue to show up.

“I just feel grateful to the amount of people who have continued to show back up,” she said.

That continued support, she believes, is proof that the work matters.

“It’s like, that’s the proof there if people are willing to continue to stay connected with what you’re doing and come back out and support and volunteer and things like that,” she said.

The idea of people returning is especially important to Edwards-Butler because The Modern Green Book is built on relationships. The businesses are not simply names on a list. They are entrepreneurs with dreams, families and financial responsibilities. They are people who are creating products, opening restaurants, offering services and building businesses in an economic landscape that can be difficult to navigate.

The market gives consumers the opportunity to meet those entrepreneurs face-to-face. It also helps business owners to build relationships with customers who may not have otherwise found them.

Beyond the List

The market has found its rhythm after years of experimentation. It began as a one-day festival. Then it became a weeklong series of events. It moved through quarterly and sporadic events before becoming a regular monthly market.

For Edwards-Butler, the current format feels like a natural fit.

“This is like our first year hosting the market as regularly as we do,” she said. “And so I put a lot of energy into its success in making sure it grows.”

The work is personal in other ways, too. Edwards-Butler is preparing to get married this year, and she has made a point of supporting Black-owned businesses throughout the wedding planning process.

“Our wedding vendors are Black-owned,” she said.

It is a decision that reflects the same values at the center of The Modern Green Book. Support does not have to be complicated. Sometimes, it begins with choosing where to eat. Sometimes, it means buying from a local entrepreneur. Sometimes, it means attending a market, volunteering or sharing a business with a friend. And sometimes, it means creating a list because you want to know where your own dollars are going.

For Edwards-Butler, that simple list became something much larger.Six years after she first sent a Google document to friends and family, The Modern Green Book continues to connect people with Black-owned businesses and create spaces for entrepreneurs to be seen.

The project has grown beyond the list she originally created for herself. But the motivation remains familiar. She still believes in supporting Black-owned businesses. She still believes in the power of intentional spending. And she still believes that community change requires more than words.

In Birmingham, a city built on the legacy of Black resilience and entrepreneurship, Edwards-Butler is using her own talents and experiences to continue that work. She is not trying to recreate the past. She is building on it.

The original Green Book helped Black travelers find places where they could safely eat, sleep and travel. The Modern Green Book asks a different but equally important question: Where can we intentionally invest in the people, businesses and communities we want to see thrive?

For Edwards-Butler, the answer begins with showing up. And spending with purpose. And making sure that the legacy of Black business continues to have a future.

The Modern Green Book Market is held on the last Saturday of each month from April through November at CityWalk Birmingham. Follow on Instagram @themoderngreenbook.