Green book

Green Book absolutely shattered me, and I’m still processing the

emotional weight of watching two completely different men discover they’re more alike than they ever imagined. If segregation was still  thing this is what I would imagine what would never come to happen that is American culture would be unrecognizably impoverished - no jazz, blues, rock, hip-hop, R&B, or gospel. Literature would lack voices like Baldwin, Morrison, Hughes. Theater and film would miss transformative performances and perspectives that shaped our national identity.

Tony Vallelonga and Dr. Don Shirley couldn’t have been more different on paper. Tony was a street-smart bouncer from the Bronx who solved problems with his fists, while Dr. Shirley was a refined classical pianist who lived above Carnegie Hall in elegant isolation. When Tony took the job as Dr. Shirley’s driver for a tour through the Jim Crow South, neither expected anything beyond a professional arrangement.

What broke my heart was watching their walls crumble through the smallest, most human moments. Tony teaching Dr. Shirley how to eat fried chicken with his hands wasn’t just about food – it was about letting someone into your world. Dr. Shirley helping Tony write love letters to his wife showed a vulnerability that transcended their employer-employee relationship.

The transformation happened gradually. Tony began seeing the daily

humiliations Dr. Shirley endured – being denied entry to restaurants where he performed, having to use separate facilities, facing constant dehumanization. Meanwhile, Dr. Shirley discovered Tony’s fierce loyalty and genuine heart beneath the tough exterior.

By the time Dr. Shirley showed up at Tony’s family Christmas dinner, they weren’t boss and employee anymore. They were family. Two men who had filled the emptiness in each other’s lives without even realizing it.

The most beautiful truth Green Book revealed is that real understanding doesn’t come from good intentions or political correctness it comes from spending time together, sharing stories, and recognizing our shared humanity. Sometimes the most unlikely friendships teach us the most about ourselves and the world around us.