GREENSBORO, N.C. — Going on vacation and need a place to stay? These days you can pull out your phone and quickly search and find a solution on the internet. However, 70 years ago, you could count on one hand how many places Blacks could stay in Greensboro. One site still stands, thanks to one local woman.
"When we talk about Black History and we talk about the demands and the pressures that were associated with the Jim Crow Era, it was important to have these places where such as our guests to what I just call---be!" said Natalie Pass-Miller, the owner of the Historic Magnolia House off Gorrell Street in downtown Greensboro.
She took ownership from her father in 2018.
"So, when the "Greenbook" movie came out, I got an email with a page of the Greenbook and Magnolia House in it," Pass-Miller said. "Before then, I had no clue."
The 2018 Academy award-winning movie revealed the truth about her own history that made Pass-Miller say 'goodbye' to healthcare IT forever.
"That was the day, the house had it's voice and spoke to me," Pass-Miller said.
Greensboro History Museum Education Curator Rodney Dawson says the house was more than a safe space for black musicians.
"Bennet College, North Carolina A&T, Winston-Salem State all graduated students and when you graduated, I'm sure mom and dad wanted to come see you," Dawson said. "My mom wanted to come see me, but where did they stay? They couldn't go to the Hilton or whatever was around. They had to find these Greenbook sites."
Dawson says there were a lot of visitors considered before coming into town.
"They had to have enough gas and food to make it to the Magnolia House and had to arrange, pre-arrange or hope they had a room," Dawson said.
Pass-Miller renovated the home and now uses it as an events venue, restaurant, and bed & breakfast. While checking out, Stephen Wright and Theresa Martin highly recommend the stay.
"It's something that is in the neighborhood that I pass by all the time and I just didn't know about it," Wright said. "So, it was really cool to come by, see it and imagine how it existed in the past."
"And learn something new," Martin added.
Check out the details of upcoming events hosted at the historic Magnolia House including Juke Joints and brunches here.