Dr. Springs examining patient

Dr. Springs examining patient. Colp, Illinois. 1939

Photograph by Arthur Rothstein

In the segregated coal-mining region of southern Illinois, Rothstein photographed respected black physician, Dr. Andrew Springs. Under threat of violence, black residents of Colp could not remain in neighboring “sundown towns” after dark, but this did not prevent Dr. Springs from responded to mining accidents or treating white patients.
In 1936, Dr. Springs invited First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to visit the local mining communities. She attended a performance of the Colp Community Choir, and later arranged to provide the group with robes and professional training. She wrote about her trip including her interaction with Dr. Springs in her syndicated column, My Day, which appeared in newspapers around the country, every other day from 1935-1962!