Afro-American Sons and Daughters Hospital
Encyclopedia
The Afro-American Sons and Daughters Hospital, in Yazoo City, Mississippi
, also known as the Afro-American Hospital was built in 1928. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2006.
The Afro-American Sons and Daughters was a fraternal organization in Mississippi
and one of the leading black voluntary associations in the state. Organized in 1924, it had 35,000 members by the 1930s. The founder of the group was Thomas J. Huddleston, Sr.
, a prosperous black entrepreneur and advocate of Booker T. Washington
's self-help philosophy.
In 1928, the association opened the Afro-American Hospital of Yazoo City, Mississippi to give low-cost care to the members. Dr. Lloyd Tevis Miller
served as the facility's first director. The hospital, which offered both major and minor surgery, was a leading health care supplier for blacks in Mississippi. It had a low death rate compared to other hospitals that served blacks in the South during the period.
The hospital ceased operation in 1966 as a fraternal entity after years of increasingly burdensome regulation, competitive pressure from government and third-party health care alternatives, and the migration of younger dues-paying blacks to the North. The Afro-American Sons and Daughters disbanded during the same period..
Huddleston's grandson is Mike Espy
, a former member of the House of Representatives and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
Yazoo City, Mississippi
Yazoo City is a city in Yazoo County, Mississippi, United States. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle. It is the county seat of Yazoo County and the principal city of the Yazoo City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the...
, also known as the Afro-American Hospital was built in 1928. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2006.
The Afro-American Sons and Daughters was a fraternal organization in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and one of the leading black voluntary associations in the state. Organized in 1924, it had 35,000 members by the 1930s. The founder of the group was Thomas J. Huddleston, Sr.
T. J. Huddleston, Sr.
T. J. Huddleston, Sr. was a prominent African American entrepreneur and community leader in Mississippi. He owned dozens of funeral homes in Mississippi. He was the grandfather of former U.S...
, a prosperous black entrepreneur and advocate of Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
's self-help philosophy.
In 1928, the association opened the Afro-American Hospital of Yazoo City, Mississippi to give low-cost care to the members. Dr. Lloyd Tevis Miller
Lloyd Tevis Miller
Lloyd Tevis Miller was an American physician who was the first medical director of the Afro-American Hospital in Yazoo City, Mississippi, the first private hospital for blacks in the state...
served as the facility's first director. The hospital, which offered both major and minor surgery, was a leading health care supplier for blacks in Mississippi. It had a low death rate compared to other hospitals that served blacks in the South during the period.
The hospital ceased operation in 1966 as a fraternal entity after years of increasingly burdensome regulation, competitive pressure from government and third-party health care alternatives, and the migration of younger dues-paying blacks to the North. The Afro-American Sons and Daughters disbanded during the same period..
Huddleston's grandson is Mike Espy
Mike Espy
Alphonso Michael "Mike" Espy is a former United States political figure. From 1987 to 1993, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi. He served as the Secretary of Agriculture from 1993 to 1994. He was the first African American Secretary of Agriculture...
, a former member of the House of Representatives and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.