5th Anniversary Conference: The Black Motorist's Safety Travel Guides

5th Anniversary Tell the Story History Conference:

The Black Motorist's Safety Travel Guides

In 2015 Sema Hadithi Foundation's Founder Robert Burch created a Black history conference. He kept that conference going for five years, not knowing that he would found this organization in 2020. When he did, he brought the conference into the organization. This year -- 2025 -- we celebrate TEN YEARS of the Tell the Story Black History Conference and FIVE YEARS of Sema Hadithi Foundation.

This year we will share results from our team that has spent the last three years researching the Black Motorist's Safety Travel Guides. WHAT are those? Many people have heard of "The Green Book" created by Victor Green in 1936 during the Jim Crow Law Era to help Black American motorists travel safely for work and vacation. Did you know that there were actually SEVERAL such guides? They all served the same purpose, but not all locations were listed in each guide. A few Utah locations are listed in "The Green Book". We found many more Utah locations in the other guides. Come learn about those locations and the creation of the Middle Class in the United State.

Class Schedule

10:00 am – 10:15 am – Conference Opening

10:15 am – 10:30 am – Welcome by Robert Burch, Executive Director, Sema Hadithi Foundation

10:30 am – 11:50 – Introduction of "The Kate Holbrook Black American History Advocate" Speaker: Christine Cooper-Rompato, English Professor and the Sigma Tau Delta Logan Advisor at Utah State University. Author of “The Gift of Tongues: Women’s Xenoglossia in the Later Middle Ages”. Research Team Advisor of The Green Book & Other Black Motorists’ Safety Travel Guides Research Team for Sema Hadithi Foundation.

Q&A will follow.

12:00 noon – 12:50 pm: Lunch

1:00 – 2:40 pm – “Utah in the Black Motorist’s Safety Travel Guides”. Panelists: Eden Marroquin, Ella Stott, Morgan Evans, and Yasamin Osqueezadeh -- students at Utah State University; The Green Book & Other Black Motorists’ Safety Travel Guides Research Team of Sema Hadithi Foundation.

Q&A will follow.

3:05 pm – 4:05 pm – Class still in process of confirmation

Q&A will follow.

4:25 – 5:00 pm – Interactive Session on the Black Motorist’s Safety Travel Guides

In-Person Cost

$10 individual class + $3 processing fees = $13.00 > Individual Class

$70 cost of conference + $7 processing fees = $77.00 > Full Conference WITHOUT Lunch

$90 cost of conference + $8 processing fees = $98.00 > Full Conference WITH Lunch

(Thank you for covering the system fee so our non-profit 501c3 will have more money to continue our Black history research and make new exhibits to circulate Utah.)

Virtual Cost

$10 individual class + $3 processing fees = $13.00 > Individual Class

$50 for conference + $6 processing fees = $56.00 > Full Conference (you provide your own lunch)

(Thank you for covering the system fee so our non-profit 501c3 will have more money to continue our Black history research and make new exhibits to circulate Utah.)

Location

Rowland Hall

843 Lincoln Street

SLC, UT 84102

Parking

FREE parking on premises and on the street around the school.

Additional Information

>Donated items will be available for auction in-person.

Lunch Menu

To celebrate our Black American Ancestors who traveled the open road, we will serve a traditional packed lunch that they would have prepared and taken with them.

Fried Chicken (in-bone)

Mashed potatoes

Biscuits

Maccaroni and cheese

Red beans and rice

Tossed green salad w/tomatoes & cucumbers & carrots

Potato salad

Salad dressings: Ranch and Italian (regular)

Dessert:

Banana Pudding (courtesy of Parfe Diem)

Drinks: Lemonade and Old Fashioned Red Drank

CELEBRATE OUR ANNIVERSARY YEAR WITH US ENJOYING LEARNING ABOUT UTAH'S BLACK HISTORY & CELEBRATING THOSE BLACK AMERICANS WHO BRAVELY TRAVELED THE OPEN ROAD.

NOTE

• NO REFUNDS

• Eventbrite processing fees have been added to the cost to enable us to collect the full value of each ticket to enable us to do more Utah Black History research.
• Advance Ticket Purchase on Eventbrite ONLY
• On-Site/Day-Of Ticket Purchase: Venmo and Cash ONLY