Roots of Discrimination Mother Roads

Roots of Discrimination and Racism

Ingrained in the American Culture of our Mother Roads

by Alexis Barton

“[Route 66] has always been a mirror held to reflect what goes on in the nation,” historian Michael Wallis. [1] When comparing the 100-year history of Route 66, or even the Lincoln Highway, to the last 100 years of United States history, one can indeed find the Mother Road to be an honest reflection of the best and worst America has to offer. Among these are hope, freedom, and democracy. It has aided in the creation of a culture and atmosphere of Americana and a meaning of American patriotism that was and remains exclusionary of women, Native Americans, and other non-white Americans, a capitalization of Native and non-white experience, rather than truly including all American perspectives.

There is a significance in South Bend protesting downtown, specifically against racial injustice, along the historic Lincoln Highway. It is my hope that by discussing the popular history of these roads, followed by the hidden, more harrowing aspects of their past, that I will have managed for this significance to not remain lost any longer. America has a long history of being a nation filled with people constantly on the go. The “Mother Roads” served as the major pathways for those migrating west for nearly 100 years, with most sections starting as old wagon trails. Over time, transportation methods changed to become faster and more efficient.

As the twentieth century came in full force with the invention of automobiles and advanced transportation methods, the existing, poorly marked wagon trails began to be replaced by newer and more sustainable roads. During this same time frame, the entire country was suffering from a major economic depression, exacerbated by the Dust Bowl because it turned farms in the heart of the country into a dusty, barren wasteland.

For 50 years, these roads served as a “caretaker of dreams” for people venturing out west hoping to create a better life for themselves. This message only truly applied to white Americans and not people of color. Prior to the construction of the highway, the Chicago Tribune published an editorial on August 29, 1925 suggesting that people of color avoid sites (such as Route 66 and Lincoln Highway) completely:

We should be doing no service to the negroes if we did not point out that to a very large section of the white population the presence of a Negro, however well behaved, among white bathers is an irritation. This may be a regrettable fact to the Negroes, but it is nevertheless a fact, and must be reckoned with… The Negroes could make a definite contribution to a good race relationship by remaining away from beaches where their presence is resented.

Not only were Black Americans historically shut out of parks, pools, and beaches, but they couldn’t sleep, eat, or even get fuel at most businesses because they were white-owned. It is no surprise that traveling cross-cross country was nearly impossible as a black American. To avoid the humiliation they faced for their skin color, people of color were forced to travel with everything that they may need to survive – portable toilets, extra gas, bedding and blankets, clothing, food, and even drinks, because many soda machines were labeled “For White Customers Only.”

Lining the length of these roads were “sundown towns,” or all-white communities that forbid black Americans from entering the city’s limits after dark. The state of Illinois had 150 sundown towns alone, and many other states spanning the Lincoln Highway route from New York City to San Francisco had these as well. As a matter of fact - neighboring city Goshen, Indiana is formerly a sundown town located along the 1913 stretch of the Lincoln Highway. These roads did not mean freedom for everyone as promised. They instead bore witness to some of the most horrific acts of race-related radical terrorism the country has ever seen.

Businesses would be erected with clever titles, such as “Klean Kountry Kottages” or “Kozy Kottage Kamping” to poorly mask their association with the Klu Klux Klan. They only served whites. Even the kitschy roadside attractions, like the Fantastic Caverns in Springfield, MO were associated with the KKK. They owned the tourist site and held their cross burnings inside. In an effort to keep safe from the racism along the route, many black travelers were forced to have a safety plan or cover story to disguise them, such as a chauffer’s hat. This desire for safety led to the creation of a small, often secret travel guide, called The Negro Motorist Green Book. It was published from 1936 until 1966, and frequently updated to include safe and welcoming gas stations, motels, mechanics, taverns, restaurants, hair salons, department stores, and attractions. These things can be seen with a whitewashed depiction in the movie “Green Book.”

Black Americans were not the only people of color to be troubled by racism on Route 66, this is unfortunately and unsurprisingly not the case. We must also add an indigenous narrative to the untold, incomplete story of these Mother Roads. During their construction, tribes were robbed of land for commercial gain. For many, the tribe’s narrative was centered around forced removal – dispersed to cities, boarding schools, new land allotments, and reservations.

While the Mother Roads gained a lasting reputation for their greasy diner food, flashy neon signs, and beautiful stretches of open road, they also historically maintained an array of American Indian-themed tourist attractions. While a significant portion of these routes run through indigenous country, the roadside attractions all too often fail to properly represent the multitude of traditions associated with the different tribes. They instead offer travelers a problematic monolithic view of the American Indian, often dripping in racial exploitation. This can be seen in sites like the Cherokee Trading Post in Oklahoma, which depicts an Indian in a stereotyped Plains-style war bonnet, which was not even worn by the Cherokee Indians. Similarly, a “Navajo trading post” in Arizona brags of owning the “World’s Largest Tepee,” but the traditional Navajo dwelling is not a Tepee, it is a Hogan. Not to mention the chain of historic “Wigwam Motels” along Route 66 that are actually just a cluster of tipi structures. Two of the seven Wigwam Motels remain in business along Route 66 today, continuing to profit on false ideals present with the racial exploitation of the American Indian.

The 1960’s hit America with an explosion of counterculture. Optimism for some was anguish for others, and before society knew it, all the citizens were being challenged by the Civil Rights Revolution. For Black Americans, this resulted in many important rulings by federal judiciary, such as: the legalization of Interracial marriages, Ratification of 23rd and 24th amendments, the passage of the Civil Rights Acts, the Right to Vote, The Fair Housing Act, and a number of others.

As Michael Wallis would have it, Route 66 mirrored the nation’s new responses to discrimination almost entirely. As society became more welcoming and inclusionary, so did the mother roads. Perhaps unsurprisingly, publication for the Green Book ceased shortly after the Civil Rights act was passed in 1964. Businesses with KKK in the name started to trickle away, restaurants began to serve everyone, and motels could no longer turn people away for their skin color. With only 25% of the Green Book sites remaining, it is not at all surprising that Route 66 is thought to be weighed down by nostalgia and a romanticized past that never was, instead of the endangerment of thousands of innocent black lives.

The passing of the Civil Rights Act did not “fix” racism or mean that travel was suddenly easy for black Americans. Racism is still something that we struggle with today, even in small town South Bend, Indiana. While it is indeed notable that black Americans can drive on U.S. roads without being killed for their mere existence, a struggle for social mobility still exists and we cannot lose sight of our place in this larger picture. The incident in Ferguson, Missouri for example, where Michael Brown bled to death in the street after being wrongfully shot by police just a couple of miles from the original leg of Route 66. The remaining roadside attractions along America’s main street, such as the Wigwam Motel or Tepee Curios, that still play a crucial role in uncovering the true narrative behind the land lost by Indigenous peoples. Still being exploited today. While many of these issues have improved over the last hundred years, the remaining roadside attractions still mirror the nation – and we still have a long way to go.

Nevertheless, we persist.

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